Links
An eclectic mix of sites that should, hopefully, be useful to you one way or another. Some, like this site, cover more than one category but hopefully you'll find something of interest to you.
Wine
Wine information
Wine retail
Wine courses, events and dinners
Wine travel
Wine blogs
Beer
Tea
Food
General
Chefs, recipes and ingredients
Cookery courses and holidays
Food blogs
Other links
Wine information
Albarino to Zinfandel
Albarino to Zinfandel is a clever idea - a list of varietal wines and the ingredients and recipes that pair with them. The Australian behind the site, Darby Higgs, also runs a wine site Vinodiversity which gives the lowdown on the 120-odd grape varieties now being grown Down Under.
bobcampbell.co.nz
Personal website of New Zealand's best known wine writer with details of his courses and a useful directory of New Zealand wineries.
decanter.com
As a contributing editor you’d expect me to blow Decanter’s trumpet! This is the regularly updated on-line version - a must-read for the latest wine news and gossip.
eBacchus
Well established and comprehensive US site based on SweetGrapes® member reviews on all things wine-related
eRobertParker
Subscription website of the world’s most influential wine critic. Useful free vintage search.
jancisrobinson.com
Excellent newsy, amusing and authoritative site from top UK wine writer Jancis Robinson whose writing is as finely honed as her palate.
masters-of-wine.org
The website of the most elite wine professionals in the world who have passed - or are studying for the demanding Master of Wine exam. Useful lecture notes on contemporary issues and winemaking techniques. They also run splendid tastings which ordinary mortals can attend if there’s room
Nat Decants
Approachable, friendly, easy-to-navigate site of Natalie MacLean, author of Red, White and Drunk All Over. Natalie offers a free, award-winning e-newsletter
Robin Garr's Wine Lovers' Page
The oldest wine site on the web, full of clever, practical ideas like the ‘30 second wine advisor’ free newsletter. Plenty on food and food and wine matching too and some very active forums.
Sommelier India
India's first wine blog, linked to the magazine of the same name, covers international wine news as well as developments on the wine scene in India
TiZwine
Comprehensive coverage of New Zealand wine regions, wineries and wine plus wine marketing advice and services
The Pour
The Pour is the highly entertaining blog of Eric Asimov, chief wine critic of the New York Times. He used to be one of the paper’s restaurant critics so there are often comments about food pairings. He also (good man!) covers beer and spirits.
Wein-Plus.com
The English language version of the Germany’s biggest wine information site designed to appeal particularly “but not exclusively” to those who want to learn more about German and Austrian wine. Useful audio pronounciation guide to German, French and Italian wine terms.
Wine Anorak
Despite the name, Wine Anorak is not at all geeky - author Jamie Goode wears his considerable learning lightly with plenty of entertaining content for the wine ‘newbie’ as well as those who want to discuss the finer points of tannins, extraction or wine closures.
Chris Kissack is a real doctor who somehow finds time to extensively document his forays into the world of wine. Bordeaux is a particular interest.
wine-pages
A hugely comprehensive site masterminded - and regularly updated - by the energetic Tom Cannavan. There’s also a sister (maybe that should be brother?) site www.beer-pages.com co-hosted by leading beer writer Roger Protz
Wine & Spirit Education Trust
The largest wine educational organisation in the world which runs courses for both enthusiastic amateurs and industry professionals. The Global Campus section is open to diploma students, graduates and WSET tutors
Zoltan Szabo
Toronto-based Sommelier, Wine Consultant, Educator & Journalist
Basic Wine Knowledge
Useful basic introductory site from a couple of enthusiastic, California-based wine newbies
Wine retail
Berry Bros & Rudd
One of the most traditional British wine merchants has one of the most sophisticated and information-packed websites which also gives details of their enticing wine events and dinners.
Harper Wells
HarperWells are specialists in premium and fine wines. Dealing predominantly with parcels of newly released wines from top producers they sell through their extensive wine list and on-line alerts.
The Personal Wine Curator - "User friendly, comprehensive wine cellar software. Wine cataloguing. Wine and food pairing. For PC and Mac"
The Real Wine Company
On-line wine supplier with interesting, individual wines, chosen by ex-Safeway buyer Mark Hughes. Intelligent wine pairings
South American Wines Online
Online independent wine merchant focussing on wines from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Uruguay. Great range of Argentine Malbec for steak-lovers.
Thierry's
Large but innovative UK wine importer accounting for 1 in 12 of the bottles that come into Britain. They specialise in customising bottles for UK supermarkets
Wine courses, events and dinners
Bacchus & Comus
The website of the energetic Neville Blech and his chef wife Sonia which highlights their numerous activities including wine-related travel and some very classy wine dinners
Wine Unearthed
Victoria Bucknall runs one day wine workshops, wine courses, wine dinners, corporate wine events, private wine events...basically anything involving sharing and talking about wine.
Vinophoria
Tours for "wine and food enthusiasts who would like to intimately discover the pleasures of Spanish wine country and be pampered along the way." Specialise in Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Toro.
Wine Travel Guides
A great site for Francophile winelovers with detailed up-to-date guides to wineries, restaurants and accommodation in over 40 wine-producing areas. Different levels of membership depending how many guides you subscribe to. More countries are planned.
Wine blogs
The Pour
The Pour is the highly entertaining blog of Eric Asimov, chief wine critic of the New York Times. He used to be one of the paper’s restaurant critics so there are often comments about food pairings. He also (good man!) covers beer and spirits.
Stormhoek
Clever, groundbreaking blog of Stormhoek wines which regularly hits the headlines with their attention-grabbing stunts
Beer
Beer Advocate
This American site is the biggest on-line beer community in the world with over 100,000 registered members from 194 different countries though 90% come from the US.
beer-pages.com
Personal website of Britain's leading beer writer Roger Protz, run in conjunction with Tom Cannavan of wine-pages.com Extensive beer ratings and beer terms explained
beertown.org
The website of the American Brewers Association representing US craft brewers. Organises the Great American Beer Festival
CAMRA
The website of the Campaign for Real Ale which champions real ale in this country. Details countrywide festivals and events organised by local groups
Girls Guide to Beer
British beer writer Melissa Cole's feisty, enthusiastic blog. Fun reading.
Stephen Beaumont's World of Beer
The website of one of North America's leading beer writers Stephen Beaumont, an expert on food and beer pairing.
TeaSmith
Great Spitalfields shop. Site only contains contact details at present but do go there if you can
Samovar
San Francisco-based tea lounge and shop
Food
General
www.foodandwineinlondon.com
The website of my esteemed Decanter colleague, restaurant critic and food and wine writer Brian St Pierre, for whom the words 'witty and urbane' might have been invented
www.slowfood.com
For those of you who don't know about Slow Food, its mission is to preserve the best of traditional food and wine and “to protect the pleasures of the table from the homogenization of modern fast food and life’. That admirable, if high-minded description conceals the fact they have a lot of fun doing it! It has 80,000 members in over 100 countries, grouped into convivia which hold their own events. The London one I belong to has its own blog www.slowfoodlondon.blogs.com
Chefs, recipes and ingredients
www.chefjohnash.com
John Ash is a Californian chef who really understands wine - one of the people whose insights on food and wine matching I always respect. Good recipes too.
www.deliaonline.com
I have to declare an interest here - I have written wine features for Delia's site - but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it anyway. As you'd expect it's highly professional with the same high standards as her cookery books - crystal clear photographs and foolproof recipes.
www.leitesculinaria.com
One of my favourite cookery sites, David Leite's thoughtful and intelligent filleting of the best current recipe books results in a monthly selection of recipes you feel you really must try.
oliveoil.org.uk
The website of olive oil expert, food and wine writer Judy Ridgway. Mainly intended for industry professionals but there are some intriguing recipes and travel notes and useful olive oil-related links.
Cookery courses and holidays
www.amywillcock.co.uk
If you've got an Aga or need help with ideas for entertaining, you should visit this site to find out what Aga Queen Amy Willcock is up to. She runs courses, writes books and has her own range of cookware. It also features recipes from her column in the Shooting Gazette.
www.cookingisfun.ie
The aptly named website of top Irish cookery writer Darina Allen who runs great courses at her beautifully situated Ballymaloe Cookery School in the countryside near Midleton in Co Cork. Ballymaloe House is also a heavenly place to stay.
A gourmet B & B in the Abruzzo run by award-winning cookery writer Liz Franklin. Liz also offers eveining meals and cookery - and Italian - lessons on request
www.villavalentina.com
I once spent a week cooking with TV chef and author Valentina Harris in Tuscany and learnt a fantastic amount including how to make a perfect risotto. Currently she's running cookery holidays in France and Sicily. She also runs classes for adults and children at Amici, an Italian restaurant in Wandsworth, South London.
Food blogs
3 Little Words
The chronicle of regular M F & W contributor Natasha Hughes' gourmet diet. The three little words? You'll have to visit the blog to find out!
Chez Pim
Delightfully quirky blog of Thai-born Pim Techamuanvivit who divides her time between Paris and the San Francisco bay area. One of the new celebrity food bloggers.
Chocolate & Zucchini
Another celebrity food blog (the book of the blog hits the shelves shortly) Chocolate & Zucchini is written by Clotilde Dusoulier, a 27-year-old Parisian woman who lives in Montmartre and shares her passion for all things food-related
Michael Ray's Food Photography Blog
Fascinating dips from a Pittsburgh-based food photographer.
Other links
Green and Red, Hawksmoor and The Marquess Tavern
I can’t really fail to mention the three restaurants my son Will runs with his business partner Huw Gott. Happily they’ve all won or been shortlisted for awards so I don’t have to feel too embarrassed about it.
Green and Red in Bethnal Green Road (www.greenred.co.uk), is an authentic Mexican bar and cantina (great margaritas!) which is a former Evening Standard Bar of the Year. The Marquess Tavern in Canonbury (www.themarquesstavern.co.uk) was Time Out’s 2006 Gastropub of the Year and Hawksmoor, an American-style steakhouse and cocktail bar in Commercial Street (www.thehawksmoor.co.uk) was shortlisted for Time Out’s Steakhouse of the Year and Bar of the Year. All great places but I would say that, wouldn’t I?
www.debbierowe.com
One of the few people who's managed to take a picture of me that I like, Debbie always gets the best out of camera-phobic subjects.
www.flynjv.com
The website of my fantastically talented stepson Flyn Vibert who will be a great and famous photographer someday, believe me.
www.subhub.com
The clever people who run my website, without whom none of this would be possible