Recent posts
Must grouse wine matches be classic?
I’m always in two minds about whether to write about the beginning of the grouse season. After all only a tiny number of people will be sufficiently interested - or well-heeled - to bag the first birds that arrive on restaurant tables this evening.
My best white, rose, sparkling and sherry buys from the current Waitrose wine deal
I’ve already posted my top reds from Waitrose’s current 25% off wine promotion this weekend - here is what I’d buy from their whites and rosés.
12 of the best reds from Waitrose’s current 25% off promotion
Waitrose has a short 25% off wine promotion this weekend which runs until next Tuesday, June 7th
My 25 top picks from Sainsbury’s current 25% off deal (May 2016)
The run up to the spring bank holiday is always a good time to buy wine with supermarkets intent on getting us to stock up for our summer drinking.
The 10 trickiest foods to match with wine
Look up any guide to food and wine matching and you’ll find a list of foods that are regarded as anathema to wine. I’ve done it myself but have come to the conclusion recently that the problems are often overstated.
All you need to know about hangovers
In his latest guest post GP Jonathan Tricker explains why we get hangovers, how to avoid them and how to get over them.
How to eat - and drink - like a Tuscan
A re-run of a piece I wrote a few years ago following a trip to Tuscany which reminded me how differently Italians approach food and wine from how we would eat and drink in an Italian restaurant here or at home.
Chinese New Year is a celebration of feasts and family
Food, drink and travel writer Qin Xie explains what the Chinese drink with the most important feast of the year and what goes down well in her own family.
Italian beer and food matching at Tozi
Sophie Atherton reports on the introduction of a new range of 'birra artigianale' (craft beer) at ciccetti restaurant, Tozi.
The best match for caviar - vodka or champagne?
For those of you who are lucky enough to be serving caviar this New Year's Eve I just dug this post I wrote back in 2009 out of the archives. Is champagne or vodka the better pairing? (I must confess the *research* was fun ...)
10 of the best champagne buys under £20
Champagne is once again a Christmas battleground between the supermarkets though I haven’t spotted quite so many £8 and £9 bottles this year (I suspect we may see a few next week). Best avoided anyway: here’s the best of what’s available under £20 this weekend. Note prices may have changed by the time you read this.
20 good buys from Tesco's current 25% off deal
The last weekend in November is becoming as big as the post Christmas sales with the added bonus that there’s some reason to take advantage of the offers rather than just nab bargains for the sake of it.
10 top Lidl tipples
Lidl’s latest limited range of wines went into store this week. I’ve flagged up my star sweet wine buys in my Guardian column but here’s some other wines you might want to pick up while you’re there - always assuming there are any left ...
My best buys from Marks & Spencer’s current 25% off wine deal
I guess it’s a sign that you generally pay over the odds for M & S’s wines that they’re able to run their 25% discount of six bottles* for practically a month but you might as well take advantage. They have much more interesting wines than the other supermarkets.
My best buys from Sainsbury’s current 25% off wine deal - autumn 2015
If there was any doubt that Christmas is round the corner the supermarkets have embarked on their annual round of price cutting, starting with this 25% off six bottles deal from Sainsbury’s which runs from October 28th to November 9th. The offer applies to wine, champagne, sherry and port and includes wines that are already on promotion (but excludes Scotland).
Which wines to pick with vegetarian food?
As it's Word Vegetarian Day I thought I'd re-run an article from Decanter on wine and vegetarian food I wrote a few years ago but still contains some useful pointers from top wine producers and sommeliers. (Some of the people quoted are now in different jobs.)
American beers at Kitty Fisher's
The American Brewers Association chose uber-cool Kitty Fisher's in Shepherd Market, Mayfair for their annual lunch for British beer writers this week. Sophie Atherton reports on the outcome.
12 wines you probably wouldn’t expect to find in Marks & Spencer
If you’re an adventurous drinker who likes to try new wines it’s well worth heading for your local branch of Marks & Spencer especially right now (August 2015) when they have 25% off if you buy six bottles.
Top buys from the current Sainsbury’s 25% off 6 bottles offer (UPDATED)
I wrote this post back in May - here is an updated version including wines that are on promotion in July/August 2015.
What are the best wine glasses to buy?
Much play has been made over the last few years of having different shaped glasses for different wines but for those of us with limited storage space (and a limited budget) that’s simply not practical. So what are the best type of glasses to buy and what should you expect to pay for them?
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