Grape&Grain
Asparagus: Alternatives to sauvignon blanc
If sauvignon blanc isn’t your thing then don’t worry, Scottish Field wine columnist Peter Ranscombe has other wines in mind to pair with this month’s star ingredient – asparagus. SAUVIGNON blanc is a real “Marmite” wine – you either love it or you hate it. So going all-out and selecting wines made solely from the…
Read MoreWINE TO DINE – JUNE 2019 – ASPARAGUS
In a sauvignon blanc special, Scottish Field wine columnist Peter Ranscombe picks pairings for asparagus. FEW wines have such a strong affinity with a single ingredient as sauvignon blanc and asparagus, which is this month’s star ingredient in Scottish Field magazine. Flick through any book on wine and the tasting notes for the more savoury…
Read MoreThese wine and doughnut matches have a certain ring to them
Food and wine pairing is a well-trodden route, but how about doughnut and wine matching? Peter Ranscombe investigates, with help from wine importer Inverarity Morton and Tantrum Doughnuts of Glasgow. CAN I murmur “Mmmm, doughnuts…” without channelling Homer Simpson? Probably not, but that’s not going to stop me extoling the virtues of one of my…
Read MoreThere’s nothing fishy about these sushi and wine pairings
Peter Ranscombe joins importer Inverarity Morton’s masterclass with Nippon Kitchen to find out how to pair wine to sushi. THEY say it’s good to try new things and for me those new things over the past few months have focussed on sushi. I’ll always be grateful to Jim Cowie from The Captain’s Galley restaurant in…
Read MoreWhy does riesling have such a bad rep?
Peter Ranscombe asks why Germany’s flagship white grape gets short shrift from consumers – and recommends four wines to help change your mind. RIESLING has become a bit of a running joke within the wine trade. It’s the grape that everyone in the industry adores – but finds hard to sell to their customers. Part…
Read MoreDear Pink Place: The Moët mobile returns to Glasgow
Moët & Chandon Champagne is painting the town pink during its visit to Glasgow this Easter, says Peter Ranscombe. AFTER a tour that took it to the Balmoral hotel in Edinburgh for Valentine’s day and the Corinthian club in Glasgow for Mother’s day, Moët & Chandon’s cute wee Champagne truck has rolled into the Dear…
Read MoreWhat does underwater Champagne taste like?
Winemaker Herve Jestin is doing things differently, both above and below the waves, writes Peter Ranscombe. AS HE strolls along The Shore in Leith, Herve Jestin is following in the footsteps of his father, who came to Edinburgh after the Second World War to play the Breton pipes at the fledgling international festival. Now, Jestin…
Read MoreBeronia: where wine is made to go with food
Scottish Field wine columnist Peter Ranscombe visits Rioja’s Beronia winery to taste wines created for a local gastronomic society or ‘txoko’. SWAYING to the music on a makeshift lino-clad dance floor in a San Sabastian piano bar at 2am, it’s impossible not to be immersed in the camaraderie of the Basque country. One friend plays…
Read MoreSix of the best English still wines
There’s more to English wine than its award-winning sparklers, as Peter Ranscombe reports. IT’S hard to argue with the prowess of English sparkling wines, with the “Auld Enemy’s” bubbles scooping prizes at competitions ranging from the Sommelier Wine Awards through to consumer group Which?’s annual taste test. Along the way, the industry has chalked up…
Read MoreWhy pinot grigio needn’t be a party pooper
Peter Ranscombe threw his Scottish Field colleagues a pinot grigio party to demonstrate why not all examples fall into the watery white category. WE’VE all been there – you’re standing at a friend’s party or at an exhibition launch or at a work function and you’re handed a glass of pinot grigio. It’s watery, it’s…
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