Keeping California affordable

Wines from California can be expensive by the time they reach the UK, but there are still plenty of bargains to be found, as Peter Ranscombe discovers THERE’S no arguing with the quality of the wine being produced in California – some of the pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay I tried during a recent visit was…

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Organic, biodynamic and natural wines

PETER RANSCOMBE WINEMAKERS have many motivations for tending their vineyards using organic methods; some want to improve their soil, some want to enliven the taste of their wines and some want to protect the land that’s been home to their family for generations. Vincent Rochette has another reason for farming organically – the health of his…

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First vines planted at Taittinger’s Domaine Evremond in Kent

PETER RANSCOMBE “WE HAVE even arranged for bubbles to fall from the sky,” laughed Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, president of the eponymous Champagne house, as he prepared to plant the first vines at Domaine Evremond, the French producer’s vineyard at Chilham, in Kent. His joke drew nervous giggles from the crowd of journalists, drinks industry veterans and…

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Franciacorta – fizz with food

PETER RANSCOMBE IF YOU stop to think for a moment, sparkling wine is an amazing product. No other drink has such a strong connection with celebrations, whether it’s a bottle of Champagne to toast a newly-married couple or getting the keys to your first house, or just a glass of Cava or Prosecco to congratulate…

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Another look at lager

PETER RANSCOMBE IT’S been a couple of years since The Grape & The Grain last took a look at Scottish lager and so it’s high time we made like Fagan and reviewed the situation. Since we last attacked the crown caps with a bottle opener, the craft brewing sector has continued to flourish, with the Campaign…

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Brewing up a storm at Innis & Gunn’s beer kitchen in Glasgow

PETER RANSCOMBE THE first time I interviewed Dougal Sharp was back in 2008 in a pretty non-descript rented office in the middle of Edinburgh. It was an exciting time for the master brewer – he had just led the management buyout of Innis & Gunn, the brand he cofounded in 2003 to make the beer…

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It’s all about the base

PETER RANSCOMBE WHEN it comes to Champagne, it’s all about the base – the base wines that go into creating France’s signature fizz. Each Champagne house or producer will normally create a non-vintage blend, mixing wines from different vintages or years to create a house style that can be reproduced bottle after bottle. In exceptional…

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Bringing a taste of Napa Valley to the UK

VISITING California with the Wine Institute – to learn more about its sense of place, environmental programmes and diversity of styles – demonstrated the sheer variety of quality wines produced in the Golden State. Yet much of the tastiest wine never leaves the United States – or even, in some cases, California. That’s why it…

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