Wine
Finding delights among Kayra’s Turkish wines
Peter Ranscombe travels to Turkey to explore modern examples from an ancient wine-producing country. WALKING the streets of Istanbul, the shadow that Atatürk still casts over Turkey is inescapable. Portraits of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk – who led the struggle for independence and became the “father of the republic” – hang from the walls of hotels,…
Read MoreNew Zealand leads with lower-alcohol wines
Peter Ranscombe meets John Forrest, a pioneer of lower-alcohol wines, to taste his new bottles for Marks & Spencer. IT MIGHT be 30 years since John Forrest left his career as a medical researcher to become a winemaker, but his enthusiasm for science clearly hasn’t faded. Standing in front of a whiteboard inside New Zealand…
Read MoreThis summery selection of Bordeaux will sparkle at BBQs
Think all Bordeaux is red? Think again. Peter Ranscombe picks whites, rosé and fizz for spring and summer days. BORDEAUX has something of a dual identity. At the top end, it crafts some of the most-expensive wines on the planet, which sell for hundreds of pounds per bottle. Yet France’s best-known wine region is also…
Read MoreSix of the best from Corney and Barrow’s new wines
Greek and Chilean offerings are among the wines that grab Peter Ranscombe‘s attention in Corney & Barrow’s new range. THERE’S something particularly exciting about spring wine tastings – with blossom on the trees and a freshness in the air, there’s the promise of new things to come with the turning of the seasons. And wine merchant…
Read MoreWine to Dine – June 2018 – Wild Garlic
Drinks writer Peter Ranscombe picks five wines to go with wild garlic, which was the star of June’s food feature in the printed Scottish Field magazine. WILD garlic is a much more delicate flavour than its onion-like namesake, with chive notes and a delicious sweetness, and so I’ve opted for a range of lighter styles…
Read MoreHow local grapes could be Romania’s new ambassadors
In the second of his reports from Romania, Peter Ranscombe meets the winemakers who are creating premium wines from the country’s indigenous grape varieties. MENTION “Romania” and a series of well-known images are bound to spring to mind: Nicolae Ceaușescu waving from his balcony as the 1989 revolution reached Bucharest; Ilie Năstase winning the French…
Read MoreThese wines will make you take a second look at Romania
In the first of two articles about Romania, Peter Ranscombe reveals why the Eastern European nation is the wine world’s secret weapon when it comes to producing popular varieties. EVER had a wine from Romania? No? Are you sure…? In fact, many of us may have been drinking Romanian wines for years and have never…
Read More‘Mas’ production: How Paul Mas makes quality in quantity
Returning to the Languedoc in the South of France, Peter Ranscombe examines how Paul Mas creates high-quality wines in large quantities. I LOVE it when a winemaker has a sense of humour – and the twinkle in his eye combined with the grin on his face told me that Jean-Claude Mas has that quality in…
Read MoreBehind the scenes with Justerinis in Edinburgh
Peter Ranscombe takes a sneak peak at wine merchant Justerini & Brooks’ revamped tasting room in the Scottish capital. FEW names in the wine trade have such an illustrious history as Justerini & Brooks – founded in 1749, the company was granted a royal warrant by George III, an honour it has maintained with each…
Read MoreJourney’s End is just the beginning of South Africa’s quality wines
There’s much more to South Africa than simple mass-market blends, as the Journey’s End label demonstrates, writes Peter Ranscombe. BEING known as a country that produces “good value” wine can be a double-edged sword. Portugal has slipped into this trap and deserves far more recognition for its efforts to produce higher-quality wines, as award-winning blogger…
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