Pairing food and wine at Creation in South Africa

Peter Ranscombe visits one of the regions on his wine bucket list, Hemel-en-Aarde in South Africa, and enjoys dining with JC and Carolyn Martin at Creation Wines. “WE DON’T run a restaurant,” maintains Carolyn Martin as we sit down to dinner at Creation winery on Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge in South Africa. As I glance around the…

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Six of the best from South Africa’s Hemel-en-Aarde

Peter Ranscombe selects six of the best wines from the Hemel-en-Aarde ridge in South Africa, which is renowned for its chardonnay and pinot noir. SUPERLATIVES don’t do Hemel-en-Aarde justice: beautiful, stunning, picturesque – none seem to capture the greenness of the trees, the blueness of the skies or the majesty of the surrounding hills. It’s…

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‘The Italian Job’ becomes the ‘South African Job’

Peter Ranscombe examines how producers in South Africa are using Italian grape varieties to craft wines that have identities all of their own. WITH its stone archways and wooden beams, the building that houses Idiom’s wine tasting rooms and restaurant could pass as a modern Italian villa – if it wasn’t in South Africa. The…

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Journey’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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Bringing music to the hills of southern Scotland

The longest running camping music festival in Scotland is all set to return this summer. The Knockengorroch festival’s 2019 line-up will feature some of the best home-grown Scottish talent alongside an eclectic mix of international acts, all coming together to create a melting pot of innovative traditional and electronic music. The event takes place from…

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Degrees of triumph: Gregor Townsend receives honorary degree

Scotland rugby’s head coach, Gregor Townsend, has received an Honorary Degree from Heriot-Watt University in recognition of his global impact on the sport. The former fly-half was presented with the academic title of Doctor of the University at the winter graduation. Townsend collected his scroll from Professor Sir Geoff Palmer, Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University. ‘I…

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Top ten Christmas stocking fillers

Editor Richard Bath comes up with his top ten suggestions for ultimate Christmas stocking fillers – whether the presents are for you, or for your loved ones. 1) Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus (£159.99):  Ring’s products are becoming increasingly popular and increasingly sophisticated, but the general principle remains unchanged. This video doorbell alerts you via your…

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Rare rhododendron planted before WW1 discovered in Argyll garden

A rare rhododendron planted before WW1 has been discovered at a coastal garden in Argyll – and is thought to be one of the largest in the UK. The Rhododendron arboretum subsp. Zeylanicum was found at Arduaine, a 20-acre coastal garden in Argyll overlooking the Sound of Jura. The garden was created in 1898 by tea…

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Whisky society sets world record for largest online tasting event

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has set the Guinness World Record for largest online tasting event to mark their 40th anniversary. SMWS is the world’s largest whisky club – with nearly 40,000 members in 20 countries across the globe. Last month, 447 of its members from more than 15 countries logged on for an online…

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World sheep shearing champions crowned at Royal Highland Show

The world’s top sheep shearing talent have battled it out at the Royal Highland Show – with 30 countries competing for the top prizes this year. The Golden Shears World Sheep Shearing and Woolhandling Championships is the pinnacle for shearers and wool handlers, with teams coming from as far afield as Chile, South Africa and…

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