Bank holiday rosé: Pink toasts for the Queen

Looking for bank holiday rosé wines? Drinks blogger Peter Ranscombe has you covered. AS THE nation prepares to raise a toast to Her Majesty during the platinum jubilee, it’s time for our regular review of rosés. Who knows what the weather will do over the long weekend? But rosé isn’t just for glorious bank holiday…

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Leith’s own Champagne, port, and sherry

Forget gin and whisky for a moment – it’s Port of Leith’s Champagne, port, and sherry that are the real stars, writes Peter Ranscombe. THERE’S a lot going in Leith. Not only is Port of Leith Distillery’s vertical whisky factory taking shape next to Ocean Terminal and the Royal Yacht Britannia, but the company’s sister…

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Anima: Taking beer and food matching to the next level

Peter Ranscombe reviews craft beers made by Anima in Italy’s Piemonte wine region. THINK Piemonte, think wine. From powerful reds like Barolo and Barbaresco made from nebbiolo grapes through to elegant whites like Gavi and Roero and the gentle spritz of moscato d’Asti, Piedmont has a world-class reputation for its wines. But how about its…

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REVIEW: Cask 88 Sir Walter Scott 250th anniversary whiskies

Peter Ranscombe gets an exclusive preview of whisky bottler Cask 88’s tribute to Sir Walter Scott. THERE’S something so evocative about tasting whisky outdoors. When it comes to wine tasting, many vineyards will serve visitors samples out among the vines. Whisky distilleries, less so. Standing on the terrace outside Abbotsford House near Melrose, I could…

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The Drinks Bakery toasts deal to supply Waitrose

THE Drinks Bakery has signed a deal to sell its Drinks Biscuits range in 230 branches of up-market grocer Waitrose. Andy Murray, who founded his business in 2016, already supplies his biscuits to more than 250 outlets, including Claridge’s, Liberty, and Selfridges. The deal will allow Murray to double the size of his company, which…

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Wine to Dine – June 2022 – Buck & Birch

Wine columnist Peter Ranscombe forages for five favourites to back-up the Buck & Birch recipes in the June issue of Scottish Field magazine. IT’S a tale of two malbecs this month. Argentina’s all-conquering red is a favourite with steak, yet the best examples are versatile and a good match for many game dishes too. The…

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New craft beer range coming to Scots supermarkets

Lidl has launched an exclusive new Scottish craft beer range, Beinn Brewing, in partnership with long-standing supplier, Stewart Brewing. Crafted in homage to Scotland’s scenic landscape, the Beinn Brewing range consists of three tropical pale ales for spring-time sipping. The bold and bright beers – including a Citrus Belter, Tropical Trossachs and Beinn Hazy –…

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Jascots: Serving restaurant-quality wine at home

Jascots at Home is a wine club delivering bottles to the doorstep that are usually only found in restaurants, as Peter Ranscombe discovers. FLITTING from wine tasting to wine tasting, there are names that come up again and again. Names of the mainstream wine merchants, names that will be familiar to professionals and consumers alike,…

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Bellfield Brewery: Keeping ‘Vigil’ on Edinburgh’s beer

Bellfield Brewery took a ‘deep dive’ into gluten-free beers, but is now moving them from a niche into the mainstream, writes Peter Ranscombe. WHILE the rest of the nation sat transfixed by BBC One submarine drama Vigil last autumn, Bellfield Brewery in Edinburgh was preparing to take delivery of its very own stainless-steel tubes. “They…

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Made From Grapes: It’s time to subscribe to sustainability

Made From Grapes, the wine shop in Glasgow, has launched a monthly subscription service with some very special bottles, writes Peter Ranscombe. THERE’S a phrase on one of the bottles from Made For Grapes that really caught my eye: “Grapes from healthy vineyards – cultivated by real farmers”. It’s a mantra that could apply equally…

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