Capturing Italy’s character with organic wines

Cantina Tollo is letting local grape varieties shine thanks to organic farming, writes Peter Ranscombe. BEING stuck in a coronarvirus lockdown hasn’t stopped Italian wine co-operative Cantina Tollo from innovating. The Abruzzo-based producer has launched its “biologico” range of five wines that carry both organic and vegan certification. The co-op, which was founded in 1960,…

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Hive of activity as World Bee Day takes flight

Perthshire is all abuzz for World Bee Day, with Kinross-based Webster Honey placing more than 100 new hives at sites including Crieff, Dunning and the Strathallan Estate. As well as producing honey, the hives will be used in beekeeping workshops for schools and nurseries once they reopen, and to give businesses sponsorship opportunities. Meik Molitor,…

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Time to learn about the birds and the bees

A survey by animal charity Noah’s Ark has exposed a remarkable lack of knowledge about the natural world from the British public. The curious beliefs held by the public include the fact that 14% of Britons think that the woolly mammoth is endangered, when it is extinct, while more than 1 in ten also believe…

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Old Particular Easter limited edition revealed

Douglas Laing & Co has unveiled an exciting new bottling exclusively for its website. With only 155 bottles released, this very limited edition Old Particular Single Cask celebrates the arrival of spring -and much needed hope. The single cask selected for this special bottling is an Invergordon 22 Years Old Single Grain at a natural…

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The most exclusive Aberfeldy whiskies ever seen

Open in time for Christmas and Chinese New Year, The Aberfeldy pop-up store at Terminal 1 in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, will house one of the most exclusive ranges of Aberfeldy single malt Scotch whisky ever to be seen. This includes a collection of duty-free exclusives, as well as gift packs. The store will also…

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Scotland takes 4 prizes at horticulture awards

Scotland has been blooming at this year’s Royal Horticultural Society awards. Perth has been awarded top prize and crowned ‘Champion of Champions’ in the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) 55th annual Britain in Bloom community gardening competition. And there were other awards for Bridge of Earn, Haddington and St Andrews. In the same year that environmental…

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We try M & S’ bold new lunch time range

Trying to decide what to have for lunch during the week is a common struggle for us worker bees.    It’s a balancing act of trying to find something quick, transportable and hopefully some what tasty. The flavour factor doesn’t necessarily seem to play as big a role as it might do at dinner time…

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The scent of lavender will be hitting our noses

As one of the most popular plants in gardens across the UK, the scent of lavender will soon fill the Scottish countryside as fields burst into bloom from June to August. Well known for its calming and relaxing properties, it’s a favourite scent for home fragrances, soaps, candles and beauty products including essential oils. Outside…

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Honey combines with berries to form a new gin

Orkney Distilling is set to launch a new Old Tom style pink gin that combines rare Orcadian honey with fresh Scottish raspberries. This marks the fifth offering from the award-winning Kirkwall based company. Beyla – named after the Norse goddess of bees – continues Orkney Distilling’s distinctive brand themes, which draw inspiration from the Viking…

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We’ll be back in our gardens before we know it

The promise of lighter, longer days is on the horizon – and that means our gardens will come back to life. As we welcome the new year and look forward to the blossoming season ahead, head of garden at Dobbies, Louise Golden, shares her expert trend insights and planting advice for 2019. After months of…

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