Posts Tagged ‘Edinburgh’
Why grenache is so much more than ‘poor man’s pinot’
Ahead of tomorrow’s World Grenache Day, Peter Ranscombe praises the grape’s revival in Australia’s McLaren Vale – and beyond. SOMETIMES wine feels like a popularity contest, with bottles like prosecco, pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc elbowing each other out the way to catch the drinker’s eye. For ugly duckings, it’s harder to be seen –…
Read MoreReview: The Broughton, Edinburgh
Stephanie Abbot enjoys an end of week visit to The Broughton in Edinburgh. NOT a lot of things can compete with that Friday feeling. And, while the promise of finishing the evening on a dancefloor is still a long way off, the opportunity to enjoy a delicious meal and a tipple or two is thankfully…
Read MoreFizz Feast organiser unveils ‘Fizz Friday’ online tastings
THE annual Fizz Feast wine and food festival may not be taking place in Edinburgh this autumn but organiser Diana Thompson has created an online “bonanza of bubbles” to take its place. Thompson, who runs Wine Events Scotland, has organised five “Fizz Friday” tastings on video conferencing platform Zoom. They begin on 30 October and…
Read MoreA Week in Whisky: Is this the ultimate prize for a Scotch fan?
MEMBERS of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) have the chance to win an entire cask of whisky from Holyrood Distillery in Edinburgh. It’s the first time the society has given away an entire barrel from one of its partner distilleries. The prize is worth around ÂŁ10,000 and includes duty and ageing for 10 years.…
Read MoreAlcohol-free ‘spirits’ up 30%
SALES of alcohol-free “spirits” in the UK are up 30% year-on-year, according to market research firm Neilsen. Shoppers have spent ÂŁ5.4 million buying 171,000 litres of alcohol-free “spirits” in supermarkets so far this year, analysts said. Many alcohol-free “spirits” use herbs, berries, roots and botanicals to create flavours similar to gin, prompting their use in…
Read MoreREVIEW: Rabble, Edinburgh
Stephanie Abbot explores the menu at Rabble in Edinburgh. A MID-WEEK dinner out is always a welcome treat.  It breaks up the monotony of the painfully dull and uninspired dinners I’ve been making of late, mostly because work has been keeping me busy (which I’m thankful for). I can recall flipping through the Argos catalogue…
Read MoreScottish Opera’s outdoor performances begin
GREENOCK plays host to Scottish Opera this afternoon as its series of autumn pop-up operas begins. The programme shifts to East Lothian on Sunday, followed by Ayr, Stirling, Easterhouse, Glasgow, Inverness, Dundee, Edinburgh and St Andrews during the rest of the month. This season’s pop-up operas feature extracts from The Gondoliers and Don Giovanni, along with The…
Read MoreREVIEW: Putting on a fine sprEHd
Peter Ranscombe tucks into a grazing box full of Scottish ingredients from delivery service sprEHd. WHEN you’re eating out, it’s the little things that matter – the butter being soft enough to spread, the lighting being bright enough to see your plate, the napkin being rough enough to stay put instead of sliding out of…
Read MoreRestaurants get 100,000 free glasses of wine to tempt customers back
As the UK Government’s “Eat Out to Help Out” scheme ends, wine importer Hallgarten is giving restaurants and bars a helping hand – and Peter Ranscombe picks some exciting bottles from its warehouse. MANY restaurant owners have hailed the “Eat Out to Help Out” scheme as a massive success, bringing customers out for early week…
Read MoreWhat makes Aldi’s new Scottish gin so special?
As the Old Curiosity Distillery prepares to restart its tours, Peter Ranscombe hears the story behind the gin it’s created for Aldi. GOOD things come to those who wait – or so the old saying goes. For Hamish Martin, that adage was certainly true. He took over a derelict site just south of Edinburgh in…
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