Posts Tagged ‘France’
Alternatives to Chablis
PETER RANSCOMBE CHABLIS will always hold a special place in my heart. As a red drinker, it was the white that opened the door for me to a whole world of elegant and exciting wines, eventually leading to delights such as riesling and gruner veltliner. That’s why last year’s news sent a shiver down my spine…
Read MoreCalifornia Part 2: Critters in the vineyard
PETER RANSCOMBE AT THE top of a very tall pole in the Trefethen Family Vineyard, there sits a box. And in that box, there lives a family of barn owls. Over the course of a year, that single family can eat more than 2,000 gophers or “critters”, helping to control one of the pests that…
Read MoreCalifornia Part 3: Diversity in the winery and in the glass
PETER RANSCOMBE THINK you know Californian wines? Think again. They’re mostly white zinfandel or blush aren’t they, with some over-oaked and over-ripe chardonnays and cabernet sauvignons thrown in at the top end, right? Wrong. If California was a nation then it would be the world’s fourth-largest wine producer, behind Italy, France and Spain. That scale…
Read MoreStAnza returns with another outstanding programme for its 20th festival
StAnza, Scotland’s International Poetry Festival is set for another outstanding festival as it prepares to open for its 20th year celebrations in Fife. The annual festival which once again boasts a fantastic line-up of literary talent, gets underway next week with traditional Scottish singer Sheena Wellington opening the festival in St Andrews. Sheena, who…
Read MoreMemorial exhibition at The Scottish Gallery for David Michie this March
DAVID MICHIE OBE, RSA, FRSA, RGI, FECA (1928-2015) This March, The Scottish Gallery celebrates the life and work of David Michie as part of their 175th anniversary year. “A memorial exhibition should not be a sombre affair and with the subject being the life and work of…
Read MoreFewer calories but no compromise on taste
PETER RANSCOMBE AS JANUARY draws to a close, those new year’s resolutions are getting harder and harder to keep. For anyone who over-indulged during the festive period by reaching for that extra mince pie or another slice of Christmas cake, weight loss is usually top of the list come Hogmanay. While our food packaging is covered…
Read MoreSix ideas for Burns Night
Six ideas for Burns Night PETER RANSCOMBE THE tatties have been dug up, the neeps have been steeping for weeks and the haggis has been caught from the hillside. It can all mean only one thing – Burns Night is nearly upon us again. Time to take a look through the notebook from the past few…
Read More