Posts Tagged ‘nose’
Sparkling wine special part one: ‘It’s not Champagne’
In the first of three articles focusing on fizzy wine, Peter Ranscombe meets a French winemaker who’s creating sensational sparklers in England. “I AM French, but I’m here to express the terroir of England,” declared Exton Park winemaker Corinne Seely as she introduced her latest wine to the press in London this morning. “It’s not…
Read MoreAn easy guide on how to nose your whisky
Today, Saturday May 19, is World Whisky Day. People across the planet will be enjoying a dram or two to mark the occasion. Whether you’re something of a whisky afficionado, or a keen amateur, there’s something for everyone. To help you make the most of your whisky drinking experience, we present an easy guide to…
Read MoreThere are wines from California to suit all budgets
As the Golden State trade tasting rolls into Edinburgh, Peter Ranscombe takes a sneak peak at some of California’s premium wines. CALIFORNIA has a reputation for making expensive wines – but scratch beneath the surface and you can find a range of bottles to suit most budgets. As I’ve pointed out before, wines from California…
Read MoreRaise your glass and enjoy a double celebration
There’s a double celebration this weekend – with the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as well as World Whisky Day. Glen Moray Classic Whisky has the perfect spring cocktail The Northern Great for celebrating this special day, May 19. Handcrafted in the picturesque Glen Moray Distillery in the heart of Elgin, Glen Moray…
Read MoreThese wines will make you take a second look at Romania
In the first of two articles about Romania, Peter Ranscombe reveals why the Eastern European nation is the wine world’s secret weapon when it comes to producing popular varieties. EVER had a wine from Romania? No? Are you sure…? In fact, many of us may have been drinking Romanian wines for years and have never…
Read MoreGet your skin back into tip-top condition as the spring arrives
This is the perfect time of year to give skin a post-winter boost. One of best ways to get skin glowing is facial massage, which also de-stresses the face muscles, boosts circulation, gets rid of toxins via the lymphatic system and improves skin’s texture. The lymphatic system has no pump like the circulatory system, so…
Read MoreVega Sicilia: when the taste lives up to the hype
Peter Ranscombe is careful not to get carried away with the excitement of trying Spain’s undisputed top wine and is relieved when the liquid matches its reputation. YOU know a wine is special when it gets its own mention in your old course textbook. The entry for Vega Sicilia in the Oxford Companion to Wine…
Read MoreExploring vintage variation with Gallica
Peter Ranscombe explores how weather conditions can affect wines from vintage to vintage with Gallica winemaker Rosemary Cakebread. PICTURE California and it’s hard to escape images of the pier at Santa Monica or the sun-drenched beaches of Malibu, Newport and Venice. Yet head north from Los Angeles and it’s possible to explore how variations in…
Read MoreNot so ordinary claret
There’s nothing ‘ordinary’ about Berry Bros’ claret or many of the other affordable bottles of Bordeaux on the market, as Peter Ranscombe discovers. FEW drinks have such a strong association with Britain as claret, the nickname for red wines produced in Bordeaux. Once used to describe thin and light wines, the term now denotes any…
Read MoreYealands defies expectations with New Zealand’s classic varieties
Peter Ranscombe explores the diversity of styles of sauvignon blanc and pinot noir from New Zealand with Yealands’ senior winemaker, Natalie Christensen. Everyone knows New Zealand sauvignon blanc, don’t they? It’s full of gooseberry flavours and paint-stripping acidity, right? If that’s the assumption then it’s time for a rethink. Although the classic Kiwi style certainly…
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