This week, I had the pleasure of reconnecting with Gordon Clunie at Paramount Wines in St Albans. Summer has come and gone, but the excitement in the world of wine never wanes. Gordon had some exciting news to share, including a revamped and user-friendly Paramount Wines website, showcasing an expanded wine...
This week, I returned to Smallford Farm Shop, eager to catch up with Lucy Summerhill, the in-house wine expert, and I was in for quite a surprise. The place was buzzing with excitement, and Lucy had some thrilling news to share. If you appreciate the delicate flavours and culinary possibilities that...
I’m thrilled to welcome back the delightful cheese and wine pairings from Fleetville Larder. During our conversation, Ed introduced me to some new additions that graced his collection over the summer months. And as always, there’s a captivating tale behind each bottle that finds its place in the Larder’s curated selection. One...
Welcome to this week’s Wine Times which is dedicated to celebrating the fantastic wines from Bordeaux. I must admit though, it wasn’t my idea! Penny Edwards and her team at Cellar Door Wines are helping customers to discover Bordeaux wines throughput the whole of September and very kindly sent me a...
Last week I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Pete and Karen Mileham, the co-owners and inspiration (along with Gary and Lynne Smith) behind the newly launched Fade to Black Wines. Many of you may know that after 30 odd years in the motor trade, Pete took over the co-ownership and...
As the end of the summer holidays draws near, I’ve put together a carefully selected a quartet of BBQ wines, designed to be enjoyed in the company of great friends, over what looks like being a sunny weekend. These wines beautifully complement the rich flavours of grilled dishes, whether the sun...
This week we celebrated International Pinot Noir Day! Pinot Noir happens to be my absolute favourite grape variety and is an absolute winner for all you wine enthusiasts out there. Pronounced ‘pee-no nwar’, this most highly prized grape in the world, is also known as the ‘heartbreak grape’, rewarding patience with...
Darren McCabe offers his weekly wine recommendations (@dmc_uncorked) Welcome to this week’s Wine Times! I’m still away on holiday, moving from Devon into Cornwall, where I’ve had time to reflect. As part of these reflections, I decided to it was time for a refreshed identity for my Instagram haven, re-branding and changing...
As I write this article I’m sitting at the dining table in a beautiful barn conversion in Devon, listening to the rain hammering off the windows, wishing we’d gone to Spain or somewhere warm and sunny for our summer holidays. Every cloud has a silver lining and this one has Sharpham...
This week I’ve been preparing myself for the UK alcohol duty changes coming into effect from 1st August 2023. Here's a breakdown of what you need to know - for still wine with alcohol content between 11.5% and 14.5%, the price for still wine falling within this alcohol range will see...
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