Drink
House sherry
The Speaker was in trouble. I do not refer to Michael Martin or John Bercow, the two worst Speakers in…
House sherry
The Speaker was in trouble. I do not refer to Michael Martin or John Bercow, the two worst Speakers in…
Drink: the romance of fall
The fall: one of the few instances where American English is superior to English English. ‘Autumn’ has a comfortable charm,…
The romance of fall
The fall: one of the few instances where American English is superior to English English. ‘Autumn’ has a comfortable charm,…
Treasures from a lost domaine
René Engel must have been a wonderful man. He studied wine-making before fighting in the trenches during the first world…
Treasures from a lost domaine
René Engel must have been a wonderful man. He studied wine-making before fighting in the trenches during the first world…
Life — and death — of a Tokay
I was praying for a miracle, but it seemed unlikely. There had been one already: the bottle’s very survival. A…
Death of an imperial survivor
I was praying for a miracle, but it seemed unlikely. There had been one already: the bottle’s very survival. A…
What it's like to drink a 118-year-old wine
Marcher country, the Jura lies to the east of Burgundy and the contrast is marked. Burgundy: the very name is…
The patriarch of wines
Marcher country, the Jura lies to the east of Burgundy and the contrast is marked. Burgundy: the very name is…
Dining in style at David Cameron’s favourite Italian
It is impossible to think about any Italian region without wondering ‘What if?’ Sardinia lacks the glamour, grandeur and menace…
A dinner fit for a prime minister
It is impossible to think about any Italian region without wondering ‘What if?’ Sardinia lacks the glamour, grandeur and menace…
Enjoying South Africa's secret French connection
One aspect of the old South Africa’s racial policies cannot be faulted. After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes,…
Flowers of Stellenbosch
One aspect of the old South Africa’s racial policies cannot be faulted. After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes,…
When Glyndebourne is the most perfect place on earth
Glyndebourne. There is no single quintessential example of English scenery, but this is one of the finest. The landscape is …
Bottled opera
Glyndebourne. There is no single quintessential example of English scenery, but this is one of the finest. The landscape is …
The greatest novel in English – and how to drink it
Which is the greatest novel in the English language? Let us review the candidates: Clarissa, Pride and Prejudice, Middlemarch, The…
A glass of wine with Dickens
Which is the greatest novel in the English language? Let us review the candidates: Clarissa, Pride and Prejudice, Middlemarch, The…
Mourning Julia Gillard with the greatest wine ever to come out of Australia
My Australian friend was in mourning over the removal of Julia Gillard, the country’s first female prime minister. She had…
Gillard and the Grange Hermitage
My Australian friend was in mourning over the removal of Julia Gillard, the country’s first female prime minister. She had…
From Vikings to vintages
The Macdonalds of Clanranald are one of the oldest families in the world. Their lineage comfortably predates the Scotland of…
The delights of decadence
Although I promise to move on to drink, forgive me for beginning with a less interesting but even more complex…
