Wine
The world is a mess. Why not find escapism through wine?
In most children’s stories, the good characters live happily ever after. Works suitable for older readers tend to greater realism.…
It’s time to take Italian wine seriously
Tuscany: earth has not anything to show more fair. The landscape is charming. The gentle hills seem to smile down…
Tories know how to find themselves a good drink
I feel old, and feelings are not always wrong, This eheu fugaces mood came on me at the Conservative party…
The beauty of a serious Burgundy
It was the English summer at its most perverse. We were drinking Pimm’s while hoping against hope for better news…
Where to drink Tuscany’s finest summer tipples
Some subjects invite an eternal recurrence. One such is Tuscany. The other day, I wrote about that glorious region: its…
What’s so super about Super Tuscans?
In Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, the hopes embodied in the title dissolve into grimness and black irony. It was all…
The beauty of rosé and roses
What an idyllic setting. We were amidst the joys of high summer in England, with just enough of a breeze…
The Britishness of Bordeaux
Burgundy or Bordeaux? We were discussing that unending question during dinner over the weekend. I think that there is only…
Tinta de Toro: the Spanish red that helped Columbus make waves
I am assured that this is not a legend. But a few years ago, an Irishman’s life was twice saved…
The Eton vs Winchester of the wine world
A few days ago, when everything looked black, a small group of us were consoling ourselves over a couple of…
Why the dry martini is the finest cocktail of all
We were discussing bourbon and whether American whiskey could ever rival Scotch. I recalled the first time I ever tried…
A toast to absent friends
There have been few more momentous weeks in British history, or indeed in world history. This commentator must plead guilty.…
A toast to the field marshals
August may not be the cruellest month but it is often the most dangerous one. Now that it is over,…
At least we still have wine
Even in recent heat, the English summer can be magical. As long as there is shade, a pool and a…
Should you really pair Pimm’s with oysters?
Imagine a camel train, crossing the great desert. The remaining water is rancid; the beasts’ humps are shrunken. Death looms.…
Think pink: there’s no shame in quaffing rosé in England
In the battle of ideas, it is sometimes necessary to make a tactical withdrawal. That is now the case over…
My memorable night at the Carlton Club
‘Club’ is a four-letter word. Whenever a club is mentioned in the press, it will inevitably be portrayed as a…
A voyage through fine wine off Sardinia
One could get used to this. I come from seafaring stock, albeit distant. ‘Anderson’ suggests Viking antecedents, especially as my…
My approach to wine? Wishful drinking
I fancy myself as a bit of an oenophile and during the lockdowns, when my local branch of Majestic was…
The perfect pairing of books and wine
In the West End of London there is an alley which insinuates its way between the Charing Cross Road and…
A taste of la dolce vita in Tuscany
Amid the grandeur of old Edinburgh, in the lee of the castle, is one of the finest buildings in Scotland:…
The wine of the Wild Geese
The Irish rarely understate their achievements. Yet there is one exception. Over the centuries, the links between Catholic Ireland and…
War, wine and the brilliance of Beychevelle
If only toasts and good wishes were weapons of war. At every serious repast I have attended since the invasion…
The story of Tuscany’s all-female winery
The inhabitants of Tuscany and Umbria can claim to be the most civilised beings on the planet, even exceeding the…
