Vegetarian Haggis – It’s Not so Offal Vegetarian Haggis? A contradiction in terms. Hold on, not so fast. In the early 1990s, while staying in the Bruntsfield area of Edinburgh, we happened by chance on Macsween’s butcher’s shop. It was there that the late John Macsween built his reputation as a premier Haggis maker. On entering, we discovered his Vegetarian …
Ben Ryé Meets Westmorland Pepper Cake for WOTY 25
Ben Ryé Meets Westmorland Pepper Cake for WOTY 2025 Welcome to the Wine Alchemy Wine of the Year (WOTY) award for 2025. This year, it is also part of the occasional series that pairs Wine with Cake. This year’s WOTY is Ben Ryé, one of the world’s greatest sweet wines, and a true masterpiece. Here it pairs with Westmorland Pepper …
Peace for Christmas 2025
Peace for Christmas 2025 An alternative Christmas Carol wishing you Peace for Christmas 2025 As I walk through this wicked world Searching for light in the darkness of insanity I ask myself, is all hope lost? Is there only pain and hatred and misery? And each time I feel like this inside There’s one thing I wanna know What’s …
Rosé Champagne for summer drinking
Rosé Champagne for summer drinking In his book, The Pleasures of Life, Sir John Lubbock wrote this. “Rest is not idleness, and to sometimes lie on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time,” To which I …
Marmite Brussels Sprouts Recipe
Marmite Brussels Sprouts Recipe Following quickly on from the recently republished memoir on Brussels Sprouts, it was high time they returned in a new article. This time, they feature in a simple, quick recipe combined with Marmite. Wow, two favourite food items together at last! Marmite Brussels Sprouts is a wonderful festive combination of two ingredients that people either love …
Brussels sprouts – my melancholy memoir
Brussels sprouts – my melancholy memoir Given that it’s Christmas-tide, it’s time to visit Brussels sprouts. Their incredible history intertwines with mine. On arrival We arrived late one autumn Sunday afternoon after a seemingly interminable journey. As we got out of the car in Potton market square, we were assaulted by a pervasive sulphurous stench. Later, I would come to recognise …
Mulled Wine – Spice Yourself Up This Christmas
Mulled Wine – Spice Yourself Up This Christmas Mulled wine. It’s such a Christmas tradition, just like cards, trees and gift-giving. It’s a warming drink with a long history that’s made a welcome comeback in modern times. Sometimes known as spiced wine, it’s always served hot, whether indoors or outside, for example, at the European Christmas markets that have become …
Christmas 2025
Christmas 2025 Advent is here! So here’s my Christmas 2025 card to you all for the festive season. I really hope you like it. For me, the anticipation generated by the Christmas Table is one of the things I particularly enjoy. Happy Christmas! In other words, 圣诞节快乐 Buon Natale Joyeux Noël Feliz Navidad Frohe Weihnachten Nollaig Shona 楽しいクリスマスを Feliz Natal …
Bellone from Lazio – Anthium by Casale del Giglio
Bellone from Lazio – Anthium by Casale del Giglio Bellone is an extremely high-quality autochthonous white grape variety from the Lazio region of Italy. A stunning example is made by the Casale del Giglio winery in Lazio, 50 km south of Rome. Called Anthium, it’s 100% Bellone, designated as a Lazio Bianco IGP. All this deserves better recognition here in …
Changes on the Website – November 2025
Changes on the Website – November 2025 In this media-saturated digital world, there are constant changes in technologies and reader needs, so this website must keep up! The simplest way of letting you know about changes made to this website is right here. What hasn’t changed For over 25 years, Wine Alchemy has catered for wine lovers who enjoy reading. This …