Amaro Montenegro – and a Favourite Quarantini Suppose Stanislao Cobianchi had followed his father’s wishes and become a Priest. In that case, we might never have had Amaro Montenegro, and the wonderful world of drinks would have been all the poorer. Fortunately for lovers of speciality drinks and cocktails, he preferred instead to go and explore the world. On his …
Mulled Wine: Spice Yourself Up for Christmas 2020
Mulled wine: Spice Yourself Up for Christmas 2020 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 and outside, for example at the European Christmas markets that have become popular …
Share this Post
Moratti – Creating the Champagne of the South?
Moratti – Creating the Champagne of the South? I recently took part in a 1-1 online wine tasting with Gian Matteo Baldi, of Castello di Cigognola. The Castello’s Metodo Classico sparkling wine project is from the Oltrepò Pavese area of Lombardy, south of Milan. We tasted four brilliant DOCG sparkling wines; all made from Pinot Noir under the Moratti brand …
Share this Post
Online Wine Specialists in the UK
Online wine specialists in the UK Readers often ask for recommendations for UK-based online wine specialists. As we are currently in the tightening grip of the Covid-19 pandemic and the festive wine buying season is fast approaching, buying wine online is particularly appealing. The value of Independence Firstly, anyone that favours an independent wine merchant is to be commended, as …
Share this Post
The Sherry Dog – Ratonero Bodeguero Andaluz
The Sherry Dog – Ratonero Bodeguero Andaluz Dogs are often said to be Man’s Best Friend. Well, I’m a Cat-person myself, but there’s no doubting the connection between people and dogs and their undoubted usefulness over millennia. Whether as companions, guards, guide dogs, drug sniffers, mountain rescuers, hunt assistants, truffle finders, racers or rounder-uppers, there’s a breed for that. We’re …
Share this Post
Wine Wit and Wisdom – A Brief Interlude
Wine Wit and Wisdom – A Brief Interlude Back in 2016, an article on this website featured Ten Trivia that Titillate. You can still see that piece here. Over the intervening four years, I’ve also collected more wine words, sayings and quotations. So here are examples of wine wit and wisdom for your delectation, ranging from the banal to the profound, from the …
Share this Post
International Sherry Week, 2-8 November 2020
International Sherry Week, 2-8 November 2020 International Sherry Week takes place between 2-8 November 2020. Time once again to celebrate Spain’s great gift to the world! There are the floral delights of a chilled Manzanilla or Fino. Or try the nutty notes of an Amontillado and Oloroso. Add the umami flavours of Palo Cortado, or the sweet caramel of PX. …
Share this Post
Vegetarian Haggis – It’s Not so Offal
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 …
Share this Post
Francone – Comparing Two Big Italian Red Classics
Francone – Comparing Two Big Italian Red Classics “The best way to arrive in Neive is to skirt the magnificent rows of Nebbiolo lining the road that leaves Alba and passes through Tre Stelle, then Barbaresco.” So wrote the founder of Slow Food, Carlo Petrini, in 1999. He said, “Towards the end of summer, there is a stupendous array of Dolcetto, Barbera and …
Share this Post
Derthona – Solving a Cult Wine Puzzle
Derthona – Solving a Cult Wine Puzzle This unprepossessing bottle of white wine hides away a genuinely remarkable story worth telling. It has an attractive label, yet that gives away little about the contents, where it’s from, or just how good it is. In the UK, Italian rare-grape geeks are most likely to recognise it. In Italy, it’s become something …
Share this Post