Campo alle Comete, Stupore. UK Exclusive! The wines of the Bolgheri region, down on the Tuscan coast, excite me in a way few others can. Bolgheri has become a magnet for wine investment, and many famous Italian wine producers have expanded into the area. Bolgheri is primarily Bordeaux-blend land, where the Reds achieve a rare intensity and Sangiovese plays only …
Terre à Terre in Brighton – bohemian like me
Terre à Terre in Brighton – bohemian like me Terre à Terre in Brighton is possibly the finest vegetarian restaurant in Britain. It was opened in 1993 by Amanda Powley and Philip Taylor. Since then, their vision of fine dining has become legendary, a celebration of the ethical and sustainable, without meat or fish. It’s been six years since I …
Recipe: Spaghetti alla Norma, a real taste of Sicily
Recipe: Spaghetti alla Norma, a real taste of Sicily A big bowl of Spaghetti alla Norma is truly the essence of Sicilian cuisine. I first ate it in Ragusa many years ago. It’s a tomato and aubergine pasta heaven that forms a regular part of my diet. Hearty and healthy, it’s so foolproof to make that even I can do …
Book Review: The Oxford Companion To Cheese
Book Review: The Oxford Companion To Cheese Imagine the world without cheese. I wonder if you can. For me, that’s a vision of hell. If you feel the same way, then you really should invest in the newly published The Oxford Companion to Cheese. Billed as “the first truly comprehensive reference work dedicated to how four basic ingredients – milk, …
Sunday Lunch at The White Swan, Wighill
Sunday Lunch at The White Swan, Wighill Sunday lunch is the great British Food tradition for friends and family, regularly voted as one of the things that most define Britishness. We went to The White Swan at Wighill in North Yorkshire recently to see whether they could serve a Sunday lunch that could rival the essence of home-made cookery. The …
València – where ancient meets modern
València – where ancient meets modern This article is the third and final instalment in my Levantine trilogy. Having covered Utiel-Requena and Alicante, this time it’s about the city of València and the DO wine region of the same name. They blend ancient and modern Spanish cultures into something unique. It makes both of them places of contrast and essential …
Chateau Musar, Legend of Lebanon
Chateau Musar, Legend of Lebanon They say that any self-respecting wine writer should have an article on Chateau Musar, the legendary wine from Lebanon. So here’s mine. Lebanon Winemaking in Lebanon possibly started as far back as 7,000 BC, in Canaan and Phoenicia’s Biblical countries, lands of milk and honey. Phoenicians traded Lebanese wines around the Mediterranean, and then so did …
I Veroni Chianti Rùfina Riserva – verticale
I Veroni Chianti Rùfina Riserva – verticale Chianti DOCG has seven subzones, and Chianti Rùfina (pronounced, in my best London accent, Roo-fina) is arguably the best of these. It’s a small enclave of 1,000 hectares and probably accounts for only about 3% of all Chianti production. Perhaps it’s the only Chianti subzone to rival Classico consistently in the quality of …
Utiel-Requena: searching for the heart of Bobal
Utiel-Requena: searching for the heart of Bobal Utiel-Requena is one of the appellations in the València region, alongside Alicante and València itself. Of the three, it’s the largest and furthest inland, about 60 km west of València, and home to an indigenous red grape called Bobal. Neither appellation nor grape is exactly a household name. But now, times are changing. …
Dry Riesling reveals the Terroir at Martin Tesch
Dry Riesling reveals the Terroir at Martin Tesch Dr Martin Tesch owns Weingut Tesch in the Nahe region of Germany. The estate has been family-owned since 1723, while the vineyards date back to Medieval times. These days, dry Riesling rules here. Tesch is a microbiologist by training but a winegrower by inclination. In 1996, he took over the estate from …