This will change how you think of Morocco October 22, 2024 THE LOCATION When the Portuguese landed on the stony face of the Atlantic coast in the early 16th century, they stopped at El Jadida, a Moroccan port just an hour south of Casablanca. To protect trade routes between Europe and Asia during their two-and-a-half-century occupation, they built a stronghold known as Mazagan. The centrepiece of [...]
Libby’s Naked Diary – The 50th Wedding Anniversary Party October 22, 2024 I am at the age where the first wave of marital splits is hitting my peer group, my own separation included. These are not all sad affairs; in fact, I went to my first ever Divorce Party this summer and it was an unexpected hoot to drink “Gin & He’s Toxic” as we cracked up over [...]
This trip to Languedoc turned me into a wine snob October 17, 2024 I’m not a wine guy. The oenophile subjects alcohol to a level of scrutiny that, to me, feels antithetical to the loosening joys of boozing. I enjoy wine. I prefer wine that tastes nice. But to theorise about it, to intellectualise it, to hold it to the light and inspect its colour, to soliliquise about [...]
The Naked Truth October 16, 2024 Kieron Atkinson – aka ‘Tom Booze’ – is founder of the English Wine Project and winemaker at Renishaw Hall. We quiz him on the future of winemaking. Why did you get Naked? Being part of Naked Wines is being part of the best wine club in the world. As a producer I get to meet [...]
A wine-lover’s guide to sober October October 15, 2024 I may be biased given it is my career and passion, but wine really is an incredible drink. Even given my love of the drink however, I can fully support and applaud (if often from a distance) those choosing to curb their intake. In the recent report by KAM it was revealed that 74% of [...]
Ibai review: This Basque restaurant is one of the best of the year October 9, 2024 Creating a vibe is a tricky business. You can have the most beautiful dining room in the world and somehow end up with a tragic, inexplicable lack of vibes, even slipping into negative vibe territory, actively sucking the spirit out of your diners (see: Brasserie Zedel). On the other hand, you can have a brutalist [...]
Libby takes her favourite Naked Wines on the road. This week: Hide October 9, 2024 Rarely do I decline an invitation to Hide, the Michelin-starred restaurant overlooking Piccadilly and Green Park, but especially not when at the behest of David Baker, Founder of Hermitage Cognac, to “try something special”. In truth it seems unfair to call him merely a “Founder” of a brand, as Cognac is clearly his calling, his [...]
Half term is here – grab the wine October 8, 2024 For parents, it probably feels like school has only just begun after the long summer holidays – but here we are headed for half-term. Wine is part of my survival strategy. There are some excellent vineyards to visit and stay at, even with children in tow, and certain places go above and beyond to entertain [...]
Why Georgia’s capital Tbilisi is the most fascinating city in Europe October 7, 2024 Towering over the Georgian capital of Tbilisi is Mtatsminda Park, a Soviet-era fairground and gardens set atop a craggy hill. Accessed by a funicular railway, you will find a host of terrifying, creaky old amusement rides, including the 65-metre-high Giant Wheel, which seems to bow outwards over the edge of a sheer cliff. Dotted around [...]
No more Noma: What’s next for Copenhagen’s food scene October 3, 2024 For decades, Noma has been one of the most coveted restaurants on the planet. It birthed ‘new Nordic’ cuisine in 2003 and stamped the small Danish capital on the gastronomic map, winning the world’s best restaurant award multiple times and holding Michelin stars since 2008. Its stratospheric success was led by head chef and co-founder [...]