Need to get away? Why not become a winemaker in Portugal? March 9, 2021 We are all asking the same question. “What will be the first thing we’ll do when lockdown ends?” But few of us will answer: “Buy myself a vineyard in Portugal, make myself 288 bottles of wine, and learn how to be a professional goalkeeper.” But one winery in south Portugal is offering a “Winemaker’s Experience” [...]
Cast your net wider when choosing smoky whiskies March 9, 2021 For many casual drinkers, “smoky whiskies” are synonymous with Islay, the Inner Hebridean home of fire-wreathed sea monsters like Ardbeg, Laphroaig, and Lagavulin. But cast your net wider and you can find spectacular smoky whiskies all over Scotland, and a notable new addition is Smoke Season, the most heavily peated single malt ever to be [...]
The dishes that got top chefs through lockdown March 9, 2021 When future generations look back at lockdown, they will be able to differentiate its different stages by what we were cooking. Sourdough bread gave way to banana bread before TikTok coffee suddenly took off. But what about the professionals? We asked four of the top cooks in the land about the dishes that have sustained [...]
Why poitín, Irish moonshine that was illegal until 1997, could be the next big thing March 8, 2021 “It’s Ireland’s original national drink,” says sixth generation independent poitín producer Padraic O’Griallais. He uses the 17O-year-old recipe of his great great-great-grandfather Mical Mac Chearra from Connemara to distill his own version of “Irish moonshine”. The recipe, which includes Connemara ‘bog bean’ is realised in the first legal Poitín distillery in Galway. First distilled by [...]
This IWD, meet the women changing the booze industry March 8, 2021 The world of beer, wine and spirits has also been dominated during our lifetime by men, with phallocentric brands including Jack Daniels and Johnnie Walker aimed squarely at male drinkers. But it wasn’t always so – for thousands of years brewing was undertaken by women. And as we celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD), there are [...]
Mother’s Day gifts: Make 2021 a lockdown to remember March 6, 2021 As the first mother’s day under lockdown rapidly approaches, this year it’s more important than ever to get your gift just right. This year we have focused on the amazing food options you can lavish upon your wonderful mother – or you could even buy two and eat them together over a nice, long Zoom [...]
Pop quiz: How much do you really know about German wine? March 5, 2021 At this time of the year my palate changes and I start craving more refreshing styles of wine. I always end up rediscovering German wines – like an album you played to death and haven’t heard since last summer. I love reconnecting with these wines. German wines have a bad reputation in the UK. I’ve [...]
Should you look at Irish whiskey as an investment? March 5, 2021 With St Patrick’s Day on the not-too-distant horizon, thoughts inevitably turn to iconic festivities to be enjoyed. For many this involves toasting a taoscán of Irish whiskey. The day and drink are synonymous with each other. But this year maybe you should think about investing instead of drinking your whiskey? The Irish end their toasts [...]
Chefs spy light at end of Covid tunnel after Sunak budget March 3, 2021 Chefs and restaurateurs across London have welcomed Rishi Sunak’s “life saving” budget plans announced today. A raft of measures aimed at keeping the embattled hospitality industry afloat until it can fully reopen in June includes an extension of the furlough scheme, grants of up to £18,000 for pubs and restaurants, and an extension of the [...]
Champagne knocked off the F1 podium by a wine called Ferrari March 3, 2021 In what is surely a case of nominative determinism, Ferrari Trento sparkling wine has been named the official partner for Formula 1. From next season, it will be sparkling wine dousing the podium finishers instead of the customary champagne, with the 119-year-old winemaker taking the honours from incumbent brand Carbon. Other champagne brands associated with [...]