Month: September, 2015

Essential ingredients: cèpes

This month our Head Chef Stewart Turner turns to the earthiness of mushrooms, employing freshly foraged cèpes to create a classic risotto and elegant pastrami dish. As ever, Demetri Walters MW from our Private Wine Events team advises on the wines that will work alongside Stewart’s creations. On the table: As autumn approaches and we […]

Castle in the sky

Formerly chief oenologist at Torres, Raul Bobet is now pursuing his dream in the Catalan Pyrenees with Castell d’Encus, his remarkable passion project driven by a plethora of non-indigenous varietals, ancient and modern winemaking techniques, and gallons of verve. Here he shines a light on the philosophy behind his wines. I have two winemaking projects, […]

When it comes to grapes, should we go native? Yea

Following on from yesterday’s post advocating the use of international varietals, Oliver Barton argues that we should embrace the richness and diversity of indigenous grapes. Who wants a burger when abroad? We are living in a world increasingly dominated by bland globalization; with the same companies popping up to make all cities look alike. We […]

When it comes to grapes, should we go native? Nay

In our ongoing series of debates on suitably vinous topics, Guy Davies defends the use of the so-called ‘international’ varieties, the jet-set of grapes that produce Ch. Margaux, Sassicaia and Opus One. For all the wonderful complexities and intellectual pleasures that wine can offer, it is about one thing above all else: pleasure. Should not […]