Month: March, 2021

Guillaume Drouin on making Calvados

Guillaume Drouin is the third generation of his family to head up the business at Christian Drouin, a Normandy distillery specialising in making Calvados. We speak to him about Calvados’ local roots and sustainability in the orchard.   The picturesque orchards of Christian Drouin Calvados lie not far from the Normandy coast. The Drouin family have been based here since 1960, when Christian […]

Barolo 2017 vintage report

The 2017 vintage in Barolo is a “modern-age classic”, says our Italy Buyer, Davy Żyw. In Barolo, 2017 was one of the driest and hottest vintages on record. But this headline doesn’t reveal the true nature of the vintage: ’17 offers an incredible breakaway from the overripe uniformity one might expect from such a hot […]

In praise of white Bordeaux

Why is white Bordeaux – that gloriously aromatic and complex wine style – so often overlooked? Barbara Drew MW explains what we’re missing out on. This weekend I discovered a serious issue in my cellar. I have too much white Burgundy. At first glance, this may not seem problematic: who wouldn’t want a white Burgundy […]

Our founding figure: the Widow Bourne

Our business was founded more than 320 years ago by a woman we know only as “the Widow Bourne”. Although we no longer sell tea and coffee, we’re incredibly proud of our roots as a grocer’s. Little is known about the mysterious woman who founded our business in 1698. We don’t know how or when […]