For all those intrigued by the chocolate & wine debate, a recent tasting trip of mine to Tuscany threw some more light on the subject. We were approaching the end of a wonderful lunch, held by Dr. Thomas Bär  of Chianti Classico producer Gagliole, when he produced a bowl brimming with the finest Lindt chocolates. Bitter black with the silkiest […]

A few years ago Glengoyne distillery released their Scottish oak finish matured single malt. This was a nice piece of marketing and, critically, the product was very good. It is never likely that there will be swathes of the great Scottish oak forests toppling to keep up with demand as commercially it is rather an […]

On Sunday morning I did something I never thought 1) I would ever do 2) Would ever have the balls to do! When my alarm rang at half six it dawned on me that I would be starring on LIVE BLOOMIN TV, appearing on a Wine Segment on Something for the Weekend (BBC 2), in […]

Every year, about the same time, an unceremonious and initially somewhat unexpected ritual takes place. It is known as the stacking of the LBV (Late Bottled Vintage) Port in the supermarket aisle; unceremonious given the fabled pedigree of this fortified wine and unexpected given the fact that its global production is relatively small; 10 million cases […]