Summer 2010 is over. Wait, did we even have a summer this year here in soggy England? Whether or not we had a proper summer, there’s always hope that we’ll have an Indian summer. Indian summer. The two words always remind me of N. American Indian moccasin-clad feet and sunny forest lakes (I know, I’m being literal...
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The History of Rum. Could be interesting in the right hands. At the Worship St Whistling Shop bar it was one of the most fun and informative evenings I’ve had out drinking in quite awhile. And that’s saying something. Tristan Stephenson was our genial host/narrator and led us through the dark Victorian style bar to The...
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Champagne and a boat ride down the Thames. Then High Tea and Gin. Perfect. If only we lived in a sunnier clime. As it was, we were greeted with torrential rain when we arrived at the Hotel du Vin in Henley. But not to worry, rather then have champagne on a boat, we were warmly seated on the leather banquettes of their lounge,...
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Although my remit is wine, I do like a good cocktail, my favourite being a perfect Manhattan on the rocks. I don’t however, restrict myself to Manhattan’s, which is how I found myself at The Bar at The Dorchester with the very charming and legendary Bar Manager, Giuliano Morandin explaining to me how he recreated the...
read moreBistro du Vin is rapidly expanding their empire and have now branched out to Soho. So you may think, another Bistro du Vin but this one has something the other two don’t – a dedicated walk-in cheese locker in the main dining room. You can’t miss it, a brightly lit glass room at the end of the bar. Currently...
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Standing by the sea with a glass of Talisker 18 year old in hand, the faint taste of seaweed rolled around my mouth and it was difficult to tell where it ended, the salty seaweed tang of the sea air seemed to swirl around my glass both inside and out. We were standing by the quayside in Cowes with Talisker Brand Ambassador Colin...
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I was standing in the middle of Bisol’s vineyards in the heart of the Cartizze region of Valdobbiadene in Northern Italy with a glass of prosecco in hand when I spotted an odd, rusty looking chimney-like apparatus sticking straight up out of the earth at the end of the vineyard. Being The Winesleuth, I had to ask,”What...
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Charles Dickens used to work in a bank at 1 Lombard St. That bank has since been turned into the restaurant 1 Lombard St and I was there the other night for the launch of their new Wine Society. The restaurant’s sommelier Matthew Mawtus is going to be conducting winetastings in the bank’s former vault featuring not only...
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“Can I come along?” The 2011 WBC had just officially ended and I was hanging around the hotel lobby when I heard Liza of Brix Chix and Melanie of Dallas Wine Chick talking about visiting a winery that afternoon. As with most out of hours events at the WBC, if you didn’t invite yourself along, you ain’t...
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The 4th North American Winebloggers Conference has just come and gone and what a ride it was! I hadn’t been to the WBC since the inaugural edition in 2008 so it was great to see old friends and meet bloggers I only knew online. I have to say the Virginia Wine did a great job of showcasing their wines despite the inferno-like...
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