Gordon Brown’s government may be running out of time as well as ideas, but before it turns its attention to the forthcoming election has it belatedly decided to curb the...
Read MoreThe Perfect Dozen
If you gave up booze for a month on 1 January, as several of my friends did, you may have reached the point, two weeks later, when you’ve locked away...
Read MoreMy predictions for 2010
Hands up anyone who can remember a more depressing year than the one that has just ended? I thought so. Even for those of us who are positive, glass half...
Read MoreBeyond the Big Six grape varieties
“I love Chablis, but I can’t stand Chardonnay.” “I hate Sancerre, but I adore Sauvignon Blanc.” You used to hear such comments all the time, even from people who claimed...
Read MoreChristmas Day chez Atkin
Forget about turkey, stuffing and brandy butter: the Atkin family Christmas will have a Spanish flavour this year. There are two reasons for this, neither related to the London location...
Read MoreBest fizz of 2009
With 12 days to go until Christmas, I’d like to propose a yuletide toast to Professor Gérard Liger-Belair of the University of Reims. He it was who proved earlier this...
Read MoreWill this end cheap alcohol deals?
It was a neat, if unfortunate coincidence that on the day the Scottish government published its alcohol bill, a small brewery in Fraserburgh released a head banger beer called Tactical...
Read MoreThe Atkins. My wines of the year for 2009
First, the good news. Not since 1990 has the world enjoyed such a consistently promising vintage as it did in 2009. The châteaux owners of Bordeaux may be leading the...
Read MoreMatt Skinner and a difference of vintages
How much store do you set by tasting notes? Would a fulsome description of a Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc — combine mouth watering, zingy, tangy, nettley, gooseberryish, minerally, etc in the...
Read MoreKing of the hill
A visitor to Angelo Gaja’s winery in Barbaresco fell to his knees on a recent tasting tour and tried to kiss the great man’s hands. “Please get up,” Gaja told...
Read MoreChristmas reds and whites
WHITE 2008 Errazuriz Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley (£4.99 each for two, 13.5%, Majestic). Reduced from £7.99, which makes it a stunning deal, this is an easy drinking, peach and citrus...
Read MoreFirst Quench hits the wall
Remember the date. For anyone who works in the booze trade, not least those of you who are employed by First Quench Retailing, October 29th 2009 could turn out to...
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