mourvèdre

Wirra Wirra 12th Man Chardonnay One Foot in the Grapes

Australia Day 2024: “Did You Know” wine facts and four to try

The Raise a Glass feature is published in several UK regional newspapers every week – here’s a quick glance at January 26 which is Australia Day 2024. Australia Day comes around every year on January 26 and I imagine several people living upside down from us are raising a glass or two of wine. Some […]

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barbecue wines

Barbecue wines: Four choices to enjoy come rain or shine

SECOND guessing the British summer weather is a bit like a game of spin the bottle but without the kissing. But come rain or shine I bet many of you will be pouring some barbecue wines as you singe the sausages and panic about the burgers. Here’s a pink, white, red and a sparkles – perfect barbecue wines, whether you’re

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Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Fathers Day

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a special-buy red for Father’s Day

If I had a pound for every time people say “Châteauneuf-du-Pape” when I ask them to name their special-buy red, I wouldn’t be sitting here. Sorry, but that’s how shallow I am. It’s June and you might not be thinking of red wine, but tomorrow is Father’s Day, so you have an excuse. I asked

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National Burger Day red wines

Wine Press: National Burger Day and red wines to disguise disasters

I MADE burgers the other day. I needed burgers for the barbie. There weren’t any in the shops. I could have flattened meatballs, but I felt sorry for them, sitting there pert and plump and perfect and expectant. I would have felt like I’d squashed a fly. So I made some. Perfect timing too, as this coming Wednesday, t’internet tells me, is National Burger Day. (Not for the

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Vilarnau Brut Gaudi Sleeve

Sun-kissed winning wines from Languedoc-Roussillon

TO celebrate the British Open last weekend I opened some wine. That is the closest affinity I have to golf. I didn’t even have a British “open” it was a French “open” with wines from Languedoc-Roussillon. It is the most prolific wine-making region in the world. Yes, there are some mass-produced so-what wines, but there

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Chénas Les Carrières Domaine 2011 wine

Young bloods challenge our perception of French winemakers

PICTURE French winemakers and what do you see? Veterans. Wisps of white hair blowing in a warm breeze. Soil brushed off gnarled hands and a grape taken firmly but gently between Gauloises-stained fingers. A face the colour of Red Rum’s saddle bags turned upwards to the life-giving sun….  well that’s what I see. And of

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