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I was born in Ashford (Kent) but then
we moved to Cyprus, because my father worked with the army. He became ill and died, so we returned initially to Deal but then moved to Ashford. It was full of London overspill so it was a tough environment. To keep out of trouble, I did two paper rounds, worked in a sweet shop and in a fish and chip shop - I used to have a barrow at Ashford station and served Bill Deedes (the Conservative MP and former editor of the Daily Telegraph).
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Sicily is technically a region of Italy, but really it stands alone. The island has been invaded by so many cultures over the years - Asians, African, Europeans - that it has its own brand of cosmopolitan charm that transcends the Italian canopy.
As a community, Sicily is virtually self-sufficient, and its main income has traditionally been agricultural exports. Dramatic mountain ranges slice through much of the landscape, with Mount Etna as their ruler, and, not surprisingly, considering that Sicily has a number of hectares under vine comparable to that of the whole of Australia, vineyards are never far from sight.
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The finance director of the collapsed fine wine merchant Mayfair Cellars sold almost 1 million of customers' wine without authorisation and then passed on the proceeds to his partner, according to the administrators report.
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Shares in Majestic Wine rose marginally as soon as its results for the year to March 27 were announced, reflecting the market's relief that the figures were almost exactly what brokers had predicted. Last week, some had expressed fears that the pace of Majestic's long unbroken run of record profitability would be slowed.
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ARDBEG
News: Ardbeg's cult following by peat freaks is set to continue, with a raft of single malt releases for 2006. (Single malt bottlings have increased to 70% of distillery production since manager Stuart Thompson's arrival nine years ago).
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Two former United Wineries employees - Bill Rolfe and Toby Hancock - have left the company to launch a new wine business, 10 International.
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Some 41 winemakers from Friuli Venezia Giulia will be in London in July for the second UK SuperWhites event.
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A new guide with information for those wishing to visit Scottish distilleries has been published by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA).
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The Portman Group, the responsible drinking organisation, has decided to issue guidance to retailers after a landmark decision regarding the promotion of gift packs containing alcoholic drinks.
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Mocot delayed by Brazilian officials
Mocot, the new contemporary Brazilian restaurant in London's Knightsbridge, has put back its opening date once again - this time to mid-August.
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Intervino, a Lincolnshire-based company launched on 1 April, has secured a 1 million contract to supply a national rewards scheme.
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The messages from Enotria, land of wine, have been largely grim since 2002, so it is encouraging to report that a sunnier aspect appears to be emerging.
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If you believe that you can trust a chart to get a fair impression of any vintage, then you must be somewhat naive; and if you think you can use one to understand an Italian vintage, then you are seriously out of touch.
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When it's time for bottling, Enrico Drei Don wheels his lovingly restored Fiat 500 out of his family's winery and the rented bottling line is rolled in to take its place. As passionate a student of cars as he is of wine in all its dimensions, he is able to illuminate the inner workings of a carburettor with the same ease as he does the geopolitical boundaries of his native Emilia-Romagna, and in near-flawless English.
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The controversial president of the Syndicate of Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur has been tipped to take over the presidency of the Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB).
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Chairman:
Anthony Rose, The Independent
Panellists:
Alberto Antonini, producer and consultant; Tony Brown MW, product manager for Italy, Spain and Portugal, Meridian Wines; Peter McCombie MW, consultant; Simon Thorpe MW, purchasing director, Western Wines
Sponsor:
Claudio Gamberotto, CAVIT
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A proposed 400,000 ha to be removed from production
Non-GI wines allowed vintage and variety on label
No more financial aid for crisis distillation
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California wine legend Paul Dolan has been elected as the new chairman of the California Wine Institute.
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The on-trade continues to lose out to the take-home market as the big night in' concept grows in popularity among consumers, a leading industry conference was told earlier this month (June).
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Whisky has always tended to have a rather polarising effect; people either love it or hate it - there are very few who think it's just okay.
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