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Published: 13 December, 2021
“People like to masturbate.” As first sentences go, this one certainly snares your attention. It’s not the only remarkable thing about Edward Slingerland’s new book Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced and Stumbled our Way to Civilization (£25, Little Brown, Spark). Nor is the author some ill-informed polemicist looking to generate a few headlines. Slingerland is Professor of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia.
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Published: 06 December, 2021
Matt Hodgson, founder of English wine specialist Grape Britannia, says the time has arrived to look beyond fizz to the UK’s homegrown still gems.
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Published: 01 December, 2021
It really is hard to know what to believe these days. The digital world enables instant sharing of information across the globe, which seems good and democratic. Just about anyone can participate. But with it comes lower reliability and veracity of what is being communicated, making it easier to seed fake gospels claiming that two plus two equals five, or seven, or even nine. Perhaps what really matters is the extent to which people make decisions and take actions as a result.
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Published: 29 November, 2021
From straw building to solar power by way of highly sustainable viticulture, Australian winery Lethbridge’s driving force, Ray Nadeson, talks premium wines and primordial soup with Andrew Catchpole.
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Published: 24 November, 2021
There is finally an American and a female head bartender – the first in a hundred years – back at the helm of at The Savoy’s legendary haunt. Jo Gilbert talks to Shannon Tebay about following in the footsteps of bartending heavyweights and making the leap to the UK.
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Published: 22 November, 2021
We hear from Richard Lloyd, general manager for European operations and supply chain at The Park, the hub of Accolade Wines’ European operations and an independent business in its own right, on how the industry can work together to overcome its supply chain difficulties
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Published: 19 November, 2021
A bullish Brett Fleming explains to Andrew Catchpole why Armit Wines is back with a bang, firmly focused on the high ground.
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Published: 17 November, 2021
A month or so ago, I attended two eye-catching, if very different, launches. Both were from Bibendum Wine: the UK debut of former Dom Pérignon chef de cave Richard Geoffroy’s sake; and an unorthodox new English sparkling wine, with the charming name Harlot.
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Published: 12 November, 2021
In association with DO Rueda
What is it about the style of Rueda that’s driven its popularity?
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Published: 10 November, 2021
Jo Gilbert finds out more about the Accolade Mud House/Tesco Loop partnership via Caroline Thompson-Hill, managing director, Europe, at Accolade Wines.
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Published: 04 November, 2021
From Craggy Range to Smith & Sheth, winemaker Steve Smith has long been a driving force on New Zealand’s winemaking scene. Always aiming ever higher, he fills Andrew Catchpole in on how it’s going.
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Published: 02 November, 2021
In association with Wines of Navarra
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Published: 28 October, 2021
Sitting in reception at one of the UK’s biggest supermarkets waiting for the wine buyer to appear for our appointment, I flicked through my newspaper. When he arrived, I hurriedly stuffed the paper into my briefcase, but not before the buyer had caught sight of it. “Ah, you are one of those are you?” he said, having identified my copy of The Guardian.
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Published: 26 October, 2021
For many workers in hospitality, it’s not only low pay, but aggression and isolation that are the norm. It’s time to change things, says Simon King, former operations director for Gordon Ramsay Group and co-owner of new Surrey gastropub The Victoria Oxshott.
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Published: 20 October, 2021
Jo Gilbert talks to Harriet Kininmonth, wine trading director for C&C Group, the owner of Bibendum and Matthew Clark, about how her newly created role will help to usher in a wine-focused era for the company, while leaving the shadow of Conviviality behind
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Published: 18 October, 2021
In partnership with Champagne Mumm
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Published: 14 October, 2021
After 18 months of Zoom calls, Instagram Lives and home tastings, of Coravin capsules, small samples and endless recycling bags, I finally got to visit a wine region two weeks ago. To be strictly accurate, I did go on an inspirational visit to Danbury Ridge in Essex last year, squeezed in between lockdowns, but my trip to Ribera del Duero involved getting on a plane and flying to another country. Spain always lifts my spirits, but this time they soared.
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Published: 12 October, 2021
Since you started your tenure at d’Aussières in 2020, what key changes have you overseen at the estate?
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Published: 05 October, 2021
Nederburg is the largest exporter of premium wine in South Africa, carrying a torch as a standard bearer for the country worldwide. Jo Gilbert talks bans, lockdown harvests and mental health resets with two of the company’s leading figures, MD Niël Groenewald and red winemaker, Zinaschke Steyn,
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Published: 30 September, 2021
I have never been to The Sportsman pub in Seasalter near Whitstable on the Kent coast. The loss is all mine. Described as “a grotty rundown pub by the sea” it has held a Michelin star since 2008 thanks to the efforts of chef-patron Stephen Harris. I haven’t met Stephen either, but like others who have eaten at Noble Rot’s restaurant in London’s Bloomsbury, I have benefited from his skills in the kitchen. He became executive chef of NR at the outset, overseeing menus that have satisfied customers since day one.
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