Ara Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2016

Ara Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2016, New Zealand, 12.5% (£10.59 but down to £7.94 on multi buy, Waitrose)  We are big fans of chef Freddy Forster in this household. He's not only a lovely man but also a brilliant cook - witness his utterly delicious, dangerously moreish Saturday...

English sparkling wine moves on

After Susie helped plant the first vines on Champagne Taittinger's brand new English wine estate in May 2017, she reflects in the pages of Decanter on how far and fast the category has moved on. From being an emergent category just a decade or so ago,...

Domaine du Vieux Vauvert Vouvray 2016

Domaine du Vieux Vauvert Vouvray 2016, France (£9.99, Waitrose or via Wine Searcher)  First things first: this is not a dry wine! There. Glad we got that one out of the way. But it's important to say because there's nothing worse than expecting something to be dry when...

In An English Vineyard

In the 1970s, a French customs official famously declared that English wine simply did 'not exist'. How times change. From a meagre total of around 1,500 bottles in the mid-1960s, English wine production now averages around five million bottles, with a national vineyard of some 2,000 hectares....

The Austrian Bubble

From Champagne to Prosecco, even English sparkling wine, it seems we just can't get enough of fizz. And as our thirst for the bubbly stuff grows, it's starting to throw a spotlight on the lesser known fizz-producing parts of the world. Like Austria. Susie visited the country...

Surani Pietrariccia Fiano 2016

Surani Pietrariccia Fiano 2016, 13%, Italy (from £8.99, Majestic) I recommended this versatile Piano to go with Lawrence Keogh's squid-ink risotto with saffron chilli squid on Saturday Kitchen. It's a stunning recipe, really vibrant not just in flavour terms but also its striking yellow-and-black colour on the plate. The...

Saturday Kitchen Sling

Saturday Kitchen Sling So, it was World Gin Day and I was asked by the producers of Saturday Kitchen if I had any thoughts to share on the subject. I certainly did. I love it. It's a great British product. We have some lovely gins down our way...

Susie chairs inaugural UK Wine Awards

A break from the norm in that this isn't our writing (for once), it's more a collection of pieces about the inaugural UK Wine Awards, which Susie chaired in May 2017. UK wine is on a roll. Quality has never been better - and it's not...

Tapa Roja Old Vines Monastrell 2015

Tapa Roja Old Vines Monastrell 2015, Spain (£9, Marks & Spencer) When you've got a chef who looks remarkably like Wolverine - then you need to pull a wine out of the bag that will put hairs on your chest. So to speak. Tomer Amedi was cooking a beautifully heart-warming...