Birmingham Mail - Food & Drink - Wine Column

Raise A Glass: Go 'green' for a nice picnic wine

Birmingham Mail — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:06:00 GMT

That crusty old Yorkshire phrase “I know what I like and I like what I know” is understandable when it comes to choosing wine. There is so much choice that sometimes it’s a bit of a relief to find something that ticks all your boxes.

Raise a Glass: Reds that love to soak up the sun

Birmingham Mail — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:16:00 GMT

WE may be drowning in April deluges but it’s a fair bet the rain is staying away from the plains of Spain.

Raise A Glass: Break open a bottle for an early barbecue

Birmingham Mail — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:24:00 GMT

This week’s unseasonal burst of high summer has created havoc. Barbecues in March... it’s just doesn’t seem right!

Raise A Glass: Rioja

Birmingham Mail — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:27:00 GMT

The sun-drenched, rolling hills of Rioja are a world away from the urban skylines of Birmingham, but there’s still a “special relationship” between the UK and Spain, according to winemaker Diego Pinilla.

Raise a Glass: Treat her to a bottle of wine this Mother's Day

Birmingham Mail — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:00:00 GMT

CHAMPAGNE, flowers and chocolates seem to be top of the list when it comes to Mothers Day.

Raise a Glass: Whiskey-a-go-go for St Patrick's Day party

Birmingham Mail — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 13:27:00 GMT

The streets of Birmingham will be swathed in green over the weekend as the city celebrates all things Irish, culminating in the massive annual St Patrick’s Day parade on Sunday.

Raise a Glass: Wine experts are giving oak both barrels

Birmingham Mail — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:46:00 GMT

“I don’t like it,” said Bruno Schenk as we sniffed and smelled the red wine that had just come out of an oak barrel in his dark and silent cellar.

Raise A Glass: Blow winter blues away

Birmingham Mail — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:05:00 GMT

There’s a sense of smugness around at the moment – it’s all those people who’ve decided to give up alcohol for January. Well, it’s not a bad idea, after the excesses of the festive season, but it does make what is already a bleak month even more of a grind.

Christmas wine ideas - and how to save money now

Birmingham Mail — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:26:00 GMT

The German Market opens in Birmingham on Thursday – and that means goodbye to any hopes of blocking out Christmas until it actually arrives.

Raise a Glass: Toast the winners of the World Cup final

Birmingham Mail — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:31:00 GMT

BIRMINGHAM’S wonderful Electric Cinema had a great idea this week – screening Sideways, the hit film about wine, while cracking a few bottles to get viewers in the right mood.

Raise a Glass: Greece is the word for wines with character

Birmingham Mail — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:15:00 GMT

Anyone who’s struggled to be positive about a bottle of Retsina on a Greek holiday – even if the sun is shining and the waves are lapping gently at the restaurant’s harbour wall – might be surprised that Greece actually makes lots of wines that are well worth seeking out.

Raise a Glass: Time to bring beers to the dining table

Birmingham Mail — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 12:37:00 GMT

BELGIANS may not be well known for very much, apart from chocolate and Poirot... oh yes, and beer.

Raise a Glass: The sun's shining on Midlands winemakers

Birmingham Mail — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:36:00 GMT

It could be the Mediterranean: shirtsleeved grape pickers at work in the vineyards as the sun blazes down on a vintage harvest.

Why Chinese wine will soon be as popular as tipples from Bordeaux and California

Birmingham Mail — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 11:52:00 GMT

CHINA is not exactly the first place you might look to find quality wine... or any wine at all for that matter.

Raise A Glass: Plump for a rosé before the weather turns

Birmingham Mail — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:23:00 GMT

WITH summer well and truly on the run, it’s time to say goodbye to the rosé.

Raise A Glass: Cheap British not real deal

Birmingham Mail — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:08:00 GMT

Cheap wines that look as if they are made in England are not necessarily the best of British.

Raise a Glass: Avoiding rip-offs with BYOB

Birmingham Mail — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:20:00 GMT

Ordering wine in restaurants can be an ordeal, especially when the mark-up on prices brings a lump to the throat.

Raise a Glass: Future for British cider is looking even rosier

Birmingham Mail — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 13:17:00 GMT

THE future’s looking rosy for cider. The harvest is already under way – a record early start – and cider-makers are hoping for another bumper year.

Raise a Glass: Small breweries enjoy a moment in the sun

Birmingham Mail — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 12:42:00 GMT

There are around 57,000 pubs in the UK but with something like 100 going out of business every month that number will soon be a lot smaller.

Raise a Glass: Age old argument exploded

Birmingham Mail — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:28:00 GMT

The latest Harry Potter adventure is ample proof that people still have a hankering for fairy stories. But there can’t be many people left who still believe that corks are the best way to seal a bottle of wine.