The Spirit World

Think of wines from Italy and what springs to mind? Chianti or Amarone maybe?, Lambrusco or Asti or maybe a Nero d’Avola from Sicily?. Having spent a week on holiday on Lake Garda in the north of the country names such as Chiaretto, Bardolino and Lugana are uppermost in my mind.
This area illustrates the complexity […]

Today we visit another one of Leo Engel’s “specialties.” Perhaps you remember the Girard Flip from his American and Other Drinks (1878) Crazy ol’ Leo advises us to
Fill up a sherry wine glass two-thirds full of Maraschino, yellow Chartreuse, Kummel in equal proportions, and one dash of Kirschenwasser. Having done this, add the white of […]

So what we have here is a quality Zinfandel from Lodi, CA (that unfortunately most people won’t give the time of day since the label says Woodbridge). Great mellow zinfandel with only 13.5% alcohol, which is not the normal killer from Amador or El Dorado counties in California. With the lower alcohol content it really […]

The designers of these two cocktails are pushing them as kid-friendly; personally they sound more than suitable for everyone - sometimes you just have to skip the alcohol, although that doesn’t happen with me that often!
Sparkling Sunrise Surprise      Serves 2
2 oranges
1 pink grapefruit
1 x 330ml can of Whole Earth Sparkling Organic Apple and Raspberry drink
2 […]

Aperol is a product you might be finding appearing on liquor shelves more often these days. You might be intrigued by its slightly festive looking bottle looking classic, without appearing outdated.
I find that the best way to describe Aperol, is that it is a very mild version of Campari. It has that same balance of […]

It is well known that New Zealand produces the very best Sauvignon Blanc’s (although producers in the Loire and Bordeaux might well disagree!). Along with Pinot Noir, the countries other strength, over 73% of New Zealands exports to the UK are from these two vines.  
A quick scout through my tasitng notes has highlighted just how many […]

For classic cocktail fans like me, Crème Yvette is one of the many ingredients we wish we could find. It’s been defunct in the U.S. since the late 1960’s or so, when Charles Jacquin et Cie stopped production. Thankfully, we have other violette liqueur options to use now, but almost no one has tasted the […]

When distillers Laphroaig launched their first ever live online whisky tasting, an army of malt fans from around the world made it the largest interactive event of its kind.
From New Zealand to Sweden, New York to Sydney, thousands watched the live WebTV show in London and mailed in hundreds of questions to the eminent panel of […]

While characters in movies are often seen drinking wine, the wine itself usually doesn’t take center stage. However, as evidenced by a rash of recent movies, this seems to be changing.
In 2004, the big screen saw the release of Sideways and with it, Miles’ admonishment about Merlot. That same year, Jonathan Nossiter’s Mondovino gave oenophile […]

My latest artist pick (wine under $10/bottle) is the 2005 Castle Rock Petite Sirah. Grown in the Russian River Valley of California where well drained soils and a fog cooled climate offer ideal growing conditions, this medium-bodied lush wine with juicy berry, mocha and candy apple on the nose is on the verge of jammy […]