Meet the women taking the lead in the wine world
Ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8, SO Drinks Editor James Viner picks five of his favourite wines made by influential, trailblazing women in the wine world… 1. 2022 Yalumba Y Series Viognier, Australia (£8.75, Tesco) In the 1960s, the heady, floral, lowish-acid white grape variety Viognier (pronounced ‘vee-yon-yay’) was almost extinct. However, Georges […]
Take time to savour a sip of the world’s best wines
SO Drinks Editor James Viner raises a glass to celebrate Global Drink Wine Day, this Sunday February 18 – an all-inclusive wine appreciation day held annually… ARE you stuck in a wine-drinking rut? ‘Dry January’ has passed and ‘damper’ February is now here. It’s still one of the coldest, darkest months of the year, so […]
Wonderful wines to romance your love this Valentine’s Day
Love is in the air! In his column on high street wines, SO Drinks Editor James Viner finds eight bewitching bottles to fall in love with on Valentine’s Day – next Wednesday February 14. This year he’s rounded up a ravishing still rosé, five alluring (perforce, mainly pink) sparkling wines and two seductive sweet ones […]
Say cheers to these vegan-friendly wines
Toasting the end of dry January, Times Drinks Editor, James Viner raises a glass to five flavourful vegan-friendly tipples for you to savour… Vegan wines are growing in popularity – but how can wine not be vegan in the first place I hear you cry! It’s made from fermented grapes so surely it’s appropriate for […]
Toast this month’s Veganuary
Raising a glass to 2024 and this month’s annual Veganuary movement, SO’s Drinks Editor, James Viner discovers five flavourful vegan-friendly tipples… January is a time for a gastronomic reset, with a developing trend of avoiding meat and alcohol for the month to recover from December’s excesses. Concurrently veganism is gaining popularity and this year’s 10th […]
A sparkling success
James Viner selects his top bottles of fizz for the festive season… The bubbly season is here again! It has to be fizz for New Year’s Eve. As we say goodbye to 2023, it’s a consoling thought that every waking second on the planet there are sparkling wine corks being popped in expectation and […]
A toast to Christmas
For December, SO’s Drinks Editor James Viner picks his top ten of finest festive tipples to get the party started… ‘Tis the season to be jolly and celebrate with family and friends. And now’s the time to get your wine rack sorted with these ten festive favourites… Rest assured, I’ve taken on the task […]
Sip and savour: exploring Muscadet
This month SO’s resident Wine Editor James Viner raises a glass to the newly revitalised Muscadet: a crisp, dry, modestly-priced, medium-bodied white wine produced eastward and southward of Nantes in the Atlantic-influenced far western Loire Valley… Muscadet nowadays shows great potential with geologically specific sub-zones helping to improve its reputation and an emerging generation of […]
Say ‘Salud!’ to International Sherry Week
International Sherry Week runs from November 6 to 12. Times Drinks Editor James Viner picks six fortified favourites… International Sherry Week marks a major milestone this year. It’s the largest celebration of the unique fortified, low-altitude, low-latitude wines from the region around the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalucía, southwest Spain, that […]
Sensational sparkling wines to fall for this autumn
Times Drinks Editor James Viner toasts the change of season, by picking the best affordable sparklers to guarantee a corking autumn – especially as the duty on sparkling wines has now been reduced. We’ll drink to that! Buckle up, as it seems that we wine drinkers will have to dig deeper into our pockets […]
