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 […]
Trinity clocktower project delayed until next year
Trinity Theatre’s latest project ‘Open Trinity’, which will see the clocktower open to the public as a viewing space over Tunbridge Wells has been pushed back to 2024. The project, which will allow people to view the town from the Grade II listed building’s rooftop, is delayed due to structural works being carried out. Trinity […]
True colours – now is the time for orange wine
When it comes to wines, orange is the new rival to pink, says Times Drinks Editor James Viner Pink has a new rival. Distinctive, dry orange wine made by fermenting white grapes, but with extended contact (long maceration) – as with red winemaking – between skins, pips, occasionally stems, and juice. This can turn […]
Cheers to the well-travelled Cabernet Sauvignon grape
James Viner uncorks five delicious bottles of one of the world’s most recognisable red wine varieties… This week I celebrate Cabernet Day on September 7 by raising a glass to five wonderful examples of this deeply coloured, classic black grape variety. Late-ripening, warmth-loving, small, thick blue-skinned Cabernet Sauvignon (CS) has plenty of colour, tannin […]
Raise a glass to British oysters with five complementary wines
James Viner looks forward to the native oyster season, which runs from September to April… Whether wild or farmed, oysters are nutritious and, for many, including me, delectable (à chacun son gout). Each region produces oysters with unique flavours, with some subtly sweeter, saltier, plumper, nuttier, silkier, juicier and more melony than others. I’m […]
Local & Live is 18
As Local & Live returns this weekend for its 18th anniversary, the music festival’s founder Paul Dunton previews the event and explains why you should come along… Local & Live returns to Tunbridge Wells this August bank holiday weekend. We are delighted to have the support from local business Maxipay Accounting Services who agreed […]
Cheers to International Pinot Noir Day!
In time for International Pinot Noir Day on Friday 18 August, Times Drinks Editor James Viner has tracked down a tasty selection of this influential (relatively) low tannin, early budding, early ripening, fussy, ancient red grape. Here are six humdinger bottles that are packed with flavour and possess the coveted Pinot magic that stimulates unqualified […]
Step into De Leite – Belgian craft beer at its best
Alex Greig, founder of Fuggles Beer Café, explores the beers of this world-renowned brewery… Founder Luc Vermeersch started what became De Leite all the way back in 1997. I love finding new, interesting and not often seen Belgian breweries, and having drunk their beer in Belgium on occasion, it’s great to finally share this […]
Salud to Albariño from rainy Rías Baixas, Spain!
Fashionable, crisp, aromatically floral Albariño – the same grape as Portugal’s Alvarinho – is a true testament to Spain’s contribution to the world of white wine. Ahead of International Albariño Day (August 1), I’ve chosen four superior, typically bone dry, unoaked ones that come from its heartland in the turbulent, rainy Atlantic DO of Rías […]
Wines to buy on a French road trip
Whether you’re heading back from a wine holiday, or looking for smart buys on a trip across the Channel, these are the labels to try, says Sam Wylie-Harris As any wine lover will agree, France has it all. But where do you begin if you’re not sure which are the go-to appellations if you’re […]
