The week in pictures

This week saw db host its first round table discussing the diversity and development of Austrian whites, in partnership with the Austrian Wine Marketing Board. Chaired by db’s former editor Gabriel Stone, the event saw MWs, wine educators and senior marketeers, hash out the merits of Austrian whites.

That same day db headed down to the Austrian Wine Tasting at London’s Pall Mall. We were particularly taken by these dainty sparkling wine bottles courtesy of Austrian sparkling wine producer Szigeti and UK-based specialist sparkling wine importer Grays and Feather.

The event saw producers from more than 100 wineries travel to London to showcase their wines in the grand surroundings of the Intitute of Directors in Pall Mall.

db‘s Chloé Beral headed down to the opening night of the K Bar at The Kensington this week to see what all the fuss was about.

Comparing it to The Ritz Paris’ Hemingway Bar, Beral tried the Rye Sling Star with Knob Creek Rye, Cherry Heering, Applejack, Green Chartreuse, Cherry Bitters, Apple Juice and Lemon, which was nominated second best cocktail at the Peter F. Heering Sling Award in 2013.

Its cocktail menu, curated by bar manager Ben Manchester, also features the Rose Petal cocktail made with Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut, Cointreau, lemon juice and rose syrup and the Va Vo Voom, with Stolchinaya Vanilla, strawberry puree, pineapple juice and Champagne.

db hot-footed it to Mayfair members’ club 12 Hay Hill to catch with Languedoc legend Gerard Bertrand, who revealed that it was his friend Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti who inspired him to convert to biodynamics.

d’Oliveira Maderia wines on show at a tasting at Maida Vale gastropub, The Truscott Arms.

The folks at London restaurant Sexy Fish delivered this shipwrecked bottled cocktail to db’s offices of Thursday, featuring the ingredients to make a cocktail with Plymouth gin, bergamot and manzanilla Sherry.

On Tuesday Chase Distillery debuted its perfect serve – The Great Chase – at this year’s Elements food event, hosted by gastro website Hot Dinners at Selfridges’s rooftop restaurant, Forest.

(L-R) Catherine Hanly (Hot Dinners), James Chase (Chase Distillery) and Gavin Hanly (Hot Dinners) at the Elements event reception at Selfridges’s rooftop restaurant, Forest.

More than 150 guests attended the event, including food writers, bloggers and instagrammers – to enjoy food served by some of London’s top chefs. Bits included cured mackerel with kombu and smoked king cabbage from Leandro Carreira (of Climpson’s Arch) and scottish scallops blowtorched by Adam Rawson (ex-Pachamama and YBF Chef of the Year) with Jerusalem artichoke, pine lil-pil and foraged leaves.

The Chase team serve up their Great Chase cocktail at the Hot Dinners Elements event.

db also made it to the launch of Coravin Model Two at the M Restaurant and wine shop in Victoria. The inventor of the wine-access system, Greg Lambrecht, presented its latest model alongside Zack Charilou, head sommelier at M, who provided the wines.

db’s sub editor and writer Darren Smith with Coravin founder Greg Lambrecht.

db partied with French Cognac brand Martell at the launch of its La French Touch Martell Cognac, held at London’s Wellington members club. Martell’s limited edition LaFrench TouchCognac label has been inspired by the French house music scene that made artists such as Daft Punk and Air household names.

French Touch DJ Etienne de Crecy performs at the glitzy event.

The Damien Hirst-inspired glitter ball at the Wellington members club in Knightsbridge. A touch gaudy, perhaps?

Patrick Grant for AnCnoc Whisky – Photography By Tom Bunning

anCnoc Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky has released a limited edition expression named Blas in collaboration with award-winning fashion designer Patrick Grant. Translated as ‘taste’ in Gaelic, Blas comes presented in a bottle designed by Edinburgh-born Patrick Grant, who spent more than crafting its bespoke print inspired by the brand. Patrick is the creative director of Savile Row tailors Norton & Sons and luxury menswear label E.Tautz, and a judge on hit BBC2 show The Great British Sewing Bee.

Blur bassist and award-winning cheese producer Alex James, famed in recent years for his support of British produce and range of cheeses produced at his Cotswolds farm, was on hand at the launch of Beefeater’s Burrough’s Reserve Edition 2 oak-rested gin. James (right) and master distiller Desmond Payne (left) launched the new gin at exclusive members club ‘Club Del Matador’ in Madrid, alongside a formal dining event that paired it with James’ traditional cheeses.

db also made it to the launch of Native – a new game and foraging restaurant in the heart of Covent Garden’s Neal Yard. It has been set up by chef Ivan Tisdall-Downes, who trained at River Cottage and previously worked for Jascots, and Imogen Davis whose hawks patrols the All England Club in Wimbledon. We nibbled on canapés of wood pigeon kebabs with beetroot hummus strewn with flowers and micro-leaves, baked celeriac with fresh curds and black kale, and crunchy pheasant dippers with a rhubarb ketchup, topped off with a sublime rosemary and rhubarb custard filo tartlett. Drinks included Prosecco with sloe gin, beers from the Wild Beer Company and a small and select wines from Jascots, which is likely to be constantly refreshed to suit the menu of seasonal game and rare-breed meat. It was followed by a nightcap of Somerset Kingston Black, sweetened with fresh apple juice.