The week in pictures

Working together for the first time, chef Andi Oliver joined forces with her daughter Miquita to curate The Tanqueray Table – a supperclub where the gin took centre stage – at T.T Liquor in London. Its gin and dine menu, created by the mother-daughter duo, celebrates Charles Tanqueray’s vision and the ingredients that inspired his life’s work: juniper, coriander, angelica root and liquorice.

Whisky distilling is alive once more on the banks of the River Clyde as The Clydeside Distillery officially opened its doors to the public today on Thursday. The distillery, between the Riverside Museum and SSE Hydro, is now producing the first spirit in the area for more than 100 years.

Tom Meyer from Hotel de Ville restaurant in Crissier, near Lausanne, Switzerland, has won the distinguished Le Taittinger Prix Culinaire International.

Essential oils met beer this week with the launch of Hobgoblin’s IPA (India Pale Ale), hosted by perfume boutique Jovoy by Oxford Circus, which saw Marston’s Brewery’s hop supremo Simon Yates and perfume expert, Lizzie Ostrom (aka Odette Toilette), exploring ‘never-before-explored’ cross-over.

Midleton, Cork, Staff from 15 Irish whiskey distilleries took part in a landmark mentoring event in Irish Distillers’ Midleton Distillery as part of the Irish Whiskey Association’s (IWA) mentoring programme. Participants in the programme were provided with information and guidance on creating the finest quality Irish whiskey. Through practical demonstrations with established global Irish whiskey companies, participants learn the distillation, maturation and blending secrets that have driven the phenomenal success of this category on the global stage and that has seen Irish whiskey become the fastest growing spirits category in the world.

Peter Cooney, Boann Distillery, Ger Buckley, Head Cooper at Irish Distillers, Kevin O’Gorman, Head of Maturation, and Sally Anne Cooney, Boann Distillery.

the drinks business popped down to Victoria for some Tuscan sunshine at the European Art of Taste fair, celebrating the finest regional produce from Chianti to Pecorino.

The trade show saw Tuscany’s Chianti producers out in full force, including ultra-premium vinter Querciabella, whose Palafreno 2013, Camartina 2013 & Mongrana 2014 were recently awarded +90 scores by legendary US critic James Suckling.

While Tuscan oenophiles came to London, the hotly-anticipated Frescobaldi Ristorante opened its doors to the public in sun-drenched Florence this week. It’s the second restaurant from the famed Frescobaldi family of Tuscany in partnership with the Good Food Society.

Ian Harris, Chief Executive of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and George Sandeman, President of the WiM Association.

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) joined forces with the Wine in Moderation Programme in a new partnership on Wednesday with a strong focus on education and the inclusion of the responsible message. Wine in Moderation and the Wine & Spirit Education Trust both play a key role in encouraging responsibility in the serving, selling, communication and consumption of wine. This partnership will provide tools and knowledge that will not only help professionals to develop more competencies in areas like wine and health, responsible serving and communication, but it will also help consumers to better understand why wine represents a culture of moderation.

The World Bulk Wine Exhibition kicked off in Amsterdam on Tuesday 21 November. Now in its ninth year, The two-day event is regarded as the most important wine fair worldwide in terms of business transactions focusing 85% of the global supply for bulk wine.

More than 200 exhibitors from countries as diverse as Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, China, France, Georgia, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Malaysia, Moldavia, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States presented their wines to more than 6.000 visitors with 66 different nationalities, who attended the fair with a common main objective: to do business.

Leon Back from Edinburgh’s Panda & Sons has been named the UK winner of the BACARDÍ Legacy Cocktail Competition in Amsterdam, and will go on to represented the UK in the global finals in Mexico. Back impressed judges with his cocktail ‘The Queen Street’, made with Bacardi Carta Blanca, lemon juice, Martini Ambrato, celery bitters and Spritz Islay whisky.

db braved the 45 floors up to the tip of the Gherkin on Monday night to celebrate the launch of Cava’s top tier ‘Paraje Calificado’ single vineyard classification – the strictest sparkling wine classification in the world that only nine producers have been allowed to enter into.

The Gherkin made for a stunning venue to taste the single vineyard Cavas that made the grade. Among them were Gramona Enoteca 2002, Recaredo’s Turó d’En Mota 2004, crafted from Xarel.lo, and Codorniu El Tros Nou 2009, made from 100% Pinot Noir.

“With Cava de Paraje you can taste and see the excellence of Cava, it gives the region a better image, and, thanks to Cava de Paraje, may small but qualitative producers are investing to come up to the standard, they want to be part of it,” said president of DO Cava, Pedro Bonet.

Representing their estates were key names in the Cava industry, including Xavier Gramona of Gramona, Bruno Colomer of Codorníu and the ever glamourous Meritxell Juvé of Juvé y Camps.

We also headed to Ollie Dabbous’ new restaurant Henrietta at the Henrietta Hotel in Covent Garden to meet Frenchman Laurent Delaunay, founder of Badet Clement and Abbots & Delaunay, and Barossa Valley-based Aussie Nicolas Crampon of Woods Crampton who joined forces to promote their wines in London, which they feel share Burgundian winemaking principles.

Among the wines we enjoyed were two exceptional Abbots & Delaunay single vineyard Pinots, Delaunay’s rich, flinty Chardonnay, and a floral Riesling from Woods Crampton.

Also at the tasting was Cory Ryan of Sons of Eden, who makes razor-sharp Riesling, herbal whole bunch Grenache and the sublime Autumnus Shiraz.

And finally… our fine wine editor Rupert Millar is unspeakably excited about his shiny new Christmas jumper sent in a big red box by Global Brands – he’s promised not to drink the accompanying blue VK until after work…