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Slideshow
The week in pictures
Hot Take of the Week came courtesy of Heston Blumenthal, who claims to have a trick up his sleeve that makes any wine taste better — think about someone you love while you’re drinking it.
To test the theory, he told the Sydney Morning Herald you should then take another sip while thinking of someone you actively dislike.
Blumenthal believes the difference in how we perceive the wine is down to the link between taste and memory, which he discovered while researching the relationship between the brain and the gut with the University of Marseilles.
Another celeb who revealed an unconventional drinking technique this week was Madonna, pictured here drinking what we’re 70% sure is a white wine with a spoon.
To be fair, the pop legend may have done her homework and was sipping on a Tokaj, which is traditionally served alongside a crystal spoon.
In cannabis drinks news, Ex-Molson Coors brewer and the man who made Blue Moon — Keith Villa — gave us a first-look at his new cannabis beer.
Villa, who founded Colorado-based drinks company Ceria earlier this year, plans to brew two more beers infused with THC — the psychoactive component of the cannabis plant — in varying strengths.
Called Grainwave, the new beer, which comes with a blue label and orange crest, is a Belgian-style while ale.
It sort of reminded us of another Belgian white ale…
Signing of the Week goes to English whisky-maker Cotswold’s Distillery, which has just appointed Sir Dominic Cadbury (yes, that Cadbury) to its board of directors.
Cadbury, previously chief executive and chairman of Cadbury Schweppes, is the grandson of factory founder George Cadbury.
He is the second key appointment to the Cotswolds board, following the addition of Richard Watling, former CEO of Justerini & Brooks.
The news comes a week after LoneWolf — the spirits arm of craft beer giant Brewdog, signed ex-Diageo director David Gates on to lead the company’s whiskey production.
This week, in chefs with their own wine, Hampshire-based English sparkling wine estate Exton Park created a bespoke rosé label for chef Simon Rogan to be served at his two Michelin star restaurant, L’Enclume in Cumbria.
Creatively named ‘Exton Park with Simon Rogan’, the pale pink non-vintage sparkling rosé is made from a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Pinot Meunier grown on chalky soils in the South Downs.
(Photo: Raul Mee/Flickr)
We need to talk about Brexit again.
At the time of writing, four cabinet ministers had already resigned as Theresa May was trying to push a draft Brexit deal through parliament, including Brexit secretary Dominic Raab. As you can see, it’s going really well.
If you need more time to get your head round the deal yourself, you’re not alone. Miles Beale, the chief executive of the WSTA, reiterated his calls for the government to crash out of the European Union without a solid contingency plan.
Beale said that from the outset, the WSTA has repeatedly said a “no deal” Brexit would have a catastrophic impact on its members.
“Despite the businesses we represent putting in place contingency measures, as best they can, a “no deal” Brexit presents a multitude of difficulties which are outside of their control,” he tweeted yesterday.
“We need more time to digest the proposed deal and we will be watching intently the passage of the Withdrawal Bill through Parliament.”
They say the grass is greener on the other side, but Brits can be thankful that this doesn’t apply to international waters, as the other side of the Atlantic is currently under president Donald Trump’s government.
Trump has ignited a spat between the US and France on Tuesday by criticising France for its tariffs on US wine imports, which he claims are preventing US producers from selling their wines in France.
“On Trade, France makes excellent wine, but so does the U.S,” Trump tweeted. “The problem is that France makes it very hard for the U.S. to sell its wines into France, and charges big Tariffs, whereas the U.S. makes it easy for French wines, and charges very small Tariffs. Not fair, must change!”
Wine Twitter quickly piled on the president.
Eric Asimov, wine critic for the New York Times, pointed out that the French may not be buying much American wine, “but it’s not because of high tariffs”.
“European wine regions have a centuries old practice of drinking local wines,” he tweeted. “This is heritage but it is slowly evolving. Still, it’s rare that anybody in Sicily will drink Tuscan wine and vice versa. You don’t see much Bordeaux in Burgundy, though you do see Burgundy in Bordeaux more and more. It’s a matter of tradition and of taste more than tariffs.”
Back in London, luxury retailer Harvey Nichols has launched what is thought to be the ‘world’s most expensive gin’ – Morus LXIV – coming in at £4,000 bottle, and distilled from the leaves of a single “ancient” Mulberry tree.
Husband-and-wife team Dan and Faye Thwaites hand harvest the leaves which are then individually hung and air-dried slowly in small batches.
The exact location of the mulberry tree used has not been disclosed, nor its exact age, only that it is, in-fact, “ancient”.
The International Wine and Spirits Competition held its annual banquet on 14 November, handing out gongs to the best writers and businesses in the industry.
Congratulations goes to Champagne House Lanson for picking both the 2018 Champagne Producer of the Year Award and the Vintage Champagne Award for the producer’s recent released 14-year-old aged – Noble Cuvée Blanc de Blancs 2002.
UK managing director Paul Beavis said it was “proof positive that the quality of what Lanson’s expert wine makers and staff have been producing for the past 258 years continues to be loved, enjoyed and welcomed by our customers Year after year.”
That same night, the author was tucking into a massive steak at MASH in Soho and waxing lyrical on cross-pollination with Californian winemaker and 1000 stories’ chief storyteller Bob Blue.
Blue was in London to celebrate how far his wine — a Californian Zinfandel aged in old Bourbon barrels — has come in four short years.
The product hails from Fetzer Vineyards – a business owned since 2011 by Chile’s Concha y Toro – and has enjoyed phenomenal growth from 5,000 cases in 2014 to 120,000 cases of annual sales in the past 12 months
Cross-pollination is becoming a big trend across the drinks industry. This year a Napa winery has released a Sauvignon Blanc aged in ex-Tequila barrels, to give “a toasty heat and subtle vanilla flavours”.
And in the UK, Chapel Down, which also owns Curious Brewery, ferments both its cider and lager with yeast left over from producing its Chardonnay and Bacchus wines.
Blue told us he thinks its the growing demand for companies to produce drinks sustainably which is driving the trend.
“It’s forcing them to think differently,” he said, “and work harder to innovate than ever before.”
Margaret River pioneers Clare and Keith Mugford of Moss Wood jetted into the London this week for a tasting and lunch at Cabotte near St Paul’s to show off some back vintages alongside their latest releases. Keith recently completed his 40th vintage in Margaret River and his wines are considered some of the best in the region. Among the attendees at the event was Peter Mitchell MW, wine director at Jeroboams (left).
Australian wine specialist Matthew Jukes gets stuck into the Moss Wood Cabernet vertical.
Affable drinks writer Johnny Ray gets a hug from Dawn Davies MW, head buyer for Speciality Drinks, at the launch of his new book, That’s The Spirit! held at The Whisky Exchange in Great Portland Street this week.
The book takes readers on an entertaining journey through the world of spirits and liqueurs, taking in all whiskies great and small, gin and its Dutch counterpart genever, underrated grappa and enough rum to make you want to book the next flight to the Caribbean.
Wine writers Anthony Rose (left) and Oz Clarke at the book launch at Sake no Hana. (Photo: Charmaine Grieger Photography)
British wine writer Anthony Rose unveiled his new book on “the joys of sake” at Sake No Hana on Monday night.
Called Sake and the wines of Japan, Rose also said that he believed the timing was right for such a book, as the demand for good sake was on the rise, worldwide.
“Although sake sales are in decline in volume terms, the premium sector is growing in Japan and in exports,” he said.