Posted by peter | September 2nd, 2010 (by peter)
We have just had some very special freebies passed our way and we want to share!
Here’s the deal: the next people to book two places on one of our autumn wine courses and quote the code ‘WWS-WIN’ can win one of two very special prizes – your choice as long as stocks last!
Prizes will be awarded on a strictly first-come first-served basis and our verdict is final.
Other than that: go for it! We look forward to hearing from you.
You can contact us by email or during office
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Posted by peter | September 1st, 2010 (by Jo Pratt; intro by peter)
Culinary artiste Jo Pratt – the Winchester Wine School’s very favourite food person – is weaving her typical magic again with this gorgeous steak-and-salsa recipe.
This originally appeared in our August newsletter and makes for a great late summer recipe, whether you do it on the BBQ or in a pan.
To sign up to receive our free newsletter, which features Jo’s recipes as well as our top tips for the best wine bargains on the high street right now, please
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Posted by peter | August 19th, 2010 (by peter & susie)
We are thrilled to announce the guest star appearance, for one night only, of the quite brilliant Helen Masters, winemaker at fabled New Zealand wine producer Ata Rangi.
We were lucky enough to visit Ata Rangi during our trip in February. Not only did we enjoy a brilliant, not to mention highly instructive visit and tasting but we also got to savour a fantastically convivial supper at Helen’s home.
(You can read Susie’s report of our visit and dinner here. And
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Posted by peter | August 18th, 2010 (by peter)
Continuing the theme of our ‘And finally…’ compilations, three news items have caught my eye over the last few days.
With two of them, I didn’t know whether the appropriate response should be raucous mirth or head-in-hands bewilderment.
And with one, there was both laughter and tears – but the latter were a direct result of the former. (If you’re in need of a really good wine-related belly laugh, fast-forward to the end of this piece for the link.)
First up, then,
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Posted by susie | August 12th, 2010 (by susie)
Do you like your holidays to be of the delicious variety?
Or perhaps you fancy re-living some gastro memories from recent times spent abroad?
Either way, I have a suggestion for you – which also works as a fine excuse to feature another fantastic Jo Pratt recipe, accompanied by my wine matching tips.
I’ve just done some work for a company called www.villarenters.com.
They wanted to promote some of their holiday properties on the basis of their gastronomic credentials – ie if
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Posted by peter | August 10th, 2010 (by peter)
The joy of wine can often be found in the most unexpected of places.
Take this video, for example.
People often make the mistake of thinking that the world of wine is an earnest but largely humourless and unimaginative place, peopled by sour-faced paysans, hard-nosed salesmen and pretentious quaffers.
But a brilliantly kitsch video, starring an Anthea Turner look-alike in pixie boots and a tap-shaped USB, which downloads wine direct from your computer?
Comic genius.
(Don’t worry
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Posted by peter | August 6th, 2010 (by peter)
Prior to my lunch date at Terroirs with Susie (plus dozing baby), I had been attending an event at the Royal College of Physicians in which the UK was described as being in the grip of a ‘raging epidemic’ attributable to alcohol, a substance branded ‘a corporate-borne disease like mosquitoes carry malaria’. (More of which scientific harrumphing you can read on my immediately preceding blog entitled ‘Corporate-borne disease’.)
Time for a drink, and a meditation
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Posted by peter | August 4th, 2010 (by peter)
Last week I attended a fascinating event at the Royal College of Physicians in which alcohol was described as, ‘a corporate-borne disease, like mosquitoes carry malaria’.
Clearly not my usual stomping ground.
This event was a book launch for the second edition of Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity (Oxford University Press).
In essence, the book provides a compilation, review and analysis of the latest evidence-based research into alcohol. Its aim is to inform public policy makers
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Posted by peter | July 31st, 2010 (by peter)
As I write, Susie is rustling up a monkfish curry (thank you Jo Pratt) with a squid starter while I’m tapping away. It’s a neat, and entirely appropriate division of labour: Plato, Hume and Marx, we are in your debt.
The kids are, blissfully, asleep.
The kitchen window has become like an interactive piece of art: it’s a stunning evening on the south coast, white-tipped waves bustling over a sea-green bay, lazy clouds hanging over the skyline, a vigorous evening sun drenching
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Posted by peter | July 26th, 2010 (by peter & susie)
For those readers who think we’ve sunk into some sort of wine-soaked morass, or become wrapped up in newborn-baby bliss – think again.
While admitting that there is at least a grain of truth in both these charges – we have been busy on the wine front, and certainly revelling in the family fun – things have been as eventful as ever.
We’ve actually been taking advantage of this time to do some work under the radar (including quite a few tastings, which we’ll
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