Back to the future
26 Jul 2005 In Roman times Campania, the region that lies to the south of Latium, was the vacation land of choice for the rich and powerful. ... View issue Harpers, 29 July 2005
Tiger spotting
26 Jul 2005 The recent launch in Ireland of a new Spanish wine followed the usual routine. The owner of the estate was visiting, and a clutch of press scribblers and favoured trade customers were invited to a lunch hosted by the importer. There... View issue Harpers, 29 July 2005
Guerrilla tactics
26 Jul 2005 The slender, ribbon-like stretch of vineyards that falls between the jagged Vosges mountains and the Franco-German border is a tangle of contradictions. ... View issue Harpers, 29 July 2005
Shiver me vineyards
19 Jul 2005 On 14 April, amid brass bands, waving Union Jacks and the clink of Champagne glasses, P&O’s new ship, Arcadia, slid out of Southampton water on her maiden Mediterranean cruise. ... View issue Harpers, 22 July 2005
Woodwork lessons
19 Jul 2005 Oak’s long association with wine is a remarkably enduring one, based on the serendipitous discovery that the two complement each other rather well. ... View issue Harpers, 22 July 2005
Seasonal adjustment
14 Jul 2005 With the exception of sun-loving categories such as Champagne, Pimm’s and lager, the drinks trade has traditionally waited until the run-up to Christmas before launching into a frenzy of marketing and promotional activity. Although, arguably, this pattern is less true for... View issue 15 July 2005
Showcase Showdown
12 Jul 2005 2005 is already a landmark year for the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC). In March, the company opened its new, customised premises in Dunsfold Park, Surrey, with a 25,000-bottle capacity and room for expansion. ...
Sticky wicket
12 Jul 2005 When the Bordeaux growers admitted over recent years that they were in crisis, the Sauternes producers must have given a wry smile. They have always been in crisis, fashioning a wine that is universally admired but rarely purchased. ... View issue 15 July 2005
The mother of all gins
04 Jul 2005 Flanders, which since its partition has straddled both Belgium and the Netherlands, is the home of jenever (genever in Holland, genèbre in Belgium and genever in the UK; traditionally also called Schiedam or Dutch Gin). ... View issue Harpers, 8 July 2005
Eastern wisdom
04 Jul 2005 When wine folk speak of Valpolicella, they are almost invariably referring to the magnificent hilly zone lying north and west of the city of Verona. ... View issue Harpers, 8 July 2005
