What does it actually mean to call a wine 'natural' or 'organic'? Henry explains all... There’s a café near me that has the following on the sign outside ‘Ethical, sustainable, local, organic.’ The sign seems to work as the place is doing a roaring trade. It got me thinking about what ... Read More...
Dabbler Soup
Food and drink
Can you buy an ordinary bottle of wine, stick it in your garage for a few years and expect it to improve with age? Henry Jeffreys tries a scientific experiment... It’s not often I get told off for not talking about wine. In fact a few years ago a flatmate bought me ... Read More...
For your pleasure, here is Jassy's account of her recent foodie tour of Venice: bridges and sighs, bigoli and cicchetti, echoing mazes and marriage proposals from fishmongers... A city of bridges and sighs, Venice is also home to the note. Taped to walls and windows, and written in underlined, over exclamation ... Read More...
Do you really need a certificate to pontificate about wine?Henry Jeffreys gives his thoughts on booze blogging... A little while ago I was reading the comment section on a wine blog, in which someone had written in to voice his displeasure that people could start blogs and pronounce on wine without ... Read More...
Why did port and sherry conquer the world while equally good French equivalents remain local obscurities? Because the British Empire globalised booze, argues Henry in his forthcoming book... Perhaps my favourite part of France is the Roussillon, the area closest physically and culturally to Spain. My wife calls it Sprance. I ... Read More...
Warning: this recipe contains Father Brown spoilers... One of the best things I watched this year (and it will remain one of the best things I watch all year) was The Daughters of Jerusalem, one of the Father Brown mysteries brought to life in non-specific period glory by the BBC. I’m ... Read More...
Jassy's bibliophilic lusts lead her to go Dutch... Of all the vices that spatter my soul, like toothpaste across a mirror, buying secondhand cookbooks is the one I find the hardest to give up. It might not seem that terrible a habit to you. Noble even – the pursuit of knowledge ... Read More...
Henry discovers a wine so unusually bad that he actually recommends you try it... Wine writers very rarely write about horrible wines. Their columns are full of exciting recommendations for readers to buy. There are two reasons for this. Firstly wine writers feel it is important to support wine as an ... Read More...
Go on a diet in January? Terrible idea! Jassy serves up a winter treat... The trouble with having curly hair is that I wake up most mornings looking like a bichon frisé that’s licked a socket. I have a halo of brambles that neither comb, mousse or hairspray can control. This Medusan tangle is ... Read More...
Never mind the ad campaigns, M&S is still great for food and booze, says wine correspondent Henry... We should have guessed that Marks & Spencer was in trouble again from their recent advertising campaign. One can imagine desperate executives at head office shouting: ‘dammit John! We’ve got Mirren, Westwood and Twiggy, ... Read More...
