Articles...
Nov 11 2008
I’M NOT sure if it’s an autumn thing but I’ve been feeling very philosophical of late. Us wine chappies have a penchant for flowery introspection from time to time, but these past few weeks I’ve been a lot more concerned with the workings of the cosmos than one would normally expect from such a belly button ponderer (sic) as myself. ...
Oct 14 2008
IT’S A hard life – scouring the world, seeking out new wines, new civilisations, boldly going where no Sloane has gone before. Occasionally, this arduous and thankless task is made easier by thoughtful types who bully a load of wine merchants to gather under one, nearby roof and make them give us gallons of wine to taste....
Sep 9 2008
THE North. A terrifying place frequented by stag parties, hen parties, Viking marauders, rabid dogs, drunken Wags and other nightmare-inducing characters that would sooner eat you alive and pimp out your grandmother than share a nice glass of wine over a decent dinner – or so I’m told by herbal tea- drinking types busy worrying about the rainforests while holding on to the monstrous Saturday edition of their favourite newspaper....
Aug 12 2008
I’M STARTING to feel that this summer couldn’t get any worse. Gladiators is back on our screens, Big Brother seems to get longer every year, the "credit crunch" has left most of my clients with a face that could sink a thousand tall ships, and if I see the "c" word – the one that rhymes with vulture – pinned onto another irrelevant and cynical venture, I’m liable to explode in a tirade of long-lost expletives that could curdle cement and seriously upset my butler....
Jul 8 2008
DERREN BROWN - you’ve got to love the guy. Any geezer who looks like a cross between Penfold, Michael Keaton and my mate Dave, yet has the power to convince some fat bloke from Nuneaton he has the combined mental power of Stephen Hawking, all of the Eggheads and that wily old mathematrix Carol Vorderman, must be worth hanging around with for a few days....
Jun 10 2008
THERE is trouble afoot. Slipping in under the radar which protects everything I hold sacred is a clandestine movement of heretics, haphazardly dashing about in dodgy anoraks proclaiming a new dawn, a new way of life, a changing of the guard....
May 13 2008
THE sun has been shining, our bars and cafes have been breaking out the nasty silver chairs, it's time to pretend we're European for a bit and break out the summer plonk....
Apr 8 2008
SPRING. Yeah, right. I was going to furnish you with some smart tipple to kick off the barbecue season, but I don't think a delicate bottle of Riesling is going to be fend off the apocalyptic weather that is doing its utmost best to tear apart our soon to be beautiful city with all the fervour and intent of a last-ditch Carragher tackle....
Mar 11 2008
SPRING – it’s pretty much here. Amid the earthquakes, gale-force winds and apocalyptic downpours, I’ve spied a few slivers of sunshine fighting their way through the steel and concrete jungle of our ever-growing city centre....
Feb 12 2008
TO ALL you fellas out there, planning NOT to do anything for Valentine’s Day, allow me to paint a picture to you of a sorry day that I’m hoping to help you to avoid....