From the notebook
Know your wine
Plain-English buying guides, food pairings and the odd strong opinion. Written for people who like wine, not wine bores.
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What is port? A simple guide to ruby, tawny, LBV and vintage port
How port is made, the difference between ruby, tawny, LBV and vintage, how to serve it and the bottles we’d…
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The best temperature to serve wine: a simple guide for every style
Most of us serve whites too cold and reds too warm. The ideal temperature for every style of wine, and…
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How to serve Champagne: chilling, opening, pouring and glasses
How to chill, open and pour Champagne and sparkling wine properly, which glass to use and how to keep leftover…
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How and when to decant wine (and when not to bother)
Why decanting helps some wines, which ones benefit, how long to decant for and how to do it without a…
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How to store wine at home: bottles, opened wine and how long it keeps
Where to keep wine at home, how to store opened bottles, and how long each style lasts once opened.
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What is fortified wine? Port, sherry, Madeira and more explained
How fortified wine is made and the main styles to know, from fino sherry to tawny port, with the bottles…
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What makes a fine wine? The signs of a truly great bottle
Balance, length, complexity and a sense of place. What separates a fine wine from an everyday one, and a few…
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How is oak used in winemaking? Why barrels change the taste of wine
Vanilla, toast, spice and smoothness. How oak barrels shape the flavour of wine, French vs American oak, and wines to…
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What are tannins in wine? Why some reds dry your mouth
What tannins are, where they come from, how they affect taste and food pairing, and which wines are high or…
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What are sulphites in wine? The facts behind “contains sulphites”
Why wine contains sulphites, how much is in it, whether they cause headaches, and what low-sulphite and organic wines really…
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Corked wine: what it is, how to spot it and what to do
Corked wine has nothing to do with bits of cork. Here’s what causes it, how to tell if a wine…
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How many bottles in a magnum? A guide to wine bottle sizes
A magnum holds two bottles, but what’s a Jeroboam or a Nebuchadnezzar? A simple guide to wine bottle sizes and…
