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Burgundy En Primeur: What It Is, Why It Still Matters, and How to Approach It
Every spring, Burgundy begins to stir quietly. There are no countdowns or declarations, no sense that a decision must be made immediately. Instead, there is a low hum of attention. Merchants taste, producers observe, drinkers listen carefully for tone rather than verdict. This is En Primeur season in Burgundy, and it has always moved at…
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What to Wear to a Wine Tasting
Refined, Practical, and Always Chic A wine tasting is a study in restraint. The wine is the focus, the setting is often beautiful, and the best dressed guest is the one who looks considered without appearing overdone. Whether you are tasting in a cellar in Burgundy, visiting a château in Bordeaux, or walking through vines…
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The Rise and Refinement of English Sparkling Wines
Spring is when I most crave good sparkling wine. Not only for celebration, but for its freshness and lift. The first brighter evenings, the return of lighter food, the gentle shift in mood. Champagne still owns the category, of course. But it is no longer the only serious choice. English sparkling wine has moved beyond…
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Bubbles: A Champagne Guide
Champagne is the most elegant way we mark a moment. Sometimes it is celebration. Sometimes it is simply intention. It is also far more varied than most people realise. Brut, rosé, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs. Different styles, different moods, different pairings. Once you understand the language, choosing a bottle becomes less about impressing…
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A Festive Twist on Christmas Cocktails
Classic and creative drinks to elevate your holiday gatherings There are few rituals as quietly satisfying as a Christmas drink done well, not loud, not fussy, simply considered. Something served in the right glass, with the right garnish, at the right moment. This is a short selection of festive classics and winter-friendly favourites: the sort…
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Soho Home Gifts for Stylish Hosts
Drinkware and Bar Accessories I Would Actually Give Soho Home understands something that many “home” brands miss. A good piece of drinkware is not just functional. It sets the tone before the first pour. It makes an evening feel intentional. Even if the dinner is simple, even if the guest list is small, even if…
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Top Wine Christmas Gifts for the Wine Connoisseur
Buying for a wine lover is deceptively difficult. The obvious gift is a bottle. The better gift is something that makes every bottle they open afterwards feel more considered. A small upgrade to the ritual. A detail that quietly improves the experience, without turning wine into a performance. In short, the best wine gifts are…
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The Art of Drinking Champagne
Champagne has a reputation for noise. Corks, crowds, birthdays, large rooms. It is often treated as a signal, rather than a wine. Which is a shame, because Champagne is one of the most useful, intelligent bottles you can open. It has brightness, structure, and a kind of discipline that makes it feel composed even when…
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Top 5 Red Wines to Drink by the Fireplace
There are wines that suit summer tables, and wines that belong to winter. Not because of rules, but because certain styles feel better when the light is low, the evening is long, and you want something with warmth and depth rather than brightness. In short: the best red wines for a fireplace evening have structure,…
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Harvest Season: When Wine Is Decided Before It Exists
Harvest is the moment wine becomes real. For most of the year, wine is theory. Pruning, weather, vineyard work, waiting. But during harvest, decisions turn into consequences. A few days can shape the entire personality of a vintage. In short: harvest season is when grapes are picked at their ideal balance of ripeness and acidity,…
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The Negroni: A Classic Cocktail, and Why It Never Goes Out of Style
The Negroni is one of the few cocktails that feels both effortless and exacting. It is bitter, bright, and unapologetically grown up. The colour alone is enough to signal what is coming. This is not a drink designed to flatter you. It is designed to wake up your palate. In short: a classic Negroni is…
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Roagna: Traditional Barbaresco and Barolo, Made with Patience
Piedmont is a region that rewards attention. Its greatest wines don’t rush to impress, they unfold slowly, often over hours in the glass and years in the cellar. Roagna sits firmly in that tradition: a producer associated with patience, site expression, and a refusal to chase modern shortcuts. In short: Roagna is a benchmark traditional…
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The Art of Holding a Wine Glass
Holding a wine glass is one of those details people notice without ever mentioning. It is not about being formal or trying to look impressive. It is simply part of drinking well. The same way you would not serve Champagne warm or pour a great bottle into the wrong glass, how you hold the glass…
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Musigny: Burgundy’s Most Elegant Grand Cru
There are vineyards in Burgundy that carry a kind of quiet gravity. Musigny is one of them. Set above Chambolle-Musigny in the Côte de Nuits, this Grand Cru has long been spoken about with a particular reverence, not because it is showy, but because it is so consistently associated with elegance. Musigny is often described…
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Domaine Génot-Boulanger: Quiet Precision in Meursault and Beyond
Burgundy rewards patience, and it tends to favour those who work quietly. Domaine Génot-Boulanger sits in Meursault and has become one of those names that serious drinkers note with interest: not because it relies on spectacle, but because the wines feel composed. They reflect place first, winemaking second, and reputation last. In short: Domaine Génot-Boulanger…
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Wine Glasses: What You Actually Need, and What You Can Ignore
Good glassware is one of the simplest upgrades you can make to your drinking life. Not because it is fancy, or because you need a cupboard full of shapes, but because the right glass changes what you notice. Aroma becomes clearer. Texture feels more precise. The wine becomes easier to understand. In short: you do…
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Château Angélus 2013: How to Drink It Now (and When to Wait)
Château Angélus is not a wine that asks politely for your attention, it expects it. Even in a vintage like 2013, which sits slightly outside the loudest Bordeaux narratives, Angélus retains its signature: structure, polish, and a sense of control in the glass. This is a bottle that benefits from a little care, not ceremony,…
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Logis de la Cadène in Saint Emilion: A Lunch Built Around Great Bottles
There is only one way to Logis de la Cadène. A steep cobbled staircase, slick with rain when the weather turns, polished enough to make you watch your footing. It is the price of entry to one of Saint Emilion’s most storied dining rooms, and I have paid it more than a few times, willingly.…