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Note: this was originally published in 2019, so the prices are well out of date. But I stand by the choices 100% It seems a handmade card will no longer suffice to show our devotion to the object of our affections on Valentine's Day. Now it's not the thought that counts – a gift seems to be in order. What to get your Valentine? Handbag? As my husband is doubtless painfully aware, even I can’t find the perfect handbag for myself, despite putting years (and pounds) into the sea

Reflections following the annual Vineyards of Hampshire tasting Note - this was originally published in 2022 Quality was certainly on display at the annual gathering of the leading producers of Hampshire this week, but it seems that winemaking still trumps terroir here, as I struggled to discern an imprint that unites them all. This was the first time I had got to this tasting since COVID, so it allowed me to come to the wines with some distance and to see what had changed in

March 23, 2023  ~ Heather Dougherty Languedoc Roussillon must be a contender I’ve done quite a few tastings from this swath of French vineyard that stretches from the edge of the Rhône Valley to the Spanish border recently. For wines under £25 a bottle, it’s hard to think of anywhere that offers the same pure drinking enjoyment as Languedoc Roussillon. And yes, it’s still a predominantly red wine area (around 65% of production currently), but increasingly there are whites wit