There are daffodils in the garden and we even had a brief spell of sunshine for about three minutes a few weeks ago so, obviously, it’s time to talk rosé. Even if you do have to wear a poncho in the garden when you drink it. Now, Bandol is a sub-region in Provence and the …
So, I have news. I’ve been desperate to share this with you before now but had to keep it secret – and I’m terrible at keeping secrets. Which is somewhat ironic given that I’ve written a novel that contains a really big secret in the plot line. Anyway, here it is: This Changes Everything. It’s …
I posted a picture of a wine over on my Instagram page yesterday, a gorgeous Melon de Bourgogne/Chardonnay blend I’d recommended to a friend. She’d asked for a slightly lighter alternative to her usual favourite (white Burgundy) because, well, menopause. Within minutes the comments starting coming in so I thought I’d do a proper post …
I’ve been drinking quite a bit in the mornings lately. For work obviously, most recently with Holly & Phil on This Morning. And one of my favourite wines in the line up was an organic red blend from Puglia that comes in what looks like a giant paint tin. It’s basically bag-in-box reimagined, holding three …
Okay, not exactly a watermelon. It was a jackfruit. No, me neither but apparently they’re the ‘meat’ of the vegetable world and you can make curries and stews out of them and it feels a bit like eating pulled pork. Anyway, I got to carry one this weekend on Saturday Kitchen before heading to the …
It’s here! My new (old) book The Knackered Mother’s Wine Guide is out now in paperback! When I first wrote it eight – EIGHT! – years ago I wanted the book to be like a (funny) Highway Code for wine, covering all the stuff you really need to know when it comes to choosing a …
Yup, still January. But there have been highlights: I got to hold a copy of my new (old) book, the updated Knackered Mother’s Wine Guide, in my hands for the first time. (There’s a cracking competition coming up to celebrate the book launching on the 6th February, more on that soon). And I did Saturday …
A few weeks ago I found myself in central London with half an hour to kill between meetings. Normally I’d grab a coffee and head to Liberty’s stationary department but on this particular occasion I decided to do something a little more adventurous. I got another ear piercing. OK, so it hardly rates as truly …
I did it! And I loved every single minute of my first Saturday Kitchen Live experience. OK so I wasn’t mad about the coral lipstick and the camera definitely adds at least 10lbs but I got to eat unbelievably good food and drink wine at 10am on a Saturday morning. With Jason Donovan! Makes a …
Right, two things. Firstly, thank you SO much for all the lovely comments on last week’s blog post. I know there was an incentive (free wine!) but seriously, they were a real joy to read. And enormously appreciated. The other thing is *tries to sound casual, fails* I’m joining BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen as a drinks …
After weeks of noise – so much noise – the house was quiet this morning. Middle Boy has joined Eldest Boy at secondary school and Youngest Girl has started her last year at primary school. Post-school run I got home and did what I’ve been dying to do for weeks: have a cup of coffee …
And so finally – finally! – my kids have broken up for the summer holidays. After what felt like weeks of end of term celebrations, we headed to the beach after their last day. The kids all jumped into the sea in their uniforms as parents watched on, mainlining crisps and a glass of rosé. …
Last week I hosted a wine tasting with a group of wine-loving women organised by clothing brand Hush. Now, if there were such a thing as a spirit clothing brand, Hush would be mine. I remember when they sold nothing but thick socks and the softest loungewear long before any of us realised we’d be …
So, sun’s out. And that means one thing. Well, two things. The first involves half a tube of St. Tropez Medium Dark Body Lotion. The second is rosé. Perfectly chilled, condensation on glass rosé. I mean, I know by the end of the summer I’ll be over it. But it’ll be temporary. Because when the …
Endless cups of tea on the sofa, nailing the last series of Catastrophe I’ve been meaning to watch for ages…turns out recovering from knee surgery can be FUN. And as for the drugs…well. They have a lot to answer for. Not least the pair of sequinned leopard print espadrilles ordered at the weekend. I mean …
Remember I hurt my knee doing The Nutcracker at Christmas? (We take charades very seriously in this house). Turns out I’ve got to have surgery later this week so I’ll be sofa-bound for a couple of days post-op. For obvious reasons, I’m thrilled at the prospect of being forced to put my feet up for …
Last week, I was on Radio 4’s You & Yours programme talking about organic wines. The presenter, Peter White (it was Winifred’s day off), asked me if KMWC readers (that’s you!) were interested in organic wines and I said yes, actually. Lots of you are. Which is great: no chemicals used in the vineyard is …
We’re nearly there. Last full week of the Easter Holidays (fist bump) culminating in a long chocolate-fuelled weekend (thumbs up). Now when it comes to finding the right wine to go with chocolate, sweet wines tend to work better than most. We’re talking tawny ports, Banyuls or Maury from France, or anything made from Muscat. …
Mother’s Day soon and to celebrate I’ve got some prizes I’m hoping might appeal to anyone who’s either knackered, a mother or both. First up, sleep. Sadly not a week’s uninterrupted sleep in a kingsize bed but I do have a box of Spacemasks (thank you, Harriet) and they’re basically the next best thing. Next, wine. …
A reader emailed recently asking for some low sulphur wines to try after being told by her GP that wine intolerance was common in middle-aged pre-menopausal women and a low/no added sulphur approach might help. I mean, a hot flush is one thing. But wine intolerance? Talk about adding insult to injury. Anyway, if you …
Subscribe to Blog Updates
Get my weekly blog posts direct to your inbox.
You have Successfully Subscribed!