Drinks Party

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve done drinks with Luke Evans, WineTime with Kat (and a church full of brilliant women!) and sung carols with Cliff Richard. Honestly, I couldn’t feel more Christmassy if I rolled myself in glitter. However, I haven’t done anything to make me feel even remotely organised on the home …

Guest Appearance

Feeling festive yet? I had my first cream sherry of the season last week whilst watching Sleepless in Seattle and we’ve had Jamie Cullum’s new Christmas album on repeat (he was a guest on Saturday Kitchen a few weeks ago, the album’s a cracker). Then there was the festive fizz tasting with the wonderful Kat Farmer …

Christmas Spirits

Right, cocktails. Below are a few suitably festive favourites from Homemade Cocktails (my new book, just in case you’re here by accident/for the first time). But first, an idea for a last minute present. Homemade Cranberry & Orange Gin Get an empty 500ml bottle, fill it with 100g of fresh cranberries (prick them with a …

Party Time

You know that thing I mentioned last week but couldn’t tell you about? I’ve been asked to be one of the judges for the 2019 Fortnum & Mason Food & Drink Awards. I won the Online Drinks Writer Award in their inaugural year back in 2013 and, ohmigod, the party was one of the most celebrity-strewn …

Stocking Up

So that’s it, then. The John Lewis Christmas ad has gone live which means, basically, it’s Christmas. Now, I’m not usually in favour of going too early when it comes to embracing the festive season. Our halls won’t be decked with holly until December 1st. But from that date onwards it’ll be mince pies for …

Merry Christmas!

So, here we are. As promised, there’s a bumper selection of suitably christmassy wines this week including the bargain champagne featured on last week’s This Morning. Yes, I did ACTUAL This Morning on the telly on Friday! A festive fizz tasting on ice with skating polar bears in the background. The clip’s on the KMWC …

Message in a bottle

So all my presents are bought, wrapped and ready to go. Cards have been written. Homemade mince pies are stashed in the freezer. In my dreams, obviously. Honestly, when it comes to Christmas planning I’m definitely not your woman. But when it comes to sorting out drinks, that I can do. If you’re on the lookout …

Round Robin

Last night, having just finished setting up for a KMWC wine tasting, a robin appeared and perched on the edge of the ice bucket. Look at the picture above! Could not have been more Christmassy. Anyway, having spent much of last week talking about not drinking on various radio shows to coincide with the launch of …

Wish List

Oh, I’m feeling it. I’m even making some progress on the present list. Talking of which I thought I’d share a few of my favourite booze-related present ideas, just in case scrolling through Amazon is starting to mess with your head. More to come on Christmas feast-friendly wines next week but in the meantime, I give you: Best …

Dive In

I’m sure there’ll be a year when all the presents are wrapped and the food prepped ahead of time. Just not this one. But before we part company for a bit, here are some of the wines featured in a list I put together for The Pool, a brilliant website stuffed with great articles and the …

Forty Festive Wines

The following exhaustive (and exhausting) list of wines appeared in Saturday’s Daily Mail, here’s a link if you want pictures of the bottles too. There’s 10 whites, 10 reds, 10 sparkling and 10 pudding/after dinner drinks. And this gorgeous picture was taken by the very lovely Juliette Neel. Sadly, it wasn’t used in the piece but …

Sloe Down

Discombobulated. That’s how I felt this week. Think that’s down to last weekend, spent in London working at a wine fair. Coming home and jumping straight into the week without a break left me discombobulated. But happily, it’s Saturday and my gorgeous neighbour Maggie has just popped over to help me make up some sloe …

Poor Elf

I’m sick. Sore throat, shivers. Don’t want wine (so, quite serious). But that’s not stopped me sorting out wines for next week. First though, my Christmas List: 1. A new pair of bed socks 2. A Miller Harris scented candle (Geranium Bourbon, to be precise) A great improvement on a wheelbarrow and a new roasting …

O Little Star

It was Middle Boy’s first ever nativity play today. As always, we were asked to bring mince pies to be handed out to parents & grandparents afterwards. And for once, instead of resorting to my usual bribery accepting of donations from my mother/mother-in-law I thought I’d make my own. Bad decision: pastry went wrong, pastry cutters …