I’m always looking for an excuse to dress up as a conquistador and Halloween is ideal. Its a good fun couple of weeks ahead with Bonfire Night hot on the heels of Halloween. I’m doing my own Trick or Treat and offering 15% off the wines I mention in this programme if you buy in [...]
Tags: Bonfire Night food and drink, Grenache, Halloween Wine, Henry Butler, Red wines, Some Young Punks Wine, What to drink at Halloween
I went to Plumpton College is Sussex, and Sam’s manager Kris is currently part-time there doing a BSc in the study of vines and wine-making. Its great to have resource in the heart of Sussex where many of England’s wine hopes are being realised – such as Ridgeview wines in Ditchling (who won the Decanter [...]
Tags: Decant wine, Henry Butler, Plumpton college, Starting on wine, Wine appreciation, Wineschool
A break from my beautiful face: Last programme Kris and I picked wines to go with game dishes (Bourgogne Blanc for the white and Italian Biferno Reserva for the red) from the list at Sam’s. Meanwhile FeedetGastro’s Becci Edmondson was downstairs with young chef Simon learning how to cook their signature autumn dish of partridge [...]
Tags: Becci Feedetgastro, Brighton restaurants, Game, Partridge, Recipes, Wine with food
Sam’s and Seven Dials restaurants in Brighton are popular institutions. Sam’s is an especially good find being at the other end of Kemp Town and is very popular. Booking is advised. We were chuffed when they said we could come in and nose around the wine list, and it was a special treat as Restaurant [...]
Tags: Autumn wines, Brighton and Hove, Feedetgastro, Italian white wine, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Wine list review
For the first time in 20 years Real Ale sales have risen, and lager sales have fallen in the UK. CAMRA is over the moon. I’m a real ale drinker, its not a huge leap from enjoying and choosing wines to enjoying and choosing real ales, certainly the range is there in terms of flavour. [...]
Tags: Ale, Beer, Brighton, Henry Butler, Hove, Microbrewery, Real ale, Tasting beer
First off, there’s a 2007 Rhone wine on this list and that’s great news. It was a terrific vintage in the French valley so wherever you’re eating and you see a Rhone wine with a 2007 vintage, have it. That’s one of 3 wines I pick from this restaurant which is attached to Myhotel. That’s [...]
Tags: Brighton, Henry Butler, Hove, Myhotel, Myhotel review brighton, Wine list review
You must decant. It doesn’t mean your a snob or a wanker, you don’t have to put your wine into some cut-glass vase your grandad stole from a cruise ship – it is simply the very important process of slugging your wine into another vessel to get some air to it and start bringing it [...]
Tags: Decanting wine, Henry Butler, Improving a cheap wine, Red wine, Waking up a wine, White wine
Like all great trilogies the most epic comes last: here in the shape of a pudding. And Chef went too scrambled-eggy with his sweet for the record. Swig the dregs of your wine with your pudding and it wont work: sugar exaggerates the tannin and acidity in most wines or drinks. Eat a Mars bar [...]
Tags: Brighton, Dessert wines, Henry Butler, Hove, New Steine Hotel, Restaurant, Sweet wines, What food goes with sweet wine
Back at the New Steine Hotel, the main course was duck. I picked a lovely red from Chapoutier, a large french producer, but a very good, reliable one predominantly in the Rhone Valley, but they also produce right around the world. Sounds awful, but I’m a big fan as it goes. I chose their juicy [...]
Tags: Blended wines, Brighton, Chapoutier, Choosing wine by producer, Henry Butler, Hove, Restaurant, Rhone Valley wines, Wine, Wine list review
I oversee a fund-raising dinner at the New Steine hotel in Kemp Town Brighton every couple of months where chef dreams up some pretty impressive grub and I match the wines and give a little chat about each. This week we’ll stick up the three films from the last evening, starting with the starter. A [...]
Tags: Bourdeaux wines, Brighton and Hove, Chateau Asard, Henry Butler, New Steine Hotel, White wine
