Drink
A belated Christmas tipple
Life is returning to normal. Clinics, pills et al are receding into the distance. There was never anything remotely approaching…
The dying days of abstinence
There is one advantage to a stay in hospital followed by confinement to barracks: time to read and to think.…
How to not drink
I have just finished a sojourn with a curious twist. Readers of Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain will remember Hans…
Vicarious celebrations
I am occasionally teased. In a column devoted to drink, which in practice usually means wine and often the products…
A toast to democracy
Not everything in the entire world is going to hell in a half-track. A few days ago, I tasted some…
Advent vinousness
Some simpering bishops are urging their clergy to make sure that carol services do not interfere with the ship of…
French polish
At the end of last century, when there were grounds for optimism about Russia’s future, an increasingly popular word expressed…
The spoils of war
Wine-making can have a tragic dimension, and rarely more so than with Italian Pinot Nero: that is, Pinot Noir. It…
Life of the party
A few days ago, when everything looked black, a small group of us were consoling ourselves over a couple of…
A thirsty business
‘Golden’ is often used to describe the hue of some wines in the glass. But there is another resemblance. Gold…
The art of the cocktail
We were discussing bourbon and whether American whiskey could ever rival Scotch. I recalled the first time I ever tried…
Days of passing
There have been few more momentous weeks in British history, or indeed in world history. This commentator must plead guilty.…
A toast to the field marshals
August may not be the cruellest month but it is often the most dangerous one. Now that it is over,…
At least we still have wine
Even in recent heat, the English summer can be magical. As long as there is shade, a pool and a…
The perfect summer drink
Imagine a camel train, crossing the great desert. The remaining water is rancid; the beasts’ humps are shrunken. Death looms.…
Think pink
In the battle of ideas, it is sometimes necessary to make a tactical withdrawal. That is now the case over…
We’ll always have wine
‘Club’ is a four-letter word. Whenever a club is mentioned in the press, it will inevitably be portrayed as a…
Sea fare
One could get used to this. I come from seafaring stock, albeit distant. ‘Anderson’ suggests Viking antecedents, especially as my…
Toasting the Queen
It was an extraordinary weekend. The various spectacles had something for all tastes: pageantry on Horse Guards; solemnity in St…
On the same page
In the West End of London there is an alley which insinuates its way between the Charing Cross Road and…
My madeleine moments
I was reminded of the worst liquid that I have ever consumed. It was the last occasion on which I…
Super Tuscany
Amid the grandeur of old Edinburgh, in the lee of the castle, is one of the finest buildings in Scotland:…
Wild Geese of wine
The Irish rarely understate their achievements. Yet there is one exception. Over the centuries, the links between Catholic Ireland and…
A voyage of discovery
If only toasts and good wishes were weapons of war. At every serious repast I have attended since the invasion…
Diplomatic distractions
My dear friend Richard Stow is a most congenial fellow. A serious financial entrepreneur, he is also a clubman and…
