Wine merchants used to be avuncular chaps in dusty aprons who chatted knowledgeably about grape and vintage in the cloistered coolness of a high street store. Customers could come into a wine merchants’ and receive not just goods but knowledge – a knowledge that made them feel a part of the business of wine making, a privileged end product for whom the whole vinous industry…

When planning a night in with the girls there is nothing better than getting a few bottles of wine to make the evening go well. Whether it is the height of summer or the dead of winter there is a wine that will suit any party and this article will go through a few options that will get your evening off to a swinging start.…

In the past having wine in the cupboard or cellar was the domain of the rich and famous. It was only those people with oodles of cash that had wine stored for parties or just for an evening tipple. Nowadays this is not the case. Wine is available from corner shops and supermarkets and is as common as a pint of beer in a pub…

So you have pledged yourselves to each other and are now in the midst of wedding fever. Anyone who is getting married in the next months will be up to their ears in wedding preparation and trying to cut corners to save money wherever possible. Whatever your wedding budget you always find that there is something extra that you haven’t budgeted for. One of the…

There is nothing better than a glass of dry white wine after a long hot day at work. The wine tastes great, dry and refreshing and it makes you feel relaxed. So which of the dry white wines are the best to choose for your apr?s work drink? There are three or four dry white wines that everyone has heard of and are staples in…

Everyone loves a bargain. And with the Credit Crunch there are many bargains to be had. There are some really cheap products on the shelves at the moment but as with all sales it is important to know what a real bargain is and what is just something that is cheap and nasty. There is also many a bargain to be had in wines as…

Champagne is something that always signifies a celebration – it is a sparkling wine with a fantastic pedigree and is associated with stylish parties and the rich and famous. There are various types of champagne, some people make the mistake of thinking that all sparkling wine is champagne. This is not the case, true champagne comes from one region of France – funnily enough it…

Let’s face it you can get anything and everything on-line now, from beans to Bentleys, Yorkies to Yachts. The power of the internet has enabled more and more companies to sell their wares to a wider audience, enabling consumers to hunt for the best bargains in the comfort of their own home and bringing a whole new meaning to scouring the shelves. And let’s face…

What do you buy the person who has everything? Clothes? No they probably already have a walk–in wardrobe the size of your house. The latest gadget? No again. Their designer house is most likely to be kitted out with all the latest gizmos on the market, either that or it’s already on order! One of those experience days? Well maybe, but who’s to say they…

With Christmas looming, several of us will be frantically scribbling down Gift ideas. Well, the women amongst us anyway. “Mum, easy, that jumper she pointed out. Sister, no problem, that necklace she’s wanted for ages. Gran, as always, the latest Maeve Binchy novel and a box of York Fruit Jellies. Dad, well, ummm, errrrr…” The tedious, yearly problem is on us again… what to buy…