Wine List Confidential: The Game Bird at The Stafford
Douglas Blyde is game for a visit to The Game Bird at The Stafford Hotel in St. James’s Place. While there he tastes everything from Junmai Daiginjo sake to Burgenland Blaufränkisch, but it’s the staff’s ties that particularly catch his attention.
Unfiltered: Luvo Ntezo
Douglas Blyde talks to Luvo Ntezo about his journey from pool boy to overseeing 5,000 bottles of wine across five dining destinations at One&Only Cape Town.
Wine List Confidential: The Devonshire
Douglas Blyde visits Oisin Rogers and Charlie Carroll’s The Devonshire. Promising hearty fare, ranging from duck fat chips to bread and butter pudding, as well as great Guinness, can this Soho pub really live up to the hype?
Unfiltered: Melody Wong, The Peninsula London
The director of wine for newly-opened luxury hotel The Peninsula London talks to Douglas Blyde about her push to get more Brits drinking baijiu.
Wine List Confidential: The PIG – in the South Downs
Douglas Blyde visits the South Downs outpost of The PIG hotel. During his stay, he finds an own-label Pinot Noir that proves how “accessible” English sparkling wines can be, and discovers what might be “the world’s most substantial spittoon”.
Wine List Confidential: Wild Carrot at Four Seasons Hampshire
Douglas Blyde heads to Hampshire to visit Wild Carrot at the Four Seasons hotel and find out whether a taste of local producer Hattingley Valley’s rare late harvest Bacchus is worth the trip.
Unfiltered: Jiachen Lu
From laws to pours, the assistant head sommelier of Dinings SW3 talks to Douglas Blyde about how a passion for wine became a vocation, winning sherry pairings, and a dream to sing in a full symphony orchestra.
Unfiltered: Harry Ballmann
The sommelier at Wild Shropshire, founder of wine consultancy Cépage, and wine specialist for Home Bargains, talks to Douglas Blyde about what his problem is with Pinot Noir.
WLC Eats: Mauro Colagreco at Raffles at The OWO
Douglas Blyde visits Mauro Colagreco’s newly-opened restaurant at Raffles at The OWO (Old War Office). Fittingly opening with a glass of Pol Roger’s Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, he delves into how the extensive list “celebrates the British contribution to the world of wine”.
WLC Eats: The Fat Duck Christmas dinner
Douglas Blyde enjoys a festive feast at the legendary The Fat Duck in Bray. While there, he tries Christmas classics such as prawn cocktail, mince pieces and Port, but with a Heston Blumenthal twist.