wine list confidential
Ducasse fights eviction from Eiffel Tower restaurant
Renowned French chef Alain Ducasse has lodged a lawsuit, fighting against his eviction from the famed Jules Verne Restaurant at the top of the Eiffel Tower, after losing the tender to a pair of rival chefs.
WLC Eats: Linden Stores, Islington
Phoebe French heads to wine bar and restaurant Linden Stores for warm pea and oozy Yorkshire fettle cheese croquettes, smoked and fried spuds slathered in gutsy bovril mayo paired with Turkish Sauvignon Gris.
Unfiltered: Christine Parkinson, head of wine at Hakkasan
Christine Parkinson, once described as “one of the most creative buyers in the UK” by Jancis Robinson, recalls an encounter with Elvis Costello, a run in with a meat cleaver-wielding head waiter and how she could have ended up an astrophysicist.
German brand to release wine inspired by weather maps
German wine brand Brute, developed in the “brutal climate of Hamburg”, is using real-time weather data from its vineyard to create an image of a 3D-particle-weather simulation on its labels, promoting its wines with quirky slogans including ‘some grapes are nurtured, ours are tortured’.
Where to drink Prosecco in London
Three years ago we broke the worrying news of an impending global Prosecco shortage due to the perfect storm of insatiable demand coupled with a short harvest.
Unfiltered: Piotr Pietras MS, Hide
Former footballer and director of wine at Hide, Piotr Pietras, reveals a love of cider, how he has his wife to thank for putting him on the path to becoming a sommelier, and why a Pinot Noir from New Zealand would be his top pick from Hide’s extensive wine list.
Fourth investor enters frame to buy Gaucho chain
Restauranteur Luke Johnson, known for his involvement with Pizza Express, Giraffe and The Ivy, has reportedly thrown his hat in the ring to purchase Argentine steakhouse chain Gaucho, after it slipped into administration last month.
The Dish: George Barson, Kitty Fisher’s
George Barson is the executive chef of Mayfair hotspot Kitty Fisher’s and newcomer Cora Pearl, a restaurant inspired by the nineteenth century courtesan famed for her glamorous lifestyle, that opened in Covent Garden in June.
Australian restaurant rewards customers with wine – if they can turn off their phone
A restaurant in Sydney will reward their customers with a free glass of wine if they can give up their mobiles and go offline for the duration of their meal.
Blue wine trend hits France
French entrepreneur René Le Bail is on a mission to turn his fellow countrymen into a nation of red, white and blue wine drinkers with the launch of ‘Vindigo’.