Author Archives: Andrew Porton - Marketing Consultant
Two Andrews hit the West Coast
The wonderful, larger-than-life wines of California have enjoyed something of a renaissance at Virgin Wines over the past year or so – delicious new discoveries such as The Vinitor Shiraz (now almost sold out – watch this space for more!) … Continue reading
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Lost in Lodi… found at Virgin Wines
California has, for a century or more, been a serious force on the world’s wine-producing map. And, in the last year, its presence has been greatly enhanced at Virgin Wines, thanks to the introduction of a raft of exclusive goodies … Continue reading
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The Township Winery’s first ever sales rep!
Two blog posts from Cape Wine – whatever next?! Whilst the lovely Selina was sipping cocktails in Cape Town’s trendiest spots, and spotting giraffes and elks from luxurious safari vehicles, yours truly was standing behind a table for three days, … Continue reading
To blind taste, or not to blind taste? That is the question
It would have been an interesting experience (to say the very least!) to have blindfolded the 80-odd intrepid tasters who lent their palates and opinions to our London Wine Awards – but taste the wines blind is what we did … Continue reading
Posted in General, Have Your Say
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Simple pleasures
The language of food and wine has evolved so much over the past decade, it’s hard to know where to start with it all. I remember the days when, watching Loyd Grossman on Masterchef, I was intrigued by the use … Continue reading
Posted in General, Wine Buyer Update
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The perfect steak (according to me)
Some things are just made for each other. Fish and chips. Cheese and pickle. Me and a very well-filled Swiss bank account. (One hopes.) And of course there’s steak and wine … Continue reading
Posted in General, Wine Buyer Update
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Art, jamón, Manzanilla and more
It was my birthday a couple of weeks back. And – as I do each year – I hopped on a flight down to Málaga to spend it with a dear friend, Kath, who I met at university in 1992 … Continue reading
Posted in General, Wine Buyer Update
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One-way Ticket to a Brave New World
Between Christmas and New Year, I was lucky enough to pay a visit to New York. And, like many visitors to the Big Apple, I took a trip to Ellis Island. Dubbed the “island of tears”, this is the place … Continue reading
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Ham and Pineapple Pizza
Dear readers, I am in a conundrum. Louise, the lady at Virgin who is responsible for the blog and always asking us contributors who’s writing something, and on what, asked me when my next piece was due. I believed that … Continue reading
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A glass of cloudy, orange wine? Yes please!
In the realms of food and drink, some things are simply expected. Hot casseroles. Piquant salad dressings. Chickens cooked right through. And wine wouldn’t quite be wine if it wasn’t brilliantly clear and vibrant in the glass. Would it? Well, … Continue reading
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Ice and lime
“How did you get into wine?” is a question that I am frequently asked. “I sort-of fell into it at university” is my answer – not from a literal point of view (though Somerfield did have some rather palatable plonk … Continue reading
Posted in General, Guest Update
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Whats in a Name? (with apologies to Shakespeare)
[Museth Mr Shakespeare: “If only a rose could smell as sweet… as a glass of red wine” – the latter part is probably not true as wine was not much cop in the sixteenth century, but hey, what’s wrong with … Continue reading
Posted in Wine Advisor Debate
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Grand Designs
A period of great excitement is upon us down in the Cape Town township of Philippi, home to our ground-breaking Township Winery project. The goal here is to build the first winery in the townships themselves, not just a winery … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Update
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A Tale of Two Vintages
Here in the UK, we’ve become accustomed to a seemingly-endless supply of Australian wine hitting our shelves, year in, year out. Buttery Chardonnay? You’ve got it. Jammy Shiraz? Bring it on. Millions and millions of cases of it.
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Location, Location, Location
In this world, location is everything. And the right locations often command a hefty price – as we all know from Phil and Kirstie’s sterling efforts to find the homes of people’s dreams. Location is also a major factor when … Continue reading
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