It’s a concept that remains as practical and innovative as it was when Vagabond Wines opened their first outlet in Fulham back in 2010: giving guests the freedom to tap and pour at their own leisure from a selection of 100+ wines by the glass, so you can seek out your new personal favourites at your own pace.
One of the things I enjoy most about writing Drinks Diaries is that there really are no boundaries to what might end up in my glass. This time we travel from the vineyards of West Sussex to the shores of Lake Geneva, through Tuscany, Austria, Portugal, and the far south of Italy, before heading north to Islay and Skye. There are familiar grapes in unfamiliar places, including a Tuscan white from a region better known for Sangiovese, alongside Chasselas from Switzerland, a country whose wines we rarely get the opportunity to drink in the UK.
In this issue, I explore a collection of drinks that celebrates both deep rooted tradition and innovation. We begin in Bordeaux and Rioja, where regional classics are being thoughtfully reimagined for contemporary palates, before traveling to the storm swept coast of Galicia for an early harvest Albariño that captures the very essence of the region. For the spirits lover, I look at Japanese blending philosophy and a bold Scottish malt.
There is something wonderfully liberating about drinking pink wine without pretending it has to justify itself. Rosé has spent decades being underestimated, lightly dismissed as a sugary summer seasonal or a simple patio sipper. Yet, away from the clichés, the category has quietly become one of the most dynamic corners of modern viticulture.
There are plenty of wine podcasts. There are plenty of political interviews. But never have I seen them combined. ‘Vintage Politics’, hosted by Abbie Bennington, does exactly that.
The premise is simple but effective. Conversations with some of the UK’s most recognisable political voices (and a comedian), paired with wines that reflect moments in their lives. Guests include Jon Sopel, Anna Foster, and Nick Robinson, alongside figures such as Guto Harri, Dom Joly and Jo Coburn.
One of the pleasures of tasting at this time of year is discovering how deeply place shapes a wine’s character. Winter slows everything down, giving you time to notice the things you might have missed: the origins of a grape, the temperament of a region, or the decisions of a winemaker. This collection shows just how varied those stories can be.
The World’s 50 Best Vineyards for 2025 have been announced, following an international awards ceremony in Margaret River, Western Australia, where the world of wine converged to recognise and celebrate this year’s winners.
As ever, there are a few surprises in there, with a picture emerging that the top tier no longer belongs exclusively to the ‘old world triangle’ of France, Italy and Spain, with the Americas, South Africa, New Zealand, Japan and Lebanon continuing to make gains in this higher end of the market.
Autumn has arrived with that familiar mix of darker evenings and the cold setting in this week. The past few weeks have delivered plenty worth talking about. England continues to set its own pace, from West Sussex to Kent, with new releases that feel increasingly confident in their identity. Weyborne Estate’s Oriana Golden Spur shows just how far the South Downs has come, while Silverhand is quietly proving that sustainability and ambition can sit comfortably at the top end of the market.
Autumn has a way of coaxing us toward comfort with the warmth of a slow roast (I cooked lamb shanks over the weekend), the glow of a fire, and the kind of wines that bring a little light to darker evenings. This month’s selection travels from the Provençal slopes of the Rhône to the limestone valleys of the Loire, pausing in Rioja and Germany’s Pfalz along the way.
Rosé and red are increasingly sharing the spotlight, with traditional regions producing styles that sit comfortably in a global market that prizes freshness and accessibility. Clarendelle Bordeaux Rosé is a good example. As the first official rosé in the history of Domaine Clarence Dillon, the family behind Haut-Brion. It marks a small shift in their outlook.
