Liz Sagues

1 week ago | thisislocallondon.co.uk | Liz Sagues

I remember years back in a smart restaurant listening to a couple insisting to the sommelier that they wanted Sauternes with their roast beef. Ever polite, he brought them the bottle, and they clearly enjoyed their meal. But while sweet white wine isn’t, to say the least, a conventional choice with red meat, it can be a delight with blue cheese.

1 month ago | thisislocallondon.co.uk | Liz Sagues

But traditions change and there are now multiple alternatives to that long-established wine packaging solution. And as thoughts turn more to outside sipping, the practicality of cans, pouches and plastic bottles is undeniable. Often, too, they’re greener. To me, one big question remains: do these alternative packages change the character of what’s inside them? Until comparatively recently, it was hard to tell, as many of the wines weren’t available in conventional glass. But that’s no longer so.

1 month ago | hackneygazette.co.uk | Liz Sagues

But traditions change and there are now multiple alternatives to that long-established wine packaging solution. And as thoughts turn more to outside sipping, the practicality of cans, pouches and plastic bottles is undeniable. Often, too, they’re greener. To me, one big question remains: do these alternative packages change the character of what’s inside them? Until comparatively recently, it was hard to tell, as many of the wines weren’t available in conventional glass. But that’s no longer so.

2 months ago | hamhigh.co.uk | Liz Sagues

Mornington Peninsula - vineyards with a sea-view. (Image: Image: Parker Blain/Wine Australia) Have you ever thought of wine in terms of fabric? I know I’ve promised to avoid extravagant descriptions, but there is some sense behind this question. Wine has texture that you can feel in your mouth, rather like your hands experience as they caress a fabric. And a classic example is pinot noir. There’s a silkiness to the best examples, a feeling that the finest chiffon is floating there.

Mar 22, 2025 | hamhigh.co.uk | Liz Sagues

Podcaster Susie Barry does a taste test samples of wine that have been lightstruck. (Image: susieandpeter.com) From now on, I’ve made a resolution that will fundamentally affect my wine buying habits. I shall avoid, if I possibly can, any wine in a clear glass bottle. The rude awakening for this came in three glasses of a southern French rosé: one crisp and fruity, the second with a vegetal, cabbagy character, the third stripped of almost all flavour and scent.