At Christmas, one must quote Cliff Richard. And as Sir Cliff so correctly informed us in his 1988 number one Mistletoe & Wine, “it’s a time for giving”. But in this age of instant gratification, more and more consumers are faced with the question: “What do you give the person who’s got everything?” With space at a premium, clutter…

K Cider: that was my first booze of choice. In its limited-edition coloured bottles, it was the height of sophistication – in the public parks of Bedford. I was no snob though, oh no. I would also sometimes drink Mirage and Taboo. These days there’s a good chance I’d be drinking what are known as aromatised wine-based drinks, although I doubt the current generation of…

There’s something irresistible about stories unveiling the dirty secrets of a profession: politicians blow billions on garden gnomes; athletes busted mainlining Red Bull; hacks distort facts for salacious headlines. Even if there are two sides to the story, the slightest transgression usually looks incriminating when shared outside the cosseted confines of an industry. Banking, policing, cycling – scandals have rocked all these spheres recently,…

I’m not sure how to listen to music any more. I don’t mean that I’m sticking earphones into the wrong holes (you don’t make that mistake twice), I’m talking about the way music is accessed. It used to be so simple. You’d buy a physical album or single and listen to it on a machine designed solely for that purpose. That was the norm fewer than 20 years…

Is your decanter half full or half empty? Some people look at the UK  wine trade and see declining sales, punitive tax and low average prices. I prefer to see recovering sales, decelerating duty and everyday affordability. That’s not to say there aren’t problems. In fact, whether optimistic or pessimistic, we can probably agree on the main things the wine trade could do better, and one…

A wine merchant’s portfolio has to speak for itself. There’s no point having eye-catching merchandising or an integrated social media strategy if the wines themselves aren’t good enough. Here are seven wines that tell me whether a wine shop is worth its salt. How many are on your shelves? 1. GROWER CHAMPAGNE There’s nothing wrong with stocking the big brands (see point seven below), but having your…

Imagine if the recordings of the Berlin Philharmonic, the works of Monet  or the performances of Usain Bolt or Cristiano Ronaldo became the sole preserve of the ultra wealthy, kept out of the sight, sound and reach of 99% of the world’s population. Fans of music, art and sport would be deprived access to the masters of their craft. critics would lose defining points of reference.