Finding peace in Belleville, Paris
At times, we need to find space to strip off our outer layers of emotional turmoil. Some people go to the beach. I went to Paris this autumn, to the eastern neighbourhood of...
21 November, 2021 / 2 Comments
Eating & drinking in Reims
It was three summers ago that I was sitting one evening around a table in Koko Doko in Reims, the champagne capital of France, with Clos Driver Wine Tours, grower champagne producer Emmanuel...
07 August, 2020 / 0 Comments
Antibes: tender is the Côte d’Azur
Flash people; flash boats. That was my perception of Antibes on the Côte d'Azur. One-time resident F Scott Fitzgerald of Great Gatsby fame said the French Riviera - as the Côte d'Azur is known in...
05 October, 2018 / 2 Comments
At the heart of Pommard: Fanny Sabre & Lejeune
Pommard in Burgundy has everything I desire from a village: a bakery, a café, a natural wine bar serving good food, peace & calm, and historic stone buildings. It's also home to two domaines renowned...
22 August, 2017 / 0 Comments
Burgundy style: Chandon de Briailles & lunch in Gevrey-Chambertin
I'm a descendent of the Dukes of Burgundy according to my aunt, née Cynthia Power. True or not true, I'm happy with this tale. Burgundy has a majestic style unique to the region. Domaine Chandon...
14 August, 2017 / 0 Comments
Wine & food in Chablis: Patrick Piuze & Thomas Pico
When I think of Chablis, I think of a nicely chilled white wine with a mineral taste reminiscent of seashells and notes of citrus and green apple: an ideal wine for a lazy-Sunday summer picnic...
31 July, 2017 / 0 Comments
Dhondt and Julien: young, French & making waves
I was lost and insecure in my 20s, despite jetting around the world, from Hong Kong to Algeria, in my role as a journalist. With Clos Driver Wine Tours we met 2 rising stars, both...
24 July, 2017 / 0 Comments
Les Avisés: a wise place to eat in Champagne
My road trip with Clos Driver Wine Tours this summer was about taking photographs of inspirational champagne producers as well as eating at some phenomenal restaurants, including the one at the Hotel Les Avisés, or...
18 July, 2017 / 0 Comments
Champagne Emmanuel Brochet: when small is big
I popped in for a drink at the new Henrietta Hotel in Covent Garden this weekend to see to my delight on the champagne list Le Mont Benoit of Emmanuel Brochet. Le Mont Benoit is following...
12 July, 2017 / 4 Comments