Wines made from Xarello grapes of Conca de Barberà

Severe drought and heatwaves have provided challenges for wine producers across Europe in 2022, from maintaining vine health to concerns about – and the impact of – wildfires. Early harvests have been a feature of the vintage and reports emerged this week of records being broken at some white wine-producing estates in Bordeaux. Spain’s Caserío de Dueñas estate in DO Rueda said it began a record early harvest on 16 August this year. While drought and heat have put pressure on yields in some regio ...

My father worked in the wholesale supply of fruit and vegetables. He would often come home with a box of the day’s best produce, and so I became interested in what was in season. Both my parents often worked late, so cooking dinner to help take some weight off them inspired me to want to learn more. My first kitchen job at age 14 was at a Greek restaurant in Southampton, and it inspired my love for foods of the eastern Mediterranean. Today, I’m lucky to be able to obtain the best produce from ‘O ...

Specialists are ready to begin trying to rebuild the medieval Newport Ship, after more than 20 years of conservation work was completed on the merchant vessel’s original timbers, first unearthed in south Wales in 2002. The discovery has also given archaeologists more insight into 15th century lifestyles. It’s believed the Newport Ship ferried wine from Portugal to Britain, most likely into Bristol, among other cargo. Other historical ships have been restored and preserved around the world, but t ...