Cooling, refreshing and floral-led, these gins are perfect for sipping on sunny spring days
Credit: Cath Lowe
Gins for spring should be bold in their natural flavours and aromas, echoing the seasonal burst of life. Less smoky, peppery and spicy than winter gins, of course, instead putting more emphasis on fresh and vivacious green botanicals, a lick of salt or a squeeze of bright citrus.
One distillery comes straight to mind. Atlantic Spirit, on the north Devon coast, has a range that really suits the time of year. Founder Quinton Davies is talented at using botanicals to convey a sense of the great outdoors, unsurprising perhaps from someone who spends his spare time in the water, surfing or sea swimming (his wife Sadie became the first woman to swim from the mainland to Lundy Island in 2019).
Liz Sagues
Tony Parsons thriller Your Neighbours Wife is published by Century
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Writers may, on occasion, be asked to eat their words. But drink them? Surely not.
Yet it could be said that was what happened to best-selling author Tony Parsons last Friday (Feb 26), in the online company of wine expert Susy Atkins. Many glassfuls of wine are consumed in Parsons latest thriller,
Your Neighbour s Wife (Century), a multi-twisted tale of the fatal consequences of one ill-judged night in an otherwise idyllic marriage.
Prosecco is a meaningful word in the secret language of Tara and Christian Carver, and makes its appearance in the first and last sentences of the book in which they are the principal characters. There is champagne, too, cast in a more ominous role .
A toast to spring
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It got a little warmer this week. A few brave flowers are out and the birds are singing when they’re not buffeted by the breeze. So my thoughts have turned to springlike wines.
Suddenly I want whites with the scent of flowers – white blossom, honeysuckle, acacia – and a crisper flavour. I want them to taste of super-fresh, crunchy or tangy fruits such as apples, pears, lemons and limes, and they must be unoaked and young with vibrant acidity.
This might seem premature, but there’s nothing wrong with looking forward to more springy drinking, now March is not far away. In short, I’m sloughing off winter by means of what I pour in my glass. Picpoul de pinet appeals especially, not only because its style fits my idea of springtime wines, but also because it reminds me of summer holidays in the south of France.
Decanter California whites under £30 / $30: Panel tasting results
Can the Golden State’s white wines provide value, interest and balance at the £30/$30 level? After assessing the reds last month, our panel turned their focus to mid-priced whites.
Susy Atkins, Romain Bourger and Keith Kirkpatrick tasted 56 affordable California whites with 16 recommended wines.
Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit California whites, including sparkling, with availability in the UK and/or US, with a retail price of up to £30/$30
The verdict
While
Chardonnay (in 35 of 56 entries) dominated this tasting, it wasn’t the whole story. As with the less-traditional grape varieties fielded for the reds, our expert panel was excited to see an eclectic mix among the remaining whites. ‘I was quite impressed to see