Matthew Jukes

Thursday

Declan Lyons

Hipsters love orange wine, but don’t let that put you off

Orange wine is on my mind. On a recent stroll down Westbourne Grove, and with a bit of time on my hands, I stopped into Franklin’s – a sea of tranquillity in the bustle of nearby Portobello market. This local wine bar is run by two wonderful chaps, Luigi and Lucio. The former is from Naples and the latter from Valencia, so they know their wines. And when I asked to try something unusual, I was presented with a glass of orange wine. Their choice was the Bodegas Verum Ulterior Naranja 2024 – as is evident from its name, an orange wine produced in Spain.

Thursday

Declan Lyons

Drink away the autumn grey with Chardonnay

Summer is on its way out and, like almost everyone else in my part of London, we fled the noise of the Notting Hill Carnival – in our case, to enjoy the seaside. I brought four excellent Chardonnays to sip in West Wittering while playing board games and listening to the rain lash against the windows. Autumn is certainly around the corner. And there are some excellent options from across the New and Old Worlds to ease the transition from sunshine to grey. It would be remiss to consider a nice Chardonnay without first stopping in Burgundy, the home of so many of the greats. We can come to the upstarts a little later. The 2021 Bourgogne Blanc from Jean-Marc Boillot has a little hint of age, a little hint of oak and a little hint of Puligny-Montrachet, but without the price tag.