Wine: Decanter Breaks Through 10,000 Entries And Takes Top Spot As World’s Biggest Wine Competition
June 2, 2009
The 2009 Decanter World Wine Awards attracted more entries this year than any other wine competition in the world, cementing its position as the world’s biggest wine competition. In total 10,285 wines were entered, more than double the amount when the competition launched six years ago. The number of companies submitting wines increased by 23% to 2,240. This phenomenal growth is due to Decanter’s reputation for using only the very best judges, coupled with its unparalleled global reach for the results.
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The English & Welsh wine industry’s rightful place on the world stage was confirmed on 12th May when the results of three major international wine competitions were released.
We use ‘cellar’ to mean both the area in which we store wines and the wines stored there. ‘Cellar’ may be a bit of an exaggeration for the place where most people store their wine. But it is worth considering the attributes of the cellar where wine is traditionally kept to reach the peak of its maturity. And even if you keep your wine in a cupboard under the stairs rather than in a cave under the ground, you can still imitate the most important features of the cellar. 
Sooner or later, most serious winemakers conclude that it isn’t good enough to simply follow a recipe blindly. That’s a bit too much like painting-by-numbers. The expression of one’s own skill and artistry makes the difference between an ordinary wine and something uniquely personal. But to do that, it’s necessary to understand a bit about the composition of the wine.
Set to a score comprised entirely of melodies by Richard Rodgers, Shall We Dance tells the story of one man’s extraordinary quest to find true love. His panoramic voyage transports us from the Orient to the Wild West by way of Russian folk dance, New York jazz and the delirious waltzes of a Viennese ballroom.
Carries War starring Prunella Scales and Kacey Ainsworth at the Apollo Theatre!
Directed by Sally Cookson,
BEST AVAILABLE TICKETS FOR JUST £10.00 FOR WE’RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT LIVE ON STAGE AT THE DUCHESS THEATRE – ALL SHOWS IN JULY!
Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen’s, ever popular Smarties Book Prize winner We’re Going On A Bear Hunt is brought vividly and noisily to life on stage by Director Sally Cookson’s loving adaptation and Benji Bower’s versatile lively score.
Author of over 140 books, Michael Rosen has enjoyed a successfully diverse career as writer, poet and broadcaster. Involved in educational campaigns and a firm believer in making poetry accessible to children, he has made numerous visits to schools throughout the UK and abroad. Filled with rhythm, repetition and onomatopoeia, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt has been praised for its ability to engage and entertain young children of all learning abilities.
THE BLACK ALBUM by Hanif Kureishi opens in the Cottesloe Theatre on 21 July, directed by Jatinder Verma. The production will be designed by Tim Hatley, with costumes by Claudia Mayer, lighting by Jvan Morandi, video by Tom Hadley, music by Sister Bliss, choreography by Shobana Jeyasingh and sound by Fergus O’Hare. The cast is: Alexander Andreou, Jonathan Bonnici, Tanya Franks, Sean Gallagher, Beruce Khan, Nitin Kundra, Shereen Martineau, Robert Mountford and Glyn Pritchard. THE BLACK ALBUM is a co-production between the National Theatre and Tara Arts.
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
Rounded hills, fringed by trees and brushed with gorse, back a coastline of dark volcanic cliffs. The Atlantic breakers pound over long, golden-sanded, dune-backed beaches. Further round the coast, via storm-tossed headlands, the sea has cut curving bays and secret coves.
North Kent may not be the first place that comes into your mind when thinking of a walk at this time of the year but if you have never walked here before you may be in for some pleasant surprises.
Leading violin virtuoso Nigel Kennedy, the best-selling classical violinist of all time, is performing at one of the hottest events in the UK jazz calendar – the Big Sky Jazz Festival in Margate.
Perhaps best known for his work with the classical-pop cross-over group Sky, John Williams is one of the classical guitar’s foremost exponents, with a distinguished 40-year performing and recording career of quite astonishing variety.
• Sadler’s Wells is Dance
Scholl Flight Socks and Scholl Flight Socks Sheer are medically proven to help fight deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in flight, as well as the swollen ankles and tired, aching legs that can help you feel exhausted before you even start your long-awaited holiday.
Britain’s leading family holiday company Haven Holidays is urging holidaymakers to book early following record business over the May Day bank holiday weekend. All Haven’s 35 holiday parks were virtually sold out with bookings up by as much as 50% as holidaymakers flock back to traditional seaside resorts. A combination of the high value of the Euro, economic uncertainty and recognition that the UK offers top value for money when it comes to holidays has encouraged more domestic holiday bookings than ever.
With more than 70 miles of coastline, South Devon boasts mile after mile of glorious beaches, ranging from tiny sheltered coves to great swathes of golden sand and long stretches of pebbles and shingle. Whether its beaches with safe bathing, family facilities, energetic watersports, a wildlife haven, access for dog walkers or top quality awards, South Devon is able to offer them all. Twenty of the best beaches are listed in the 2009 South Devon Guide, which may be obtained free of charge by calling 01626 215674 or visiting www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk.
Surf powerboats and traditional surf boats will both race in the waves of Watergate Bay in coming weeks as Zapcat Racing and the UK Surf Rowers League return to the Extreme Academy. Brute force and determination will abound as the UK Surf Rowers League test their mettle against the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday 11th July. The traditional oar-powered surf boats first battle out through the incoming waves, then attempt to surf the breaking waves back to the beach in a series of thrilling races.
Men are unashamedly colouring their hair – George Clooney, Paul McCartney and even Brad Pitt all admit it, and the latest research from Datamonitor and Mintel shows that male hair colouring is no longer just for the vain or embarrassed, but an acceptable part of the modern man’s grooming routine, with the male grooming market now worth a staggering £427 million per year!
Forget Ann Summers and Tupperware - a Worcestershire dental practice has launched tooth-polishing parties in response to requests from both clients and the public alike. The official launch of these coincided with the start of National Smile Month on 17th May.
2 GiVE US A HAND
4 SAVE FOR TO-MARROW
5 SWAP TILL YOU DROP
8 FREE COMPOST
10 BEG, BARROW AND STEAL
1. Place the hanging basket on a bucket or large container. Line with moist sphagnum moss, coir, or other hanging basket liner.
2. Add some soil-less or multi-purpose compost; hanging basket compost is available which includes slow-release fertiliser and water-retaining granules.
3. Water plants and put them in the side of the basket. Build moss and compost layers around them. With other liners, cut cross-shaped holes around sides and put plant roots through the holes.
4. Fill basket with compost, then place low-growing and trailing plants around the edge. Finish with upright or taller growing plants in the centre.
5. Firm the compost, water well and hang on a secure hook. Water daily, provide a liquid feed fortnightly (if no slow-release fertiliser has been added).
Annuities are still causing confusion amongst the over 60’s and those that have already purchased an annuity would have done things differently with the benefit of hindsight. These are the findings of new research* by Intune, the financial products and services provider owned by Age Concern and Help the Aged.
The term Adverse Credit is used to describe borrowers who have a history of unsatisfactory credit transactions. The expressions ìsub-primeî and ‘poor credit’ describe exactly the same situation. This begs a number of questions; what credit information is used, where does the information come from and how poor must a credit history be for it to be labelled as ‘adverse’?
Reader’s Digest is delighted to announce the publication of How To Pay Less For Just About Everything on 25th June, price £12.99: the essential guide to how to beat the credit crunch, for everyone, from those still working to those already enjoying retirement, looking to get more for their money. Top tips and advice include:
Londoners are the UK’s most on-the-ball consumers when it comes to sniffing out bargains and watching their precious pennies. Based on a survey of 25,000 by consumer shopping advice site, 
English Quest is the latest game in the Quest family. It’s an ideal way to test your knowledge of everything English – and learn so much more. With over 2,000 English multiple-choice questions in four different categories – HISTORY, LAND AND NATURE, CULTURE and MODERN – there’s so much to share and learn, and the accompanying booklet enhances the experience with further explanations for many of the more interesting and unusual answers. But beware! As you tour the country to collect the letters ‘Q U E S T’, Jester cards may help or hinder you and you will need to earn sovereigns to help pay your way.
THE Sussex coastline is a picture-postcard vista to behold on a sunny summer’s day - shimmering azure waves and dazzling white cliffs topped with emerald cropped grass. Seagulls wheel in circles against a cloudless sky breaking the peace with their cackles, which are carried by a balmy whisper of a breeze. Gazing on a horizon that promises much for the future makes the small village of Ovingdean the perfect spot for some respite against the hurry and worry of the bustling city of Brighton just a few miles down the road.
Lateness costs British businesses £1.8 BILLION every year, a report revealed. The average worker turns up for work three minutes late at least twice a week. But over a year, each employee is 4.6 hours late - which equates to a collective 135,240,000 late hours for the 29.4million people working in the UK. With the average wage now £13.90 per hour, workers waste a total of £1,879,836,000 every year.
Weber – the barbecue experts – are giving one lucky Funkyfogey the chance to win a stylish One Touch Silver 57cm barbecue in grey, worth £109.99.
Franco Taruschio OBE, the founder of the legendary Walnut Tree restaurant, and exciting young executive chef James Sommerin of the Michelin-starred Crown at Whitebrook and winner of the recent BBC 2 great British Menu Welsh heat, will be teaching hands-on cooking at the Chefs’ Room, the new fish and cookery school in Blaenavon, South Wales.
Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne, a mother of three, promises to revolutionise the lives of the 600,000 people in Britain who are gluten intolerant. Genius is the first ever fresh gluten and wheat free bread – available in the supermarkets – which looks, tastes and feels every bit as good as a freshly-baked traditional loaf.
A family firm in the heart of the Peak District is campaigning to give the original Bakewell Pudding a national day of recognition. Despite British staples such as the farmhouse breakfast, the sandwich and the chip each having their own week dedicated to them, the traditional Derbyshire pudding plays second fiddle to the more commercial Bakewell Tart.
Global warming, health concerns, widening waistlines, shrinking budgets… like never before, people are open to embracing more plant-based eating. Problem is, they don’t know how, or they think it’s too boring, bland or complicated. That’s where greenappetite.com comes in – the new site dedicated to spreading the joy of eating green. In return, we’re rewarded with better health, a happier planet and much less work to do in the kitchen.
Ian Walker, the top London chef turned food guru and author, releases his much anticipated second book, ‘Against the Flow’, this month. Described by some as the ‘Culinary Bruce Parry’, Ian has captured all of the most exciting details of his latest quest, an intriguing and dynamic adventure that strikes at the heart of the cuisine and people along the Mekong River, taking him from the low-lying delta in Vietnam, 4,350 kilometers north to the mystical source in Tibet, making him only the second Briton to reach it.
Discover the hidden value of your household items.
In a new compact format, Soldier covers 2,500 years of military history examining everything from the fighting methods of the Ancient Greeks to the highly advanced weapons and technology of today’s Special Forces. This comprehensive guide offers readers a stunning visual exploration of the armour and uniforms worn by soldiers of every era, as well as their living conditions and engagements.
Explore the world’s great myths and legends, brought to life in this enthralling retelling of age-old stories passed down from generation to generation. From the heroes of Ancient Greece to The Dreaming of Australian Aborigines, here are the myths that, thousands of years after they were first told, are still relevant today.
The Other South of France