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I am sitting here sipping from a glass of 2004 Pinot Noir from Central Otago, the latest address in a short line of Next Big Things all set to steal Burgundy's Pinot noir crown. And very pleasant it is too. It's quite deep in colour with a crunchy, varietal black cherry nose and offers an honest fre…

South from Seend ridge to the brickworks near WestburyWe batten down the hatches and wait for the snow that's been forecast for tomorrow. I'll be attending the Australia Day tasting in London: sunny inside; chilly out.Sunday night - the eve of a day in the Brecon Beacons searching for wildlife - was…

The Pedang - a sports field - with the cricket club at the far end and the financial district behind.Singapore's delightful in January. I've never been so early in the year and find that it's not too humid and the warm air feels like weightless cashmere, cosseting one and making one feel as though t…

It was with a sigh of contentment - not to say exhaustion - that I landed in Singapore. After Dubai, you just know that life is somehow about to become rather easier and, indeed, taxi rides take a fraction of the time on largely uncongested roads, the air is soft, the temperature welcoming and the s…

Day three in Dubai and the weather continues dreadful. It's been raining almost non-stop since we arrived (I am here with a trade mission from the UK) and the streets, unused to coping with such a deluge, are flooding steadily.Travelling around Dubai is never easy at the best of times (the infrastru…