Author - Giles MacDonogh

Wine and Food Diary of Giles MacDonogh

Disappearing Kentish Town

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by Giles MacDonogh

Disappearing Kentish Town Posted: 2nd April 2019 When I first moved to Kentish Town in central...

Wine and Food Diary of Giles MacDonogh

Gérard Basset

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by Giles MacDonogh

Gérard Basset Posted: 1st February 2019 Gérard Basset died from throat cancer this month. It is sad...

Wine and Food Diary of Giles MacDonogh

The Spirit of Christmas Present

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by Giles MacDonogh

The Spirit of Christmas Present Posted: 2nd January 2019 Christmas is certainly not what it was...

Wine and Food Diary of Giles MacDonogh

Austerity and Prosecco

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by Giles MacDonogh

Austerity and Prosecco Posted: 3rd December 2018 November was grim month. Sometime in the twilight...

Wine and Food Diary of Giles MacDonogh

On Culinary Fashion: a Tale of Two St John’s: St John’s in...

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by Giles MacDonogh

On Culinary Fashion: a Tale of Two St John’s: St John’s in Clerkenwell and the Oslo Court in St...

Wine and Food Diary of Giles MacDonogh

The Palate Revives

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by Giles MacDonogh

The Palate Revives Posted: 3rd October 2018 After the dog days of this summer working life has...

Wine and Food Diary of Giles MacDonogh

Pimm’s Number 6 Cup

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by Giles MacDonogh

Pimm’s Number 6 Cup Posted: 1st August 2018 In the earlier part of this summer at least, I spent a...

Wine and Food Diary of Giles MacDonogh

Austrian Wines

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by Giles MacDonogh

Austrian Wines Posted: 2nd July 2018 It has been a while since I have been in Vienna for the...

Wine and Food Diary of Giles MacDonogh

Hispi Duck

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by Giles MacDonogh

Hispi Duck Posted: 4th June 2018 I had a remarkable meal in the middle of last month. It happened...

Whisky Connoisseur • Wine and Food Diary of Giles MacDonogh

Turning from Whisky to Wine

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by Giles MacDonogh

Turning from Whisky to Wine Posted: 1st May 2018 Almost exactly a quarter of a century ago, on 4...

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Connoisseur Magazine

Connoisseur Magazine is a showcase for 'The Finer things in life' .

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2 months ago

A Sensory Journey to the Heart of Aÿ: Axel Ritenis Explores Pressoria 🥂✨Last september , the renowned critic and editorof Connoisseur Magazine traded the bustling streets of Paris for the golden hills of Aÿ-Champagne, visiting the acclaimed Pressoria museum.Housed in a meticulously restored former Pommery pressing house, Pressoria has become a "must-visit" landmark since its opening. For Ritenis—whose recent reports have covered everything from the Louvre heist to the legends of Bordeaux—the visit was a deep dive into the very soul of the terroir. "Pressoria isn't just a museum; it’s an awakening," Ritenis noted. "It strips away the elitism of Champagne and replaces it with a pure, sensory connection to the land and the vine."The visit highlights the growing trend of "edu-tainment" in the wine industry.The Pressoria Experience:Stepping into Pressoria is like walking into a living, breathing encyclopedia of effervescence.As you begin, you descend into the depths of the Champagne subsoil. You aren't just looking at charts; you are touching the cool, porous chalk that defines the region’s unique minerality. In the next room, the seasons flash by in a 360-degree digital display—you hear the winter wind whistling through the vines and feel the humid heat of a summer harvest.The Highlights : The Scent Tables: Visitors lean in to catch the "nose" of different grape varieties—Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Chardonnay—training their senses to identify notes of brioche, citrus, and white flowers. The Bubble Room: A stunning immersive installation where you are "shrunken down" to the size of a bubble, experiencing the journey from the bottom of the flute to the surface. The Final Act: The tour culminates in the tasting salon. Here, framed by panoramic windows overlooking the UNESCO World Heritage hillsides, guests are served two distinct cuvées.It is here, flute in hand, that the entire journey comes together—a perfect marriage of geological history and liquid art. For any traveler or wine lover, the Pressoria tour is a reminder that every bubble tells a story of millions of years in the making. ... See MoreSee Less

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Connoisseur Magazine

2 months ago

A Sensory Journey to the Heart of Aÿ: Axel Ritenis Explores Pressoria 🥂✨In the world of fine wine, few figures possess the discerning palate and sharp eye of Axel Ritenis. This week, the renowned critic and editor-in-chief of Connoisseur Magazine traded the bustling streets of Paris for the golden hills of Aÿ-Champagne, visiting the acclaimed Pressoria museum.Housed in a meticulously restored former Pommery pressing house, Pressoria has become a "must-visit" landmark since its opening. For Ritenis—whose recent reports have covered everything from the Louvre heist to the legends of Bordeaux—the visit was a deep dive into the very soul of the terroir. "Pressoria isn't just a museum; it’s an awakening," Ritenis noted. "It strips away the elitism of Champagne and replaces it with a pure, sensory connection to the land and the vine."The visit highlights the growing trend of "edu-tainment" in the wine industry, where history and high-tech immersion meet to tell the story of the world's most famous bubbles.The Pressoria Experience: A Short Story of the Tour 📖✨Stepping into Pressoria is like walking into a living, breathing encyclopedia of effervescence. The tour doesn't start with a bottle, but with the earth.As you begin, you descend into the depths of the Champagne subsoil. You aren't just looking at charts; you are touching the cool, porous chalk that defines the region’s unique minerality. In the next room, the seasons flash by in a 360-degree digital display—you hear the winter wind whistling through the vines and feel the humid heat of a summer harvest.The Highlights of the Trail: The Scent Tables: Visitors lean in to catch the "nose" of different grape varieties—Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Chardonnay—training their senses to identify notes of brioche, citrus, and white flowers. The Bubble Room: A stunning immersive installation where you are "shrunken down" to the size of a bubble, experiencing the journey from the bottom of the flute to the surface. The Final Act: The tour culminates in the tasting salon. Here, framed by panoramic windows overlooking the UNESCO World Heritage hillsides, guests are served two distinct cuvées.It is here, flute in hand, that the entire journey comes together—a perfect marriage of geological history and liquid art. For any traveler or wine lover, the Pressoria tour is a reminder that every bubble tells a story of millions of years in the making. ... See MoreSee Less

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Connoisseur Magazine

2 months ago

The Unsolved Louvre,Paris Jewelry Heist Paris is no stranger to drama, but the October 19, 2025, heist at the Louvre sent shockwaves through the art world. In a brazen, broad-daylight operation, a crew of thieves disguised as construction workers used a furniture lift to scale the museum’s exterior. In less than eight minutes, they breached the Galerie d’Apollon, smashed through high-security glass, and vanished with eight priceless pieces of the French Crown Jewels.What Was Taken?The haul, valued at approximately €88 million ($100 million USD), included some of the most historically significant gems in France: -The sapphire set of Queen Marie-Amélie. -The emerald necklace and earrings belonging to Empress Marie-Louise. -The reliquary brooch of Empress Eugénie.While the Crown of Empress Eugénie was recovered on the pavement after being dropped during the getaway, the rest of the collection remains missing. Despite several arrests in early 2026, the jewels themselves have vanished into the global black market, leaving investigators to wonder if they will ever be seen again in their original form.A Brush with History: Axel RitenisInterestingly, the heist has sparked conversations about museum security and "who was there" in the weeks leading up to the breach. The publisher of Connoisseur Magazine Axel Ritenis was actually at the Louvre just one month before the robbery occurred and manged to photograph some of the Jewels !While there is no suggestion of involvement, the timing highlights how vibrant and "normal" the gallery felt just weeks before it was targeted by such a professional criminal cell. It serves as a chilling reminder of how quickly a world-class institution can go from a peaceful cultural landmark to a high-stakes crime scene.Could these jewels be recovered like the "Mona Lisa" in 1911, or are they gone for good? ... See MoreSee Less

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Connoisseur Magazine

6 months ago

Christmas is Coming..

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Christmas is Coming.. Written by GILES MACDONOGH in London Posted on Sunday 14 december,2025 Climate change is not always detrimental, just look at England and Wales. Until a couple of generations ago

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