Carol singers
In our (quite remote, even for Hampshire) village, the carol singers are driven around by tractor between three houses at different points along the length of the village. When we host, we have a fizz from The Grange, as the vineyard is literally in the village and it would be heresy to do otherwise (01962 458069; www.thegrangewine.co.uk). Alongside this, we’ll have some tasty mulled wine (this is homemade, of course—there are no sachets here) for those who believe that drinks for carols have to feel Christmassy. The secret is to use a red with low tannin and lots of fruit and don’t go too cheap. Find something from southern France or Argentina at about £10 a bottle, if you don’t want to suffer the next day.
Village drinks party
Here again, we might be tempted to have some fizz and would source from the local wineries. Fortunately, there are a few to choose from including Raimes (07792 924914; www.raimes. co.uk), Exton Park (01489 878788; www.exton parkvineyard.com) and Hattingley Valley (01256 389188; www.hattingleyvalley.com). Alternatively, we might be more likely to serve a tasty South African Chenin Blanc— rounded and fruity with a definite flavour, which will pull in lovers of both bone-dry and off-dry wines, without the partisan effect of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Look to spend between £8 and £15 a bottle.
Denne historien er fra November 29, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 29, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Give it some stick
Galloping through the imagination, competitive hobby-horsing is a gymnastic sport on the rise in Britain, discovers Sybilla Hart
Paper escapes
Steven King selects his best travel books of 2024
For love, not money
This year may have marked the end of brag-art’, bought merely to show off one’s wealth. It’s time for a return to looking for connoisseurship, beauty and taste
Mary I: more bruised than bloody
Cast as a sanguinary tyrant, our first Queen Regnant may not deserve her brutal reputation, believes Geoffrey Munn
A love supreme
Art brought together 19th-century Norwich couple Joseph and Emily Stannard, who shared a passion for painting, but their destiny would be dramatically different
Private views
One of the best ways-often the only way-to visit the finest privately owned gardens in the country is by joining an exclusive tour. Non Morris does exactly that
Shhhhhh...
THERE is great delight to be had poring over the front pages of COUNTRY LIFE each week, dreaming of what life would be like in a Scottish castle (so reasonably priced, but do bear in mind the midges) or a townhouse in London’s Eaton Square (worth a king’s ransom, but, oh dear, the traffic) or perhaps that cottage in the Cotswolds (if you don’t mind standing next to Hollywood A-listers in the queue at Daylesford). The estate agent’s particulars will give you details of acreage, proximity to schools and railway stations, but never—no, never—an indication of noise levels.
Mission impossible
Rubble and ruin were all that remained of the early-19th-century Villa Frere and its gardens, planted by the English diplomat John Hookham Frere, until a group of dedicated volunteers came to its rescue. Josephine Tyndale-Biscoe tells the story
When a perfect storm hits
Weather, wars, elections and financial uncertainty all conspired against high-end house sales this year, but there were still some spectacular deals
Give the dog a bone
Man's best friend still needs to eat like its Lupus forebears, believes Jonathan Self, when it's not guarding food, greeting us or destroying our upholstery, of course
