On the grapevine

Gastropub winners: Congratulations to The Star Inn and The Angel at Hetton which came third and fourth in the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs in the UK. Both are renowned for the quality of their wine lists as well as their food and service. Sadly, The Star Inn is closed for renovation following a fire in November, but it will be back in action soon. Also in the top 50 are The Pipe and Glass in South Dalton, The Moorcock Inn on Norland Moor, Shibden Mill Inn near Halifax and The Hovingham Inn near York.

All are well worth visiting. With six Yorkshire gastropubs in the list, it shows that Yorkshire is a great place to eat out challenging London and Devon, both regions that also scored six in the top 50.

Covid and wine: There are all kinds of research going on trying to prove that a regular glass or two of wine helps prevent you catching Covid. One research has even narrowed it down to one grape variety – Pinot Noir. I really am tired of the researchers who are paid by the wealthy wine industry to come up with various ideas about wine and health. Surprisingly this analysis was done by scientists in China. I leave you to make up your own minds on this one.

Burgundy shortage: Increasing popularity, coupled with a run of short vintages, means that Burgundy prices are high. Many domaines sell only to established customers so the chances of sneaking on to a list for top names is highly unlikely. The 2020 vintage is terrific in quality and average in quantity, but it is sandwiched between two small vintages of 2019 and 2021. I love Burgundy, but my bank account doesn’t so I head to New Zealand for affordable, top-notch Pinot Noir. Try Felton Road, Fromm, Craggy Range and Ata Rangi.