HOUSE NOTES
Notes from 105 Piccadilly, Mayfair.
Our editorial wing and candle-lit corner of conversation. This is where the cork comes out and the stories begin to breathe: dispatches from dinner tables, conversations on travel, taste, art, and the odd beautiful mistake along the way. Think of it as the after-hours lounge of House of Decant — and everyone is welcome.
226 articles
- Advice
Best Japanese Whisky: Where to Start
A buyer's guide to the best Japanese whisky, from accessible blends like Suntory Toki and Hibiki to Nikka's characterful malts.
- Advice
What wine goes with cheese?
The received wisdom says a big red. The sommeliers quietly disagree. A practical guide to what actually flatters cheese, from oozing Brie to a wedge of Stilton.
- Advice
Best Cognac: A Buyer's Guide to Liquid Gold
A buyer's guide to Cognac: what VS, VSOP and XO actually mean, the big houses versus growers, and in-stock bottles at every level.
- Advice
What Wine Goes With Game?
Partridge is on the butcher's slab, pheasant is a fortnight away, and venison is coming. A feather-and-fur guide to what to pour with game, with in-stock bottles to open this autumn.
- Advice
Best Dark Rum: Rich, Complex, Extraordinary
A buyer's guide to the best dark rum, from smooth aged sippers to full-strength Jamaican pot still, with in-stock bottles.
- How to Guides
Which gin makes the best Negroni?
Campari is Campari and the ratio is settled, so the gin is the one choice that actually decides your Negroni. A field guide for Negroni Week.
- Advice
What Is Crémant? (And Why It Might Be Your New Favourite)
An explainer on Crémant: French sparkling wine made in the traditional Champagne method, from Alsace to Limoux, and why it is such good value.
- Advice
Ripasso vs Amarone: The Veneto's Ladder of Warming Reds
Valpolicella, Ripasso, Amarone and Recioto are the same valley told four ways. Here is how to climb the ladder as the nights draw in, with an in-stock bottle for every rung.
- Advice
Best Champagne Deals UK: Where to Find Real Value
A buyer's guide to the best-value Champagne in the UK, from grower fizz to grande marque, with in-stock bottles around and under £50.
- Advice
What Wine Goes With a Sunday Roast?
The one meal of the week that earns a proper bottle. A meat-by-meat guide to what to pour with the roast, from a claret for the beef to a lighter red for the bird.
- Advice
Best Red Wine Under £15: Proof That Price Isn't Everything
A buyer's guide to the best red wine under £15, with in-stock picks from Spain, southern France and Italy that over-deliver.
- How to Guides
How to Make a Manhattan Worth the Name
Whiskey, sweet vermouth, two dashes of bitters and thirty seconds of stirring. Here is how to make a proper Manhattan, and whether to reach for rye or bourbon.