Fuseblower

Can you identify the link between a Paco Rabane dress, a Just Eat tv commercial, the Dangerous Liaisons movie, a Texan rapper and a tantric sex advocate? The answer is rosé wine. Kylie wore ‘that’ dress; Snoop raps and stars in the tv ad for the food delivery brand; John Malkovich (Vicomte de Valmont) attracted critical acclaim in Stephen … Continue reading Inside No. 9

I’ve just finished reading Dirt by Bill Buford, a warm, insightful, richly entertaining, often hilarious account of his five-year odyssey in French cuisine. It sees him move his wife and infant twins with him to France right at the start of the adventure. He enrols at L’Institut Paul Bocuse, before becoming accepted by locals and … Continue reading It’s rosé, Jim, but not as we know it

American wit and comedian Groucho Marx famously once said “I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member”. For many years, this maxim has characterized my aversion to joining a wine club. I’ve preferred being an outlier, more comfortable grazing across different merchants and independent suppliers; from Passione Vino to Majestic … Continue reading Join The Club

There can’t be many national anthems that pay tribute to the wine of their homeland but, such is the reverence Hungarians attach to their most famous wine, Tokaji, that it is rightly celebrated in their patriotic hymn Tokaji is chiefly made from the Furmint grape (it may also include its stablemate Hárslevelü) but can even … Continue reading Power Hungary

Passione = Passion: a compelling desire for someone or something; enthusiastic enjoyment of an interest or activity; intense emotion compelling action. How appropriate that the name of London’s finest enoteca is also the perfect noun to describe its founder and leading light Luca Dusi. Fuseblower knows you love getting out there and finding the latest … Continue reading Passione Italiana

I’d be surprised if you hadn’t come across the names of Russell Norman or Polpo but, in case you’ve been living in a caravan in Wales for the last 10 years, here is a brief, potted biog. Russell is the indefatigable restaurateur (and former chef) behind the popular Italian eaterie, an atmospheric, buzzy version of a Venetian … Continue reading The Doge of Soho

When Fuseblower was a young rake gadding about the East End he became a fan of London based gangster movies. One such flick: “The Long Good Friday”, particularly caught his interest. In this definitive London tough-guy film, which you should feel obligated today to rewatch instead of working, Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren are dealing … Continue reading Steak Acclaim

I want you to close your eyes – ok, so not right this minute (I’ll tell you when!) – and conjure up this vision… You’re sitting at a beachside ristorante. You’ve just despatched your aperitivo, Acquasale, (a pimped up Apulian bruschetta, featuring the local Collina di Brindisi DOP extra-virgin olive oil) you have Antipasti di … Continue reading Calafuria Dreamin’

At the same time as Justin Bieber was making his debut at St Joseph’s Maternity Hospital in London, Ontario, some 3,600 miles away Patrick McGrath MW was hatching a plan – together with a small alliance of wine estates – to launch a wine agency that better represented select, family-owned, wine companies. The 3 apostles, … Continue reading Tonight We’re Going To Party Like It’s 1994!

Not a typical Saturday for Fuseblower by any means but, in the company of @londonfare, it gave me the chance to explore some of the great venues in Bermondsey that I’ve hankered after visiting for ages. There was also the small matter of a football match in between all the browsing and sluicing but it … Continue reading I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles