Wines for a new year – and a new start
I’ve been “holding space” in this particular corner of the Guardian for a few weeks now, and don’t believe I’ve introduced myself properly.Hi, I’m Hannah.I’m a Virgo (which apparently means I’m organised), I’m a size three shoe (so I get all the good stuff in the sales) and I’m enormously delighted to be this paper’s new drinks writer.The Guardian’s journalism is independent.We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link.
Learn more,How did I end up here? Well, it’s a long story and I have only 500 words, so I’ll tell you the first chapter for now,We have a long time to get to know each other,To begin at the beginning, they say it’s the fate of all writers to mine their family for material, but when I found out I’d got this new gig, the Crosbies gave a collective sigh of relief,You see, I was raised by two parents who, at one point, were both social workers which, coupled with a rather awkward, friendless youth, meant there wasn’t much opportunity to partake of the great British pastime of underage drinking.
The few parties I was invited to, I’d spend an hour beforehand pleading with my mother to let me have a can of cider.She never yielded.I get it.It’s not a good look if you’ve dedicated your working life to helping children in need, and your own brood are off in a park somewhere chugging Strongbow Dark Fruit.It wasn’t until my first restaurant job at 15 that I was properly introduced to booze.
While being quite bad at holding three plates in two hands, I had my first meaningful opportunity to interact with wine.The mostly Italian wine list fitted neatly on a single side of A4, and from this sheet of paper I learned the basics.Red wine with steak.Seven glasses of prosecco per bottle.Pinot noir is a grape.
Chianti is a place.Over the next six years, while working on-and-off during my studies, I became just as interested in who was drinking as in what was in their glass.I will never forget two office workers who came in at 1pm one Wednesday.They’d met their annual targets a month early and ordered a bottle of Perrier Jouët Belle Époque to celebrate.The experience was almost ceremonial: I polished the special glasses painted with the same white-and-pink Japanese anemone painted on to the bottle.
I poured carefully, observing their glee as the froth rose to the top of the glass, then ebbed back past the flowers and into a golden pool.I watched customers inspect wine through candlelight, telling me what they liked, what they didn’t, and tales of vineyards they’d visited on their holidays.At this point in my life, I had been abroad only once, so hearing about long car rides, vineyard walks and cellar tours filled me with excitement and romance.I’ve now seen enough cellars to last a lifetime, but my curiosity remains.I’m still just as interested in you, the drinker, as I am with what’s in your glass.
I look forward to finding out what you like, what you don’t like and your own experiences,As I said, we have a long time to get to know each other,I can’t wait,Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut NV £39,95 (down from £50) Jeroboams, 12%.
Floral and peachy notes make this an unmistakable champagne,A good offer, too,Tesco Finest Pedro Ximénez £7,25 (37,5cl), 15%.
PX was the first sherry I ever tried.It’s rich, figgy and good drizzled over puddings.The Society’s Sicilian Reserve Red 2021 £8.95 The Wine Society, 13.5%.
As a nod to the nearly all-Italian list that started my journey, this cooperative-made Sicilian red is equal parts fruity and spicy.Three Choirs Vineyards Coleridge Hill 2022 £11.99, Grape Britannia, 11%.I’m currently in an English still wine phase, and this blend is all elderflower cordial with crisp citrus on the palate.
Prison officer jailed for having sex with inmate at HMP Wandsworth
A prison officer has been sentenced to 15 months after having sex with an inmate at a London jail.Linda De Sousa Abreu, 30, of Fulham, south-west London, was charged after a video of the activity was shared on social media.A police investigation was launched after officers were made aware of a video filmed inside HMP Wandsworth. In the footage, an inmate off-camera can be heard saying: “This is how we live at Wandsworth, bruv.”De Sousa Abreu appeared at Isleworth crown court on Monday, where she was sentenced to 15 months in prison
Billionaire Bet365 boss takes home £150m despite 45% pay cut
Britain’s highest-paid woman, the Bet365 billionaire Denise Coates, has given herself a 45% pay cut but still claimed £150m in salary and dividends last year as profits at the online gambling company soared.The Stoke-based business reported an increase in turnover from £3.4bn to £3.7bn last year, while also cutting costs and benefiting from a one-off gain on the value of its investments, as equity markets improved.These three factors catapulted the company to a £626m profit before tax in the year to the end of March 2024, compared with a £60m pre-tax loss the year before
‘Keeps me grateful’: how volunteering can help older adults
By the time she turned 61, Amy Laskey had gained a lot of time. Previously, she had been working full time in municipal finance, raising a son and helping to take care of an elderly parent. But then her parent passed away, her child grew up, and she retired.In place of those duties Laskey, now a 64-year-old retiree in New York City, started volunteering. She participates in conversation practice for an ESL class, ushers for classical music venues, and writes letters to incarcerated individuals
‘New year, new you’? How are we supposed to find the time? | Emma Beddington
I’m not anti-resolution. I actually stuck to one last year: not a single microwave rice sachet has passed my lips since 1 January 2024 and yes, I do want a medal, thanks. But I also want to ask anyone implementing something “new year new you”-adjacent in the wellness space: do you really have time?The wellness timesuck starts innocently enough, setting a manageable daily step count, maybe, downloading a couch to 5k app or targeting the NHS’s recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise. But once you get started, you’ll discover everything else you should be doing, especially if you’re a suggestible social media user. “Start strength training,” your algorithms nudge, raving about bone density and heart health, so soon you’re adding deadlifts and split squats to your weekly routine
Record numbers of children in England jailed many miles from their families
Vulnerable children are being jailed many miles from their families at record levels, a Guardian investigation has found, prompting warnings that the government is breaking the law.The proportion of young people being detained in young offender institutions (YOIs) more than 100 miles from their home has doubled over the last decade to 15% – the highest since its peak at the height of the Covid pandemic.More than one in 10 of the young people in custody in England are being held at least 75 miles from their families, the highest since the Ministry of Justice began publishing the figures in April 2015.The closure of youth custody centres has resulted in fewer children being held close to their families. Charities and experts say having children in custody close to their families lessens their likelihood of reoffending
What is human metapneumovirus, are cases surging in China, and should we be worried?
Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a respiratory disease that causes flu or cold-like symptoms, but can increase risks or lead to more serious complications like bronchitis or pneumonia, particularly among the elderly, young children, and immunocompromised people.The disease is in the same family as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and has been around since at least 2001 when it was first identified in the Netherlands. Its outbreaks are concentrated during colder seasons.Cases have been surging in northern China, particularly among children, according to local authorities. The country’s centre for disease control (CDC) has warned people to take precautions with health and hygiene, but has also pushed back against online claims of overwhelmed hospitals and fears of another Covid-like pandemic
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