News and Advice

What to do in Antigua during the yacht show!

 

Learning wine can be complicated. We've all heard myths that can interfere in our journey. So let's bust these wine legends with WinebyAlex!

How do you go about selecting which wine supplier to use when it comes to provisioning wines and spirits for your yacht? Rosie Clarkson, Master of Wine in training and wine buying specialist, speaks about the different companies who provide fine wine around the world. She explains what to look out for in your supplier when buying wine for your yacht.

Drink fads are a thing - the last 5 years have seen craft gins produced from just about every botanical imaginable; non-alcoholic premium spirits like Seedlip dominate sales; ready-to-drink Port and tonic in a can; a rum revival and even blue wine. This summer, it was all about sipping tequila, which looks like a craze that is set to stay.

The European grape harvest begins in the south in mid to late August, working its way north with teams of pickers from around the world slowly following the sun to ensure fruit is picked at optimum ripeness for the style of wine being produced. It is a tense time of year, with weather having a huge impact on both harvest dates and quality.

Choosing wine for your charter is an important part of planning any trip. Yet with such a wealth of memorable and collectible bottles to choose from, it can seem hard to know where to start. So what is it that makes some wine better than others? Quality, yes. Winemaking, terroir, vintage, of course. But does this explain why some regions are firmly at centre stage when it comes to fine and iconic wines? Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne have long been regions to look to for special bottles and superstar wineries. Was this by chance?

Summer time is officially here! Time to enjoy our favourite season of al fresco dining and entertaining. But what are the best summer wines to drink (or serve) on the beach, by the villa pool or on the aft deck?

​There is no spirit that represents summer more than gin does. The highly aromatic base of citrus fruits, floral bouquet and spices creates the perfect base for deep and complex summer cocktails. So enjoy James' recipes yourself and serve them on your boat for guaranteed success!

Read all about Chardonnay and dispel the myths... A great grape that should be top of everyones list.

Easter is almost upon us, whether you’re religious or not, it’s a time for family, good food and with a little help from us…good wine. So, we’ve put together a simple guide to which wines to buy for all those popular Easter dishes. We’re talking Good Friday Fish, Easter Sunday Roast and of course the vitally important CHOCOLATE

This month, we focus on Italy. Each week we will be delving deep into the world of Italian wine and you can follow along on our Instagram or Facebook feeds. Through bitesize videos, quick buying guides and info-graphics, you are sure to gain fresh knowledge, uncover our pro tips and hopefully have a greater understanding of what you’re drinking, where it’s from and how good it should be.

At this time of the year, we get asked the same questions:  What does one drink on Christmas day? What does one serve? Which wine goes with what food?

So to help out everyone I’ve made a specially curated Christmas Collection on https://onshorecellars.com with all the different types of wine, bubbles and spirits needed to see you through the festive season. 

With everyone doing an end-of-season inventory, I thought it would be a great time to give some pointers on which wines are going out of date, which wines are past their prime and which wines are so old that they’re only good for cleaning windows.

As an ex chief stew I completely understand how difficult it can be to provision the boat all over the world. And this is in a normal year! 2020 has presented even more challenges with purchasing and logistics. So I have put together a list of a few things to consider on the Interior side, not just wine and spirits, but other options and companies that will be able to assist in making your winter season a little smoother.

We have recently launched the new edition of our wine book ‘ICONIC under 100’ and we couldn’t be prouder!

This week we’ve brought together 6 of our favourite bargain wines below 20€. So sit back, relax, read on and grab yourself a six pack to stock up.

A very lucky group of Chief Stews had the opportunity to visit last week the emblematic producer from Provence, Chateau Léoube, thanks to the joint efforts of Onshore Cellars and Sea Emporium. 

When it comes to the terms “organic”, “biodynamic”, “vegan” or “natural” we know things can get a bit confusing.

Not to worry, the Onshore Cellars team is here to help!

As the drive for clean eating gains momentum we are getting asked more and more whether wine is suitable for vegans.

How well do you know Bordeaux, try our quiz to test your knowledge.

Our guide to tax free wine orders for your yacht. Where do you stand on paying VAT, we offer our years of expertise to try and explain this complicated area simply.