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Wine ‘made in China’ has gained increased attention around world in recent years. Splitting my time as I do between Europe and China, I have the opportunity to assess the health and potential of the Chinese market with a good degree of objectivity.

The post Wine ‘made in China’ appeared first on OUPblog.

Can Instagram really sell wine? The answer is, yes, though perhaps indirectly. In recent years the advent of social media, considered to be the second stage of the Internet’s evolution – the Web 2.0, has not only created an explosion of user-generated content but also the decline of expert run media. It’s a change that has led to the near demise of print media.

The post Wine and social media appeared first on OUPblog.

The relationship between wine and the vineyard earth has long been held as very special, especially in Europe. Tradition has it that back in the Middle Ages the Burgundian monks tasted the soils in order to gauge which ones would give the best tasting wine, and over the centuries this kind of thinking was to become entrenched. The vines were manifestly taking up water from the soil.

The post On the unstoppable rise of vineyard geology appeared first on OUPblog.

The history of soda is full of Norman Rockwell paintings, nostalgic Americana, athletes and other celebrities—so many familiar faces that soda companies seem like the industry next door. But these are the same companies that use municipal water supplies in drought-stricken areas and spend large amounts of money on lobbying. So how much do you actually know about the soda industry? Take the quiz and find out.

The post How well do you know the soda industry? [quiz] appeared first on OUPblog.

The past two decades have seen globalization of the world's wine markets proceed like never before, in both speed and comprehensiveness. There was a degree of trade expansion in the five decades to World War I but, until the late 20th century, interactions across continents involved little more than the exporting of vine cuttings and traditional production expertise.

The post Wine globalization set to continue appeared first on OUPblog.

Many people have influenced the world of wine over the course of the last 400 years. They have changed, developed, and perfected the winemaking process, introduced grapes and viticulture to different continents, and left their mark on an industry that has been with us since the dawn of civilization.

The post Twelve important figures in the modern history of wine appeared first on OUPblog.

Did you know that ‘croissant’ literally means ‘crescent’ or that oranges are native to China? Do you realize that the word ‘pie’ has been around for seven hundred years in English or that ‘toast’ comes from the Latin word for ‘scorch’? John Ayto explores the word origins of food and drink in The Diner’s Dictionary. We’ve made a little quiz based on the book. Are you hungry for it?

John Ayto is a freelance writer and the author of many reference works, including the Dictionary of Slang, the Dictionary of Modern Slang, and Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Seasoned generously with literary wit, The Diner’s Dictionary is a veritable feast, tracing the origins and history of over 2,300 gastronomical words and phrases.

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The post Quiz on the word origins of food and drink appeared first on OUPblog.

In 1984 this house was a condemned building, occupied by a collective of lesbian separatist librarians. I haven't been back since.

Card 28 in the current series is now finished.
Woodcut 30cm x 20cm. Click to enlarge.

I had a wild evening round at Dick and Wend's.
Crayon on tinted paper 21.5cm x 32cm. Click to enlarge.

I had this idea today for a comic book called The Brain Yard.
Click to enlarge.

Two watercolours of the Frog painting at a cafe in Fitzrovia we named "Sharon & Tate" (because the owner resembled Charles Manson).
Watercolour 18cm x 25cm and 25cm x 18cm. Click to enlarge.

A couple in a cafe on Goodge St., London
Watercolour 15cm x 21cm. Click to enlarge.

Back in 1995 Cyberia was London's first internet cafe....probably one of the first on the planet. My studio was on the same street, and one day I saw it was unusually crowded. They were holding a special introductory event about this new thing called "the internet". This businessman started chatting to me; he couldn't understand what the internet was for and yet he was terribly anxious about being left "out of the loop". He was so worried that he didn't notice or care that I was painting him.
Watercolour 14cm x 10cm. Click to enlarge.

Sketch for a forthcoming card in the current series.
Brushpen and watercolour. 20cm x 14cm. Click to enlarge.

Card 20 in the current series.
Woodcut 20cm x 30cm. Click to enlarge.

Another traditional English nursery rhyme that no one's heard of. However, Vivian de St. Vrain
has some interesting thoughts on the subject.
Pen and ink with watercolour. 17cm x 25cm. Click to enlarge.

At Raoul's cafe, Maida Vale, London before the smoking ban.
Marker pens. 17cm x 11cm. Click to enlarge.

Lethargy set in during tea at The Mock Turtle in Brighton
Felt tip pens 21cm x 15cm. Click to enlarge.