The Fine Wine Company Ltd - Best Wine Merchants Online | UK

Cognac and Armagnac are the two great French brandies, and choosing between them is one of the most enjoyable decisions in the drinks cabinet. Both are made from grapes, both are aged in oak, and both are meant to be sipped slowly rather than rushed. Yet they come from different regions of France and taste noticeably different. If you have ever stood in front of a shelf wondering which one to pour, this simple guide will help you decide with confidence. Here is the short answer before we go further. Cognac is generally smoother, lighter and more polished, which makes it the easy first step for most people. Armagnac is fuller-bodied and more characterful, and tends to win over drinkers who already enjoy a bit of depth in their glass. You can explore both in our own Cognac collection , and the good news is that there is no wrong answer here, only a matter of personal taste and the mood of the moment. What is the difference between Cognac and Armagnac? Both are grape brandies distilled f...

  Scotland has quietly become one of the most exciting places in the world for craft beer. Where the fridge once held a single lager and not much else, there is now a whole movement of small, independent breweries doing genuinely interesting things: fruit-packed sours, dessert-inspired cans, and classic dark lagers brewed with real care. Scottish craft beer is no longer a niche corner of the shelf. It is one of the best reasons to stop drinking on autopilot. This is a friendly UK guide to the independent Scottish brews to try in 2026, and where they sit in our own craft beers and ciders range . We've put it together drawing on years of helping customers at our independent shop in Portobello, Edinburgh, many of them coming in for a familiar lager and leaving with a can of something they'd never heard of. The good news is that Scottish craft beer rewards a small bit of curiosity, and there has never been more of it to explore. Why Scottish craft beer is having a moment Craft bee...