Tag: wine

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Recipes

Foodie Friday: Matt Moran’s dry-aged rib eye with anchovy butter

Today’s recipe is one of chef and The Group Wines ambassador Matt Moran’s favourite dishes from his restaurant Chop House. You can pair the dish with a glass of their The Fever McLaren Vale Grower Blend. Crafted to showcase structure and flavour, it features Merlot, Mourvèdre and Cabernet beautifully intertwined to create a bold and juicy palate, perfectly paired with succulent ribeye.

Ingredients

Serves 2

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 x 1.2kg dry-aged ribeye
  • Salt and pepper

Anchovy butter

  • 300 gm softened butter
  • ¼ bunch tarragon, picked and finely chopped
  • ¼ bunch flat leaf parsley, picked and finely chopped
  • 15g capers, rinsed and finely chopped
  • 1 eschallot, finely diced
  • 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbs seeded mustard
  • ½ lemon, juice and zest
  • 3 fillets good quality anchovies, finely chopped
  • ½ cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp sweet paprika

Method

Preheat a barbeque to its hottest setting or place a chargrill pan over high heat, and preheat the oven to 180°C.

To make the anchovy butter, place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix well until all ingredients are combined season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Divide butter mixture into equal portions and spread each portion down the centre of a long piece of plastic wrap to 10cm long. Roll up into a cylinder about the diameter of a 50 cent piece, tie each end and refrigerate until firm (1 hour). (Keep and extra butter refrigerated for up to 1 week, or frozen for 2-3 months defrost in the refrigerator before using. Just before serving), unwrap butter and slice into around 1cm medallions.

Pour the olive oil over the steak and season generously with salt and pepper. Grill the steak for 3-5mins on one side until nicely charred, then turn over and repeat on the other side. Transfer the steak to a baking tray and place in the oven for 5mins turn the steak and cook for a further 5-6 mins or until desired cooking temperature (this method is for a medium rare to medium) , then remove and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.

Serve the steak on a large platter and place the anchovy butter on top.

Foodie Friday: Beetroot and horseradish steak sandwich

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Foodie Friday: Steak & mushrooms in ginger miso broth

Doesn’t this look delicious? The team at Williams-Sonoma know that nothing beats a steaming bowl of savoury noodle soup, especially when it’s laden with mountains of fresh and delicious ingredients. …
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Recipes

Foodie Friday: Coq au Vin

Jessica Nguyen’s adaptation of the iconic French dish coq au vin, where chicken is braised in red wine with onion and mushrooms, is perfect for a winter dinner party or a date night in. Recipe created exclusively for Tussock Jumper Wines.

Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Serves: 6 | Skill level: easy

Ingredients

  • 1 strip (100g) of pancetta, cut into lardons or matchsticks
  • 3 cups (400g) of mushrooms. Preferably small button or Swiss brown mushrooms
  • 10 baby brown onions, peeled and whole or 4 medium brown onions peeled and quartered
  • 10 pieces (1.5kgs) of skin-on, bone in chicken. I’ve used a mixture of drumsticks and wings but you can use anything you want
  • 150ml of brandy
  • 600ml (2.5 cups) of Tussock Jumper Pinot Noir
  • 2 cups of chicken stock, either my homemade recipe otherwise store bought is fine
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste (Jessica also recommends Mutti Double Concentrated paste tubes)
  • 1 small bunch of thyme
  • 3 tablespoons of flour
  • 3 tablespoons of butter
  • 1 small handful of parsley, finely chopped

Method

  1. Begin by heating a large pan and adding in the pancetta to render out the fat to cook with. Use a pan that is big enough to fit the meat along the bottom of the pan and that has no plastic handles as you will need to cook this in the oven after. A shallow cast iron casserole pan works best for this kind of recipe. Cook on medium for about 8 minutes or until golden and crispy and most of the fat has rendered out.
  2. Whilst waiting for the pancetta to render, peel and prepare your onions. If you have baby onions (which is what Julia Child calls for in her traditional recipe) peel and keep them whole. If you have medium or large onions, peel and quarter them.
  3. Remove the pancetta from the pan using a slotted spoon.
  4. Reheat the same pan, add a teaspoon of butter and once melted, add in the onions and brown on medium for 5 minutes. Stir them to make sure they brown evenly.
  5. Then add your mushrooms and continue to cook them with the onions for another 5 minutes. During the 5 minutes you’ll notice your mushrooms soak up all the moisture in the pan but after a few minutes they will release the moisture and sweat back out. Make sure you cook them to this point.
  6. Remove both onions and mushrooms from the pan using a slotted spoon, we will add these back in later.
  7. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Reheat your pan and add some olive oil or butter back into the pan if your pan looks a bit dry. Now its time to brown your chicken. Place your chicken pieces skin side down and cook in the pan on high heat for a few minutes until browned. Make sure to not overcrowd your pan, cooking in 2 batches otherwise your chicken will steam rather than brown. Flip your chicken and cook for another 5 minutes on the other side until browed. Once all your chicken is browned on all sides, place all chicken pieces into
    the pan.
  8. Now we deglaze and flambé! Pour your brandy over the chicken into the pan and light chicken with a lighter. The chicken will flame for 2 minutes and once the flames dies out it means your alcohol has cooked off.
  9. Now add in your Tussock Jumper red wine! Pour at least ¾ of the bottle of the Tussock Jumper Pinot Noir into the pan. Half of your chicken should be submerged in the wine. Now add in your chicken stock until the chicken is submerged.
  10. Bring the pan to the boil and add in your bay leaves, stir in your finely minced garlic. Once your sauce is boiling, lower to a simmer. Add and mix in your tomato paste and then add in your thyme leaves. I like to turn my thyme into a ‘Bouquet Garni’ which is French for ‘garnished bouquet’. You simply tie your thyme into a bundle using cooking string which makes it easier to fish out of the sauce at the end.
  11. Finally add back in half of the pancetta into the pan. Place the lid onto the pan and cook in the oven for 45 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius.
  12. Take your pan out of the oven after 20 minutes and add in your onions you browned before. At this point your sauce should look less purple/red and now more orangey brown in colour. Place it back into the oven to continue cooking.
  13. At the 35 minute mark, take your pan out of the oven, stir in the mushrooms and place back into the oven with the lid for the last part of the cook.
  14. Whilst waiting for it to finish cooking, prepare your Beurre Manie, which is a simple paste of equal parts flour and butter and the traditional French method to thicken soups and stews.
  15. After 45 minutes, check on your chicken. Once it is tender and pulling away from the bone easily, it’s ready to take out.
  16. Place your pan back onto the stove with the heat on low. Remove your thyme bouquet and now stir in your beaurre manie. You’ll notice after 2 minutes your sauce will thicken and easily coat the back of your spoon.
  17. You can serve hot and immediately with some finely chopped parsley sprinkled on top with crusty bread and some vegetable sides. Alternatively, you can make this ahead of time the day before because like all stews, this one tastes even better the next day which makes it a great dinner party dish! Finally, pour the remaining glass of Tussock Jumper Pinot Noir from the bottle and enjoy with your Coq au Vin.

Serving suggestions and recommended sides

  • Serve with crusty bread to mop up the sauce or mound the casserole on top of rice or a thick pasta like pappardelle.
  • Serve with vegetable sides such as glazed carrots, steamed green beans and roasted or mashed potatoes.
  • Enjoy with a glass of Tussock Jumper Pinot Noir.

Melbourne home cook Jessica Nguyen adapted this recipe from Julia Child’s original recipe in ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’.

Foodie Friday: Choc Orange Tart with Hazelnut-Oat Crust

This recipe was developed by Minako Umehara @365cleaneats for Naked Foods. This cake is kind of like the lovechild of a jaffa and a hazelnut – except creamy and fudgy, with a subtle…

Foodie Friday: Ramen with vegetables & fried tofu

As more and more people pursue a plant-based diet, the quality and variety of vegetarian dishes increases by the day. Taken from the new cookbook Vegan Japaneasy by Tim Anderson,…
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Recipes

Foodie Friday: Warming mulled wine

foodie friday logoIn this, the last week of Aussie winter, indulge in one of the season’s finest beverages: mulled wine! Thanks to Maxwell & Williams for this week’s recipe.

M&W Mulled Wine-

Infused with aromatic spices and fragrant citrus peel, the combination of the warm, sweet and fruity wine is the perfect way to wind down on a cold night.

Method

  1. In a saucepan, slowly bring to the boil 2 cups of water, 5-10 whole cloves, 2 sticks of cinnamon, ¼ cup caster sugar, 1 roughly grated nutmeg, and the grated rind of 1 orange.
  2. Once boiled, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. Add a bottle of fruity red wine, like Shiraz, and let mull for 5 minutes, taking care not to let the wine boil.
  4. Remove the wine from heat and strain before dividing among mugs.  Serve immediately.

M&W Mulled WIne portrait-2 (1)More recipes

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Competitions

Win a bar cart in August 7 Vignettes with Pottery Barn

The bar cart has never been so cool. Not only does it serve the obvious  purpose of storing all your favourite drinks and associated cocktail-making and wine-pouring glassware and tools, it also looks seriously chic. We love the retro vibe of the bar cart, harking back to a time when people really made an occasion of stopping for a good drink. And the best news? You have a chance to win one in next month’s 7 Vignettes challenge, sponsored by our friends at Pottery Barn.

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The Tristan Bar Cart, worth more than $500, would work well in almost any interior. We particularly love its round shape and neat compact size. Oh, and it’s hand finished in an antique brass colour. We can’t get enough of gold accents in the home.

So, get prepping for 1 August, when the challenge starts on Instagram, with the following prompts/themes. If you don’t know how it works, go here to find out more. As they say, you gotta be in it to win it!

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The main overall prize is the bar cart, worth $534, and one runner-up will receive a $50 Pottery Barn voucher. There’s also seven daily theme prizes in the form of a small Malta Brass Lantern.

The fun starts on 1 August for seven days. Please tag @interiorsaddict and @potterybarnaus and use the hashtag #7vignettes.

Good luck!

Pottery Barn has stores in Bondi and Chatswood in NSW, Perth in WA, Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley in QLD, Melbourne’s Chadstone in VIC and a Canberra outlet in the ACT. You can also shop online.

Categories
House Tours The Block

The Block master reveals, ‘winegate’ and a disqualification!

Well well well, what a night of room reveals it was! Some great rooms and all very different, which impressed the judges. As Neale said: “All four have a very distinct personality and stand out for different reasons. It’s the most memorable master bedroom week I’ve experienced on The Block.”

That wasn’t all though; the results of the wine audit were in and a very smug Dee and Daz (fair enough) were shown to be NOT guilty! Then, at the end of the show, we saw Charlotte and Josh, after receiving the series’ first 30/30 from the judges, being disqualified from the scoring because they’d broken the rules by not using their Jimmy Possum bed from the recent challenge. Those bloody beds! As I keep saying on Twitter, never have I seen more of a PR fail for a brand on the show. I feel really bad for them! Couples either did their best to disguise their beds or didn’t want to use them at all. Eep!

Onto the judging…

Charlotte and Josh (30 out of 30, first place, had they not been disqualified)

The Block in Melbourne

I really liked this room and its lounge area but didn’t feel it quite warranted the perfect score it got from the judges, much preferring Dee and Daz’s overall. It was all a little too white for my liking and felt like it needed another layer or too. But not wanting to take away from the young couple’s glory, it has some great points.

“Yes, yes, yes yes!” was Shaynna’s initial reaction. Neale said the exposed beams gave a raw, contemporary quality that he loved and called it terrific.

They all loved the automated blinds and lights, especially tech-savvy Darren. Neale said it felt like Josh and Charlotte at their absolute best and they had created something like a self contained apartment or suite.

The Block in Melbourne

Shaynna closely inspected Charlotte’s paint job on the windows and was super impressed, saying they’d really worked hard. “This is their shining star, the pinnacle, what will have buyers in a bidding war.”

The massive walk-in wardrobe almost made Shaynna hyperventilate and generally went down really well, aside from the pendant light, which Darren said was a bit too Silence of the Lambs for his liking! Charlotte, born in the 90s, had never heard of the film. Bless!

The Block in Melbourne

Our pick to buy: Ingrain floating entertainment unit (by the same people who supplied their bathroom vanity last week).

Tim and Anastasia (24.5 out of 30, tying second place with Ayden and Jess)

The Block in Melbourne

I agreed with pretty much everything the judges said about this one. It was, on the face of it, a gorgeous, luxurious, cosy room.

Shaynna said it was beautiful and she loved the colours. Neale said he’s never been convinced they had confidence in their own style but this room maybe proved him wrong. He called it a gentle room with nothing in it that anyone would dislike, with a colour palette just enough to keep it modern.

Darren, perhaps diplomatically, said it was appropriate and saleable but didn’t seem overly excited and was intrigued that they hadn’t carried on the grasscloth wallpaper theme. He was concerned it was too similar to their first bedroom.

The Block in Melbourne

Shaynna kept it real though, pointing out that the curtains, while beautiful, needed channelling into ceiling and that the artwork above the bed too heavy (I totally agree, especially with those black frames).

The two-way doors to the walk-in were praised by all three as being clever. But while it was a good use of space and cabinetry, Neale said it felt a bit too much like a shop and he wasn’t sure about laminate, finding it grey and depressing. “It doesn’t feel luxurious. I’m underwhelmed.”

The Block in Melbourne

Darren also spotted a gaping hole near the window. Oops.

Ayden and Jess (24.5 out of 30, joint second with Tim & Anastasia)

The Block in Melbourne

This room drew mixed comments from the judges, with Neale being a bigger fan than the others. He said they were getting bolder with each passing week. Shaynna said it was like a younger version of Tim and Anastasia’s apartment.

Darren wasn’t exactly doing cartwheels and said he didn’t love it and it felt like a great second bedroom, not a master. He went one further to say it seemed “kind of juvenile” and unsophisticated. I totally agreed that the drum bedsides with no storage weren’t right. And I also agreed with him wanting to throw the artwork above the bed out the window. It looked too cheap and generic. top marks for personality, texture and layering though, I’d say!

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Darren loved the wardrobe however, saying it dragged (interesting choice of word!) the bedroom up a level! I’m starting to see what he meant in our recent interview when he said he was going to be less Mr Nice Guy this series and more “cranky Daz”!

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Neale finished off on some nice positives though, saying they’d got over their initial fears and misgivings and he wouldn’t change a thing.

Dee and Darren (27 out of 30 and first place after Charlotte and Josh’s disqualification)

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Pow! This really was on another level to the others and I’m not sure why they scored less than Charlotte and Josh. So, at the end of the day, in my opinion, the most deserving couple won the 10 grand. The dark , moody grasscloth, the grand but contemporary four-poster, the perfect styling. Dodgy finishes aside, it was a cracker!

The Block in Melbourne

Darren was pretty much dancing around and trying to hang off the bed, he was so excited! “Woah, I love it! This is my all time favourite colour of grasscloth.” He loved the scale of the bed too.

Neale simply said: “Nailed it.” He added that it walked the line between really contemporary and classic, which is what Dee and Darren do again and again, and that it was finessed to a different level. Shaynna agreed it was gorgeous and felt like it enveloped you.

The Block in Melbourne

First impressions of the robe were great, with Darren loving the LED lighting and Neale, the choice of pendant light. They all noted a few finishing issues though, with Neale saying it was a little rough around the edges. Shaynna said the lack of blockout blinds and privacy were letting down a near perfect room.

Our pick to buy: Hale Mercantile Co doona cover and pillowcases.

With kitchen week now upon us, I’m excited! Which was your favourite this week? Did Charlotte and Josh deserve a perfect 30? Was their disqualification too harsh?

Categories
Bathrooms House Tours RENO ADDICT The Block

Triple room reveal on last night’s Block

I really couldn’t get TOO excited about last night’s room reveals because they were so utilitarian. I’ve never renovated and although I love wine, I currently can’t drink it because I’m pregnant, so maybe that’s why! Or the fact that a wine cellar is something so South Yarra is it outside most people’s reality, but a great feature for what will be luxury homes, nonetheless!

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I was not surprised Dee and Daz won but I think they all did pretty well. Although I’m a little worried my favourite couple (personality wise) Ayden & Jess are losing their touch and I hated those brown mosaic tiles! Tim & Anastasia seem to be seriously lifting their game while Charlotte & Josh, bless them, but I just can’t get too excited. Here’s what the judges had to say…

Charlotte & Josh

The judges said their powder room was simple and elegant. Darren said it was just the right balance and liked the finish on the taps. Neale loved the tiny basin and Shaynna loved the touches of texture and personality. They all agreed it was almost perfect but they needed to be careful with attention to detail. And Shaynna thought the tap was too long for the basin.

Our pick to buy: Timber vanity shelf.

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Shaynna said the laundry was like an oasis in a battlefield and a good size. Neale said it wasn’t a show pony but it had everything you’d want in a laundry. They were disappointed not to see a laundry chute but thought the speakers were a nice touch.

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Then to the cellar. They loved the recycled timber wine rack. Neale said it was a serious cellar, beautifully done. And they all loved the storage area too. Then they cracked open a bottle and discovered it was full of coloured water! And were impressed by their money-saving ingenuity!

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Tim & Anastasia: came a close second

All the judges were impressed by the size of the powder room. Neale said it had a feel of luxury and grandeur similar to last week’s bedroom. Shaynna was worried they were spending a bit too much money too soon, like on underfloor heating in the powder room. But Darren said why not in chilly Melbourne? Neale loved the styling. Darren said the execution and finishes were up to their usual standard.

Our pick to buy: Unika pendant light.

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It was compliments all round for the laundry too. Darren said it felt well finished, resolved and really beautiful but needed better paintwork. Shaynna said a laundry chute would have been nice. Darren said he was very confident that they were on the right path now.

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They all agreed the cellar was a serious cellar and they had put a lot of time and money into the wine collection. Neale said it was impressive in its simplicity. Shaynna preferred a moodier cellar and said that there were too many lights. It was all going so well until they realised how dangerous the glass door with no stopper was against a concrete bulkhead…

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Ayden & Jess

Neale and Darren and Shaynna loved the light and bright powder room and the restraint in only putting hex tiles on one wall! They thought the sliding door was a smart move.

Our pick to buy: Sigma mirror.

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Onto the laundry. Neale loved it and said they had their confidence and mojo back. Shaynna liked the overall functionality but noted there was nowhere for an ironing board.

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And in the cellar it got controversial! (Come on, all those compliments and agreements were getting kind of dull!). Darren thought the idea of drinking down there at a couple of stools facing the wall was ridiculous and reeked of a lonely afternoon! Neale really liked the idea of it though. Darren said it was a step back into the mid-nineties. Shaynna said it didn’t convey the same feeling of luxury as the laundry and power room. Darren hated the paint colour on the walls and Shaynna said they weren’t romancing the buyer and it was like a basic storage cabinet. Neale argued again, saying he felt very comfortable in there. They all agreed the painting was a mess.

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Darren & Dea: WINNERS by half a point!

They all loved the powder room on first glance and Darren said Dea had a really refined eye for detailed design. Shaynna said the styling was beautiful and details gorgeous but the painting was bad quality. Neale said poor finishing was particularly inexcusable for the Double Ds because they’d been there and done it before.

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Shaynna thought the laundry was beautiful, especially the benchtop. And when she finally found her first laundry chute she was over the moon! Neale said it was simple but oozed luxury. They loved the storage room too.

Our pick to buy: Planet Luxe laundry products.

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Of course they couldn’t fail to be completely blown away by that amazing cellar! Shaynna realised it was the same storage system Ayden and Jess used but because it was full of wine and painted the same colour as the wall it looked much better. She said it was beautiful. Neale said they’d now seen three great cellars and one amazing one! Shaynna said it was too warm for keeping wine but visually absolutely stunning.

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 What did you think about the triple reveal? Did the right couple win?

Categories
Designers

Jen discovers the perfect place to buy gifts for stylish men

I alway struggle with gifts for the stylish men in my life and, working in the interiors industry, there are many of them, not to mention my long-suffering and well-dressed husband! So this Christmas, I was really happy to discover The IT Kit, an online gifting solution with options for everyone, but more than usual for the guys. Finally!

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They gave me the opportunity to put together two gifts for my interior designer friends Darren Palmer and Greg Natale and these are now available via their site. I thought I’d share them with you.

For family man Darren, who likes to kick back and relax with his husband and son when he isn’t working (and he works super hard, always flitting about the country juggling filming commitments for The Block, design work and endorsements), I chose this fab picnic kit (which is pleasantly neutral and contains yummy edibles, a cheese board and a picnic blanket) and added the French cider option (I mean, why wouldn’t you?!). Then, for good measure, I threw in the fun book The Man Plan. Buy exactly what I bought Darren for the man in your life here.

TheITKit interiors addict darren palmer picnic

Some of Greg’s favourite things are fashion, geometric patterns, wine and international travel. For him, I picked Wallpaper City Guides to Paris, London and New York, a fab Kate and Kate geometric cotton blanket in shades of grey and the Nuance Wine Aerator for when he enjoys a glass of red. You can gift someone exactly what I gifted Greg here.

TheITKit interiors addict greg natale

Whether you choose one of The IT Kit’s curated gifts (the easy option!) or compile your own from all their products, everything comes beautifully gift wrapped at no extra charge. The business is the brainchild and passion of good friends Anna Gurry and Miranda Kent. Whether you’re looking for a birthday, new baby, corporate wedding or ‘just because’ gift, they have you covered.

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Shop online.

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Interiors Addict

New wine and bar collection from Georg Jensen

Swedish architect Thomas Sandell turns his attention to wine and all of its accoutrements in this stunning collection for Georg Jensen. Known for his daring design ideas, Sandell brings his signature balance and intelligent touch to each of the pieces.

Wine can be a complex passion, with every step of its production and enjoyment inspiring strong feelings from serious enthusiasts. Inspired and authentic, this state-of-the-art set allows the wine lover to celebrate his or her passion to the fullest.

Continue reading “New wine and bar collection from Georg Jensen”