Thursday 27 December 2018
There is a tale that has been passed down through countless generations. It tells of an end of year awards ceremony of unmatched scale and ferocity, the likes of which would never be seen again. This is that awards ceremony, an all-encompassing review of the world today. It is time once again for The Ephemeric's famous annual tradition. It's The Debbie Awards.
You'd never know it from watching the news, but there has never been a better time to be alive. We're living longer and healthier lives, poverty and hunger is on the decline, and for all the absurdity and chaos of the moment there is still ample reason for optimism. As always, The Debbies serve as a record of all that is good and noteworthy. Artistic endeavours, technological accomplishment, the pulse of business and politics. This event is about celebrating the best that human creativity and ingenuity has had to offer.
So without further ado, let the curtain fall upon 2018 as we begin our definitive review of the past 12 months:
2018 Debbie Awards
Cinema & TV
1. The Debbie for TV Show of the Year
Winner: American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace (FX)
Runner Up: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
While the first season of American Crime Story may have garnered more attention and plaudits for its coverage of the more notorious OJ Simpson trial, this follow up, focusing on the spate of serial killings which culminated in the titular assassination of a fashion icon, exceeded its predecessor in every way. Bolder and more artistically inclined, the Assassination of Gianni Versace made for a stylistically dazzling character piece, underpinned by an unforgettable Darren Criss performance.
In second place by barely a whisker is the brilliant The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. A love letter to a bygone era of Golden Age New York, Maisel is a sublime production of impeccable writing and composition which survives on far more than mere nostalgia. Pitch perfect casting and razor sharp wit make this the most charming series in years, and easily the best thing to come out of Amazon's original content department yet.
2. The Debbie for New TV Show of the Year
Winner: A Very English Scandal (BBC)
Runner Up: The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix)
Hugh Grant is having something of a career renaissance in recent years, and in BBC's A Very English Scandal he may have found his most effective vehicle yet. A dramatisation of the true story of former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe, and his attempts to conceal a homosexual affair by having his former lover assassinated. Grant's exquisite performance makes for a character study in megalomania and paranoia, but its sharp scripting deftly balances the dark societal context against the clearly humorous absurdity of the whole situation. Scandal makes for another delightful addition to the pantheon of satirical political drama in the age of House of Cards and Death of Stalin.
The Haunting of Hill House takes second place, and Netflix's acclaimed horror series could well have taken top spot if not for the weak finale. Hill House provides more than its share of chills, albeit in a more sophisticated manner than simply another lazy jump scare. The production quality is very impressive, visually striking and adventurously filmed (one episode is filmed almost entirely in a single take). Most of all though it's the subtle touches which impress: the hidden ghosts in the background throughout the series, the way props and statues subtly change from shot to shot. A lot of care and attention to detail has gone into this production and it shows.
3. The Debbie for Film of the Year
Winner: First Man
Runners Up: A Quiet Place, Roma
Had a very difficult time with this category in 2018. Ultimately I decided to award to prize to director Damian Chazelle's follow up to La La Land, First Man. This is, of course, the biopic of first man on the moon Neil Armstrong, with most of the focus on the man himself, his personality and his motivations. It marks an intriguing change in milieu for the director of the aforementioned La La Land and Whiplash away from a musical and classical Hollywood influence. That he has managed to pull off such an accomplished prestige picture at this early stage of his career just goes to show how talented a filmmaker he really is.
And it's a split decision for our runner up position. The first name of honour is John Krasinski's (yes, Jim from The Office) excellent directorial debut A Quiet Place. Any filmmaker will tell you how difficult it is telling a story with no dialogue, and that Krasinski manages to pull it off and craft so compelling a narrative illustrates a very promising talent indeed. One of the horror highlights of the last several years, and a promising start to a new director's career.
Third place goes to Roma, the new film from Alfonso Cuarón, and most critics' frontrunner heading into awards season. The last time we saw Cuarón he was winning the Oscar for the excellent Gravity, and the smart money seems to be on him taking home that prize again this year. This is one of those occasions where I find myself at odds with the critical consensus. Roma is certainly a visually beautiful film, utterly perfect from a technical and filmmaking point of view, but is visual and technical skill the only yardstick by which we judge a film? Ultimately it's a lovely little film, but with the type of intimate, low-key story that probably means more to the filmmaker than anyone in the audience. A wonderful artistic work, but not the best film this year.
4. The Debbie for Variety Show Host of the Year
Winner: David Letterman, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction
Runner Up: Stephen Colbert, The Late Show
If 2018 was good for something it was the return to television of legendary talk show host David Letterman, with the excellent new Netflix variety show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. The concept is simple, the great David hosts a series of full length interviews with some of the most prominent individuals in the world. Season 1 guests included Barack Obama, Malala, and George Clooney. This extended format provides for some fascinating watching, the kind that you can't get on those ten minute segments they allow for on regular broadcast TV.
It's been another strong year for Stephen Colbert, host of the Late Show. The increasingly charged political obsession in America clearly suits his humour, and increasingly he is becoming an essential voice in the media firmament. Political commentary is, after all, how Colbert made his name on the Daily Show and later his own Colbert Report. The past year has shown us that he still has the touch.
5. The Debbie for Hollywood Rising Star of the Year
Winner: Olivia Colman
Runner Up: John Krasinksi
What a year it has been for Olivia Colman, star of the awards-tipped The Favourite, and soon to be star of The Crown as she steps into Claire Foy's hard-to-fill shoes. Colman is also set to take a leading role in BBC's new Les Miserables mini-series. It's been a bumper year for this star in the making, and the upcoming awards season could be a big one for her.
John Krasinksi makes for another strong contender. His directorial debut A Quiet Place met with near unanimous critical acclaim and awards buzz, and he additionally starred in Amazon's very well received Jack Ryan series. Krasinski has struggled somewhat to break free of The Office since that show's end some six years ago, but heading into 2019 he finds himself very much back on Hollywood's A-list.
6. The Debbie for YouTube Channel of the Year
Winner: Isaac Arthur
YouTube has come a long way in recent years, moving on from lame Vlogs and people narrating themselves playing videogames. This year, the top prize goes to the channel of Isaac Arthur. I don't know who Isaac is or what he does for a living, but on his YouTube channel he puts out extremely in-depth science videos of a shockingly high quality. For the most part, these videos consider the science behind potential future technologies or hypothetical concepts in the public discourse. Previous topics of conversation have included life extension technologies, societal reforms, space colonisation, general astronomy and physics. What makes these videos great is that he doesn't analyse the ideas from a fantastical science fiction point of view as you would normally see in media, but from the cold hard reality of science fact. The result is something that is both educational and a surprisingly considered look at what the future might hold.
Music, Art & Theatre
7. The Debbie for Theatrical Production of the Year
Winner: The Lehman Trilogy (National Theatre)
Runner Up: Hadestown (National Theatre)
The National Theatre has been on form this year, and top of an impressive lineup was the excellent The Lehman Trilogy. The ambitious production navigates the 164 year history of the notorious investment bank, from the arrival of three immigrant brothers in 1800s America, to the 2008 financial crisis which led to the firm's collapse. Most impressive is the performance of the three lead actors, tackling a range of characters and personalities without breaking stride. Hugely entertaining, essential theatre.
The National takes runner up position as well, with the London premiere of the latest musical out of the US, Hadestown. This addictive reinterpretation of the classical mythology of Orpheus and Eurydice features all the catchy tunes and inventive stagecraft that one expects from a modern musical, and no doubt will find an extended life on the West End when this run is complete.
8. The Debbie for Album of the Year
Winner: A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships - The 1975
Runners Up: Little Dark Age - MGMT
The 1975 is a band that seems to be getting better and better. The debut album showed raw promise, the second greater consistency and finesse. With the third album, A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, the band has delivered a work of higher ambition. The music is more diverse, the lyrics more poignant, and there are some great tunes included. It's Not Living (If It's Not With You) is a great track, while singles Give Yourself a Try and TooTimeTooTimeTooTime are also fine numbers. Very solid work from a band that is fast becoming essential listening.
A close runner up (I'm about 50/50). MGMT's latest album, Little Dark Age marks a strong return to form for the mercurial trailblazers. Infectious, memorable pop music, without sacrificing the artistry for which the band is known. Title track Little Dark Age and Hand it Over are clear standout tracks, but the album is consistent and high quality throughout in a way that the band hasn't been since their much acclaimed debut.
9. The Debbie for Debut Album of the Year
Winner: Heaven's Only Wishful - MorMor
Runner Up: Parcels - Parcels
2018 turned out to be a fine year for new musicians coming through. Our pick of the bunch goes not to a full debut LP, but the hugely promising EP of MorMor, Heaven's Only Wishful. The Canadian multi-instrumentalist's eclectic style spans a variety of genres and musical techniques, and while it's undoubtedly rough around the edges, great tracks like the titular Heaven's Only Wishful and Waiting on the Warmth make clear just how much talent the boy has. MorMor is hard at work on a full LP due next year, and the first track to be revealed so far, Pass the Hours, suggests it will be a cracker.
A veteran of our 2017 Hot List, Parcels finally delivered their eponymous debut LP in 2018 and it did not disappoint. Smooth, impeccably produced pop with catchy numbers like Tieduprightnow, Lightenup, and Withorwithout. Imagine The Strokes crossed with (Random Access Memories era) Daft Punk and that's a pretty good indication. A fine debut.
10. The Debbie for Song of the Year
Winner: Fireworks - First Aid Kit
Runners Up: Graffiti - Chvrches, Little Dark Age - MGMT
Picking one out of the multitudes of great songs one hears during a year is no easy task. Which is why I like to hedge my bets and pick three. This year I'm giving the top prize to First Aid Kit's gleaming, bittersweet ode to faded relationships, Fireworks. This was a special album overall, and unlucky to miss out on our top three of that category, but this track in particular has one of those lingering qualities that will stick with you.
Not mentioned so far, but Chvrches had a fine album released during 2018, and Graffiti is the essential tune from that record. What you might call a heart-grabbing track which epitomises the inventiveness and energy that typifies this band at their best.
Lastly a shout out to the title track from MGMT's excellent new album, Little Dark Age. With shades of Robert Smith and The Cure, Little Dark Age harkens back to the sound that made the band such a success with their debut Oracular Spectacular, and is particularly reminiscent of Time To Pretend. An excellent track from a band that finally seems to be finding the right balance of artistry and mainstream appeal.
11. The Debbie for Live Performance of the Year
Winner: Paul McCartney
Runner Up: Caro Emerald
We've been fortunate to have some really fantastic performers in London over the last year, but among all of them it's hard to top an evening with one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Paul McCartney. Sir Paul is getting on at 76 years of age, but that doesn't seem to have affected him all that much with a new album in 2018 on top of a worldwide tour. And what a tour it has been. Most musicians occupy the first half of the evening with support acts, and then give you one or two hours, if you're lucky, on stage. Paul has been touring without a support act, so that he can go out and give a full three hour tour of his long and storied career. Not only does he spin a good tale or two, but his energy could put most of his much younger contemporaries to shame. That the evening finished off with a surprise Beatles reunion (Ringo joining for the encore) was the topper on a very memorable event.
In any other year Caro Emerald would surely have won, but come on how do you top a Beatles reunion? Caro is the perfect example of a musician who thrives on the live performance. Her music is very good anyway, a full gamut of swing music from classical jazz to more exotic, latin-infused styles, with great tracks like That Man, Stuck, and A Night Like This. But seeing her on stage takes good music and makes it truly great. Part of that is down to her natural, oozing charisma, but much of it is due to her infectious love of the music - before each song she'll set the mood and give you the background on the musicians and instruments being used in a particular song. A hypnotically beautiful evening for music lovers.
12. The Debbie for Art Exhibition of the Year
Winner: Oceania at The Royal Academy of Arts
Runner Up: Bacon/Giacometti at The Beyeler Foundation
The year long restoration process has turned London's Royal Academy of Arts into a truly top class venue for exhibitions, a fact that could not have been made more apparent than through this year's excellent flagship show, Oceania. The collection of Pacific artwork and cultural items is impressive, but it's the curation and detailed gallery design which is so beyond anything we've seen from the Royal Academy in quite some time. If they can maintain this high standard then we can't wait to see what comes next.
13. The Debbie for Book of the Year
Winner: Death's End (Three-Body Problem trilogy) by Liu Cixin
Technically not a 2018 novel, but the English translation did finally reach us last year, so I'm counting it. This is the third and final novel in Chinese author Liu Cixin's Three-Body Problem trilogy, Death's End. It's difficult to describe the trilogy in any way without spoiling the story, but suffice it to say this is remarkable science fiction, massive in scope and impressive in its creativity. Notably this is a rare example of science fiction that adheres strictly to known science and the limitation of physics, without compromising its fantastical vision. There are moments which will frustrate, with clunky dialogue and characters who act in bizarre, unrealistic ways, but the concepts and imagery is so startling, so memorable, that it will stick with you nonetheless. By the time I got to the third book, I was so hooked that I ended up reading all 600 pages in two days flat, basically nonstop.
Business & Technology
14. The Debbie for Scientific/Technological Breakthrough of the Year
Winner: SpaceX launches the Falcon Heavy
Every so often you witness an event that puts things in a new perspective, something so impressive and historic that it renews your faith in the ingenuity and brilliance of mankind. Elon Musk's SpaceX is a company with a history of exciting accomplishment already under their belt: first private company to launch and dock a spacecraft with the space station, groundbreaking self-landing rocket technology, and hugely ambitious plans to put humans in space and go to Mars. This year saw their most impressive feat to date, the launch of the Falcon Heavy Rocket. That video is truly remarkable. This is the most powerful rocket currently in operation, and one of the most powerful ever built. Musk chose to show off this capability by launching his Tesla into Mars orbit, resulting in that incredible image of his car in orbit. The show then finished with each of the booster rockets landing autonomously back on Earth. All this for a fraction of the usual cost of launch. The potential impact of such cheap, powerful launch capability can't be overstated. This really has the potential to finally open up space to general commerce and expansion. The next few years should be very exciting.
15. The Debbie for Videogame Console of the Year
Winner: Nintendo Switch
It was always going to be difficult to follow up its incredible debut, but Nintendo's Switch is still very much the console to buy at the moment. Nintendo added to their impressive first party lineup this year with a new Smash Bros game, Mario Party, and an excellent new Mario Tennis title. Add to this an impressive array of third party titles like Diablo 3 and Stardew Valley. Stardew Valley on the go? Yes please. Even aside from the big releases, the Switch's excellent support for indie titles has gone seriously underrated. The Switch increasingly offers something for everyone.
16. The Debbie for Videogame of the Year
Winner: Red Dead Redemption 2 (Xbox One, PS4)
Runners Up: Two Point Hospital (PC), Forza Horizon 4 (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
I have made my views clear on Rockstar's all-conquering new Red Dead Redemption 2, and while this is a game with far more technical and design flaws than most people seem to want to acknowledge, there's no denying its genius. Rockstar have created an incredible, massive world that is dripping with life and history, packed full of things to do, and tells a surprisingly moving story. There's enough here to entertain for dozens, if not hundreds of hours, and that's before we even get into the newly launched online mode.
When the former coders of legendary development studio Bullfrog banded together to form a new studio, it was a cause of much celebration among gamers of a certain age. Their first title, Two Point Hospital is a loving remake of Theme Hospital and expertly captures the humour and satisfying gameplay of that title, while adding enough of its own twist and modern gameplay elements to keep things fresh and distinct. We look forward to an exciting future with this studio, and rumour has it that we can expect an entire Two Point Town series of titles based around various simulation genres.
Honourable mention goes to Forza Horizon 4. I'm not usually a big fan of these annual franchise series, but in Horizon 4, the developers have created one of the great driving games of all time. A huge array of cars, detailed customisation options, and massive amounts of events and content make this a near endlessly entertaining game. But it's that incredible open world, set in rural UK based on regions as diverse as the Cotswolds and Edinburgh, that makes it truly memorable.
17. The Debbie for Company of the Year
Winner: Hello Fresh
This award usually goes to the big tech innovator of the year, firms with high-minded goals and aspirations to change the world, but sometimes you need to step back and admire a good company providing a very clever and high quality service. This year I'm choosing to recognise Hello Fresh, and its line of meal-boxes. Hello Fresh will send you a box once a week with recipes and all the necessary ingredients. All you have to do is cook the meal. It is the ideal delivery service for today's 20/30 something professional. Someone who still wants to cook something more interesting than ready meals or mac and cheese, but doesn't have the time for planning and shopping. It also helps that the recipes are almost all quite excellent.
18. The Debbie for Startup of the Year
Winner: Revolut
A good idea is everything these days. Most start-up companies are just variations of variations on a theme. Crypto-this, and p2p-that. Revolut is a company with a good concept with actual application. Imagine all your payment sources in one place: debit card, cryptocurrency, and foreign currency exchange, all seamless, all without additional fees or rip off exchange rates. It's an idea with great potential and one which offers a sensible, practical alternative to digital banking.
Sports
19. The Debbie for Footballer of the Year
Winner: Antoine Griezmann - Atletico Madrid
Strangely overlooked amid the hype machine of football, but Antoine Griezmann has continued operating at the very highest level, competing for all honours with Atletico Madrid, and subsequently a World Cup winner at the heart of this summer's very impressive France side. Griezmann is a great player not just because of his individual talents, but because of how he enriches his teammates around him wherever he goes. An indispensable player for club and country who could walk into any team.
20. The Debbie for Under-21 Footballer of the Year
Winner: Kylian Mbappé - PSG
Back to back awards for the hottest thing in football. Kylian Mbappé complete his astonishing £150million transfer to PSG this year, a deal which makes him the second most expensive signing of all time despite his tender age of 20. He then followed that up with an electric World Cup performance which saw his France side end as world champions, and he pick up the award for best young player. There really is no telling what Mbappé can accomplish with his career, and has done so much already.
21. The Debbie for Football Manager of the Year
Winner: Gareth Southgate - England
He may not be the popular or obvious candidate, but for me he is the outstanding candidate for 2018. Gareth Southgate may not have won the World Cup this summer, but then no one in their right might expected him to do so. Despite this, he wildly exceeded any expectation and did so with a poise and quiet confidence that should serve as an example for any football manager. Whatever his particular qualities and talents, Southgate has managed to do something that some of the world's best managers have failed, to unite this fractious footballing nation, reinvigorate an ageing team with young energy, and successfully keep an England team focused and dedicated on the pitch.
22. The Debbie for Football Club of the Year
Winner: Manchester City
While they may still not have the brand recognition of their local rivals or one of the giants from Spain, there is little doubt in my mind that Manchester City are the outstanding football club in world football today. It shouldn't come as a surprise given the many hundreds of millions they have spent on players in recent years, but that doesn't take anything away from the fact that they have one of the world's most impressive playing squads and right now look dominant on just about any football pitch. And they've been equally impressive off the pitch with their business endeavours, setting up affiliations with overseas clubs and building an impressive global network. Say what you want about them, but City are the epitome of a modern football club, forward thinking and results-driven.
Current Events
23. The Debbie for Politician of the Year
Winner: Beto O'Rourke
It might seem strange to award this prize to a man whose big claim to fame is losing a Senate election, but that defeat might paradoxically catapult Beto O'Rourke to the Presidency in two years. Between his good looks, charisma, and earnest "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" vibe, the three-term Congressman and former musician and small business owner seems to have caught the public imagination in a way that few politicians ever manage. His ill-fated Senate race not only smashed the fundraising records for a Congressional election, but in losing by just 3% he gained a greater share of the vote than any Democrat in the deep-red state of Texas in a generation. If Beto can put Texas in play, let alone the much more purple states of Arizona and Georgia, that could make him a very formidable opponent in 2020. Watching him debate this past fall, I was struck by how he refused to sink to the level of his opponent Ted Cruz, and his personal, vitriolic attacks. No matter what Cruz threw at him personally, Beto just responded to his opponent with respect and courtesy, and stayed on message. At the time I thought it was political suicide, but in this day and age a lot of people want to see people like that in politics. There's a movement growing, and it might just carry Beto to the White House.
24. The Debbie for Scandal of the Year
Winner: The Murder of Jamal Khashoggi
There's a real danger at the moment, with seemingly every day bringing a shocking new scandal somewhere in the world, that we get overloaded by information and allow these things to simply wash over us without impact. One scandal that still shocks me to my core is the murder by the Saudi government of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and all the various satellite scandals around it. This is one of those stories that just gets worse and worse the more you look into it. The brazenness and cover up attempt is shocking, and the fact that there seems to be so little path for recourse reminds us how unjust and unaccountable this world still remains in many ways, even in this day and age.
And this is not just some foreign thing in a far away land, an appallingly underreported aspect of this nightmare is the complicity of the current American regime. Donald Trump openly states that he doesn't care about the murder because of how much money the Saudis pay us, and has to date taken no action against the perpetrators. If that wasn't damning enough, it has also become apparent that Trump's own son-in-law and senior White House advisor Jared Kushner attempted to aid and advise the Saudis as to how to carry out the cover up and ride out the media storm. If THAT wasn't bad enough, Khashoggi was an American resident and green card holder. The White House has been directly complicit in covering up the murder of an American resident. I don't know how there isn't more outrage about this.
25. The Debbie for Cause of the Year
Winner: Corruption in politics
It ties into the previous award, but if there's one thing we've learned over the past year it's that there is still a shocking level of corruption in politics. This is not always something as extreme as covering up murder, as above. In the past year we've seen indictments left and right for wire fraud, securities fraud, and fake charities. We've seen the uncovering of a years' long conspiracy to commit electoral fraud. We've seen blatant and completely open attempts at voter suppression against minorities. In one astonishing case, electoral integrity and vote counting was left in the hands of one of the two candidates with no oversight. That's not even getting into sham investigations, sexual crimes being covered up on Supreme Court nominees, gerrymandering, and so much more. It may not be as sexy a campaign issue as healthcare or the environment, but whoever is in charge next needs to make clamping down on corruption a central pillar of their platform. Corruption in American politics is turning out to be far more rampant that we realised, and it poses a grave threat to the integrity of our democracy. Christ, and don't get me started on what's going on in the UK right now.
26. The Debbie for Person of the Year
Winner: Christine Blasey Ford
The Ephemeric's person of the year award goes to a woman of remarkable poise and courage, the highly impressive Christine Blasey Ford. If the #MeToo movement has an icon then it is surely her. A professor of psychology and an accomplished researcher, Ford took on herself the spotlight of the world with the story of her assault. She withstood the pressure of a room of 11 antagonistic men, and months of death threats in order to go public, and she did this despite knowing from the example of Anita Hill that little would likely come of it. I don't care what anyone says, but it takes a very brave person to take that kind of pressure and punishment on themselves, and to handle herself with such grace and composure. In doing so, she helped cast her own spotlight on the unacceptable sexism and injustice that still blights this country.
Social & Lifestyle
27. The Debbie for Restaurant of the Year
Winner: Maos, London
Runner Up: The Royal Oak, Whatcote
What happens when London’s hottest chef decides to open an intimate supper club? Something quite special. Maos is the latest project from London culinary royalty Nuno Mendes, formerly of Viajante and more recently of The Chiltern Firehouse. Maos is a truly unique experience, more of a dinner party than a restaurant. Drinks and canapés in the kitchen, mingling with guests and staff alike, and the day finishes off with treats and drinks on the roof terrace. An utterly delightful experience with food to match.
Close behind is The Royal Oak, new restaurant from the people behind Chipping Campden's excellent The Chef's Dozen. Specialists in wild game: braised hare garganelli, pheasant, beef wellington, bread with spreadable pork crackling. Less adventurous diners may need to suspend disbelief, but in doing so they will find a delicious and endlessly creative array of dishes. Very fine addition to English dining.
28. The Debbie for Nightclub/Bar of the Year
Winner: Eclipse
London has no shortage of fine drinking establishments, but how many are blessed with an adult ball-pit? The answer is "not nearly enough". The venue is cosy, the drinks very fine, but you really have not had a night out like this. Bring a group of your closest friends and feel like a kid again. Just remember to remove your rings and any easily misplaced items ahead of time. Anything that gets dropped in that ball-pit stays dropped.
29. The Debbie for Destination of the Year
Winner: The Cotswolds, UK
Ours is a beautiful planet with many jaw-dropping locales to visit. In previous years we have used this prize to celebrate some of the more far-flung and exotic destinations with which we have become enamoured, but equally it's important not to overlook the wonders that lie closer to home. England truly is a beautiful country, its serene countryside easily the match of any place more exotic. Especially the Cotswolds, with its gentle rolling hills, golden afternoon light, and picturesque old towns, practically untouched for hundreds of years. Tuscany? The Alps? I would happily argue that there is no better place to relax and unwind than England's golden pastures.
30. The Debbie for Wine of the Year
Winner: Lamole di Lamole Vigneto di Campolungo 2013
France earns the plaudits, but give me a hearty Tuscan red any day of the week. If you have to traverse mountain and valley to reach the sleepy and remote commune of Lamole di Lamole, then so be it! This year our pick of the region's wine goes to Lamole's exquisite Campolungo. This award winning bottle is a DOCG gran selezione, which means the classic blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon (this one breaks 95% Sangiovese for a smoother finish). You'll be hard pressed to find a more potable palate.
31. The Debbie for Champagne of the Year
Winner: Alfred Gratien Cuvée Paradis
And we will finish out this round-up the same way we finish out the year, with a bottle of very fine champagne. This year our bottle of choice is the pinnacle of Alfred Gratien's luxuriant vintages, the Cuvée Paradis. A premier cru, Chardonnay-led blend that is produced only in very small quantities, this very finessed and well-rounded bottle has everything you want for a celebratory drink. Like drinking liquid stardust.
Well there you have it. How will you remember 2018? Here's to 2019 being even better!
