Across:
8 Way-out (way out/doorway = PORTAL) wine (PORT-) to go with a (-A-) light starter (‘Light’ starter = -L) (PORTAL),
9 Recommend (PROMOTE-) run (-R) (PROMOTER) to impresario (PROMOTER),
10 Hard to watch (UGLY) amusingly with no mains (‘amusingly’ with no ‘mains’ = ugly = UGLY),
11 Party in a divorce case (RESPONDENT) to take umbrage (resent = RES-ENT) over Koi’s home (koi/fish in -POND-) (RESPONDENT),
12 Work (W-) for head-banger (head ‘Banger’ = -B-) in Asia (Asia) mixing up (= anagram indicator) (Asia = -ASA-I) (WASABI) hot condiment (WASABI),
14 Asian capital (capital/money of Cambodia = riel = -RIEL) behind (= position indicator) one of those in 14 down (one of the ‘mates’ = MATE) (MATERIEL) getting army equipment (MATERIEL),
15 Nick (nick/scratch = MARK) Bellow (bellow/shout = EXCLAMATION) starts (= position indicator) (EXCLAMATION MARK) making this sign! (making this sign = ! = EXCLAMATION MARK),
18 Isn’t (isn’t) wrong (= anagram indicator) (isn’t = INST-) contacting everyone (-ALL-) opening some (opening ‘Some’ = -S) (INSTALLS) lodges (INSTALLS),
20 Harden (OSSIFY) to lack of profit (loss) starting off (l) (‘loss’ without ‘l’ = OSS-) in the event that (-IF-) it brings an end to prosperity (end to ‘prosperitY’ = -Y) (OSSIFY),
22 Took turns (ALTERNATED) in every other (ALTERNATE-) department (-D) (ALTERNATED),
24 Summits on colonial hills and dales (summits on ‘Colonial Hills And Dales’ = CHAD) in Africa (CHAD),
25 Stops along the way (STATIONS) for stoats in (stoats in) wild (= anagram indicator) (stoats in = STATIONS),
26 Turns up (= reversal indicator), umpire (Ref = -FER) has record (log = GOL-) (GOLFER) of playing with a number of clubs (GOLFER).
Down:
1 Soldier (-GI-) in gaol (gaol = LOG-A) break (= anagram indicator) (LOGGIA) found lying at the side of the house (LOGGIA),
2 Break one’s journey (STAY) to see towering Alpine peaks (‘See Towering Alpine’ peaks = STA-) at the end of January (at the end of ‘JanuarY’ = -Y) (STAY),
3 A-list rum (A-list rum) cocktail (= anagram indicator) (A-list rum = ALTRUISM) – is that a measure of public-spiritedness? (ALTRUISM),
4 Some characters develop useful (some characters ‘develOP USeful’ = OPUS) work by the artist (OPUS),
5 Old (-O-) women (-W-) in Ring event (bout = B- OUT) (BOW OUT) retire (BOW OUT),
6 24 down (‘cold’ = COLD) and 21 down (‘frames’ = FRAMES) (COLD FRAMES) keeping those in the nursery warm (COLD FRAMES),
7 Comet (Comet is one of Santa’s REINDEER) seen in the sky once a year? (REINDEER),
13 Small net to (small net to = ALLOTMENTS) order (= anagram indicator) for the plots (ALLOTMENTS),
14 Grin from emigrant’s (‘grin’ from ‘emigrants’ = emats = MATES) partners (MATES),
16 Helix not (Helix not) designed (= anagram indicator) (Helix not = XENOLITH) with a piece of rock from somewhere else (XENOLITH),
17 One of the original Five Nations (one of the original Five Nations = ONONDAGA people) gets nothing (O-) from refusal (no) of French (French ‘no’ = -NON-) to gad (gad) around (= reverse indicator) (‘gad’ = -DAG-) with advantage (-A) (ONONDAGA),
19 Unattached (lone) trim (e) (‘lone’ without ‘e’ = LON-) gangster (-DON) (LONDON) from the capital (LONDON),
21 Fits up local (‘fits up’ local = FRAMES) employed by the opticians (FRAMES),
23 Fragment of Tacitus known (fragment of ‘taciTUS Known’ = TUSK) to one of those long in the tooth (TUSK),
24 Bitter (COLD) line (-L-) in joke (CO-D) (COLD).