Glass of Bubbly
Digby English Sparkling Wine Team Up With Armit Wines
As the English sparkling wine industry continues to go from strength to strength. Digby Fine English, one of the newer labels on the market, having launched in 2013, are already making their mark in the sparkling wine world having been awarded the World Champion English Sparkling Wine with their 2009 Reserve Brut in the last Champagne & Sparkling…
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UK strengthens its position as No1 Champagne export market
Figures out today from the Comité Champagne once again confirm the UK as the world’s largest Champagne export market – a position conceded only four times since 1985 and held unbroken since 1996. Champagne shipments to the UK last year grew 4.5% by volume –three times the rate of growth for the world as a whole. Value meanwhile grew by 7.3% and this, says Champagne Bureau Director Françoise Peretti, is the real force behind the Champagne market. ‘The…
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Celebrity Interview: Gerard Basset OBE
One of the greatest wine professionals of his generation, Gerard Basset is the Sommelier‘s Sommelier; he is a former World Champion Sommelier and the only person ever to simultaneously hold the Master of Wine, Master Sommelier and MBA Wine honours. Born and raised in France, Gerard originally trained as a chef, but embarked on a…
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UK Winemakers Pledge 10-fold Increase in Exports
The UK wine industry is celebrating a highly successful 2015 with a pledge to increase exports 10-fold by 2020. Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss announced that the UK wine industry is boosting production, aiming to increase the export value to £30 million (currently around £3.2 million). This decision came after the Secretary called the first ever ‘wine round table’ with…
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8 Interesting Facts about English Sparkling Wine
Sparkling wine is currently a hot product in the wine industry and even in the drinks industry as a whole. While sales of still wine have remained fairly steady, sparkling wine continues to storm ahead with sales increasing year on year. Champagne sales are still rising gradually, but some relative ‘newcomers’ have helped boost the industry in the UK,…
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Where to Enjoy a Glass of Bubbly in Brittany, France
Brittany, north-west France, is full of boutiques, restaurants and bars packed with French character – and of course, French bubbly! It seems on every corner there’s a new place, but here’s a few well-loved venues to try: Rennes: The historic capital of Brittany has plenty of charming restaurants and venues open all day, but the bars really come alive in…
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Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger takes over as Champagne UNESCO project leader
Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, the head of Taittinger Champagne, is taking the helm of the Champagne UNESCO World Heritage campaign. Previous leader, Pierre Cheval, sadly passed away but managed to see his UNESCO bid succeed in June 2015. Pierre Chavel of Gatinois Champagne was a well-known and heavily engaged member of the Champagne industry. He played a big role in the success of Champagnes UNESCO bid,…
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Tips to Enjoy your Champagne or Sparkling Wine Experience
Enjoying a glass of bubbly can be improved by many things – good company, a great view, warm weather, or simply peace and quiet – but there’s also a few other things you can do to get the most out of your Champagne and sparkling wines. Store the bottle well: If you plan on keeping your…
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Champagne Bruno Paillard releases ‘Energetic’ 2008 to UK market
Bruno Paillard has launched its 2008 ‘Assemblage’ Champagne onto the UK market at a private lunch at the Merchants Tavern, where head chef Neil Borthwick had planned a delicious menu to pair to the 2008 Assemblage as well as the Brut and Rosé cuvées. Declared a Champagne of great ‘energy’ by founder, Bruno Paillard, the 2008…
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