Glass of Bubbly
Paul Mas to Present Sulpher-free Fizz at London Wine Fair
French wine producer Paul Mas will be revealing a new sulpher-free sparkling wine at the London Wine Fair in May. The Cuvée Secrète red is made from a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc and made from the exceptional 2015 harvest. Released alongside it will be the Cuvée Secrète Chardonnay 2015. Domaines Paul Mas is a 1000-year-old estate is still run…
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Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition Inspired by Vineyards
Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition has a number of works that have taken inspiration from vineyards and wine growing regions. Husband and wife, Julian and Miranda Halsby, both RBA members, spend three months each year living and painting in France. Julian is exhibiting studies of the vineyards around Saint-Jean-de-Buèges and views of the…
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World’s Highest Open-Air Champagne Bar in Bangkok
A new open-air Champagne bar has opened at the top of the Lebua Hotel in Bangkok, reaching a height 812 feet. At 64-floors high, the bar offers stunning views over the city and the Chao Pharaya River. You may have already seen the venue, which was featured in the movie Hangover Part 2! However, the actual bar…
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De Castelnau Launches Rare Blanc de Blancs 2003 Vintage
Champagne de Castelnau have recently disgorged their 2003 vintage Blanc de Blancs which has spent 11 years on lees. There are only 11,000 bottles of this rare vintage, some of which will be available in the UK. The 2003 is considered a challenging vintage, with many houses opting not to declare it. This was partly…
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Pommery to Release Zero Dosage Champagne Cuvée Louise
Champagne house, Pommery, is launching a zero dosage (no sugar) Champagne under their flagship Cuvée Louise label. The Cuvée Louise ‘Nature’ vintage 2004 will have a transparent label to imply that the Champagne is ‘naked’. Launched alongside it will be the usual Cuvée Louise release, an extra brut. The original Cuvée Louise, an extremely pure Champagne, was created in 1979 after Madame Louise Pommery. It is…
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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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