Glass of Bubbly
Vallformosa: An Exciting Brut Cava
Spanish wine producers have been watching the amazing success of Italian Proseccos in the U.S., and are taking action to get a piece of the sparkllng wine pie in this country. Previously unimported Cavas are now showing up in the U.S. market. I am delighted by the increasing number of Spanish Cavas that are now…
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Blanc de Blancs: The Best Champagne Style?
I happen to love all types of Champagne, but if I had to choose a favorite, it would probably be Blanc de Blancs. Among Champagne lovers, this is a very controversial statement, because many believe that Pinot Noir, not Chardonnay (which alone makes Blanc de Blancs), is the region’s most prestigious grape variety. Or that…
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Grower Champagnes
Grower-producer Champagnes–commonly known as Grower Champagnes–are exactly what they sound like: Champagnes that are made by the estate that actually grows the grapes. Grower Champagnes make up just a small segment of all Champagnes produced; 71 percent of Champagne is still made by négociant houses, especially such large houses as Moët & Chandon and Veuve…
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Prosecco… “what a mess, is it because I love you?”
In the 80s, there was an Italian band that sang “Che confusione, Sarà perché ti amo” (What a mess, is it because I love you?). You can rarely find a song’s title so perfectly close to the wine world. It’s been a while since we’ve been thinking about expressing ourselves and telling the world what we…
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Charles Heidsieck: World’s Most Underrated Champagne
One year after he founded his Champagne house in 1851, 29-year-old Charles-Camille Heidsieck took the unusual step, at that time, of journeying to the United States to sell his Champagne. In fact, he was the first Champagne producer to visit the U.S.A. Champagne Charlie, as he became known, a gracious gentleman and a born salesman,…
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Codorníu, Queen of the Cavas
In 1872, Josep Raventós of the Codorníu Raventós family from Catalonia made Spain’s first bottle of sparkling wine using the traditional method (second fermentation taking place in the bottle). Today these wines are known world-wide as Cavas. The Codorníu company, the oldest family-owned business in Spain, itself dates back to 1551, when Jaume Codorníu planted…
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The Summer of Rosé Champagne
Summer is here, and my thoughts turn to rosé wine. I’m all for that. What is more refreshing than sitting outdoors somewhere beautiful, such as by the ocean or on the French Riviera, sipping a glass of cold rosé wine with good company, and watching the world go by? But the absolutely best scenario for…
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Why Prosecco DOC is not a good business for small producers
This morning I came across another article that writes about the Prosecco’s success story. To be honest I am a bit tired of all these articles because they all show big nice positive numbers, but none tells the story from the producers’ point of view, who actually struggle to make it. No one writes about…
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Prestige Cuvée Champagnes ~ Part 3 – Full-Bodied, Rich Prestige Cuvées
Full-Bodied, Rich Prestige Cuvées Champagne Bollinger, Vieilles Vignes Françaises Blanc de Noir 2002: Bollinger’s position is that it really doesn’t make a prestige cuvée, but we can consider its Grand Année or R.D. as prestige cuvées if we want. Actually, these two Champagnes, as good as they are, are really Vintage Champagnes. Bollinger’s only true…
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