Glass of Bubbly
Understanding Champagne Label Codes
There are many different combinations in which Champagne grapes can be grown and made into the sparkling wine. How this happens affects what is put on a Champagne bottle label. Here is an explanation of what the letters you see on the bottles mean. NM – Négociant-Manipulant – This appears on the label of large…
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Org de Rac Methode Cap Classique La Verne Brut 2011
Organic Methode Cap Classique La Verne Brut 2011 Varietal : 100 % Chardonnay Viticulture: Organically farmed, trellised with drip irrigation with different cover crops and organic mulching to stimulate healthy soil microbic activity. Strict pruning and green leaf management, essential for pest control and optimal ripening of the fruit. Tasted frequently by the winemaker and…
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Glyndwr Vineyard Sparkling Wines
Glyndwr Vineyard produces a range of fine, award-winning wines which have been carefully blended and fermented by their skilled winemaker for over a quarter of a century. Glyndwr Black Label Vintage Sparkling White 2010 An amazing full bodied wine with a golden hue, fine bubbles, ripe fruit and toasty richness. Only 500 bottles of this fine…
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Glyndwr Vineyard
Glyndwr Vineyard is the oldest established and largest vineyard in Wales. Planted by the current owners in 1982, the estate comprises over 6,000 vines, grown on gently south-east facing slopes in the heart of the beautiful Vale of Glamorgan. The bottle label depicts the Welsh prince, Owain Glyndwr, riding into battle with Carreg Cennen Castle…
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Emptying carefully filled bottles at Ridgeview
On seeing that Ridgeview Wine Estate in Sussex were doing a monthly tour, Susan and I thought we had better get ourselves down there. We had booked a while in advance and when the day came it was the morning after heavy winds and storms; we even wondered whether it would be cancelled. Our journey along normally busy…
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Thoughts on Champagne, English Sparkling Wine and Sea Monsters
Now that I’ve finished unloading the car of treasures from the Montagne de Reims (it’s taken a while) I thought I’d try and give my thoughts on the question of what’s so great about Champagne. As much as I like English wine, and English sparkling wine in particular, I love Champagne. Not just the wine but…
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Does ‘Terroir’ matter for Champagne?
The term ‘Terroir’ is one of those for which wine enthusiasts have a good feel but find it hard to accurately define. It’s the expression or the link the land has with the wine. The silky complexity and array of smoky sensations aroused by a glass of claret or the fresh flinty aromas and lemon…
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Riddling. A dying art with gyropallets in full swing?
On our recent visit to the Champagne region and our search for new wonderful Champagnes, my wife bought me a birthday present. I was the lucky recipient of a 36 bottle pupitre, often referred to as a riddling rack. For those not familiar with a pupitre, it is the traditional wooden rack which is used…
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Crémant de Limoux
AOP Crémant de Limoux Our Blanc de Blancs is a chardonnay-based mouthful of pure pleasure. A second fermentation in the bottle is followed by at least two years on the lees. Elegant, fresh and zingy, this wine is sure proof why Limoux has been so famous for its fizz ever since medieval times. Grape variety: Chardonnay – Chenin…
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