Glass of Bubbly
Biodynamic Champagnes
Biodynamic wines are still a rarity in Champagne, but look hard enough and you’ll find some smaller and lesser known producers are making excellent, noteworthy wines. Biodynamic winemaking, with its holistic approach to the vineyard ecosystem and the health of the soil, plants and organisms both above and below ground, demands determination, commitment and belief.…
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Is Bigger Really Better?
Scientists based in the heart of France’s Champagne-Ardenne region have found that larger bubbles may actually improve the way a sparkling wine tastes. Traditionally wine professionals often use bubble size as a marker of quality, with the smaller the bubble the better the wine with larger bubbles usually found in cheaper sparkling wines like Prosecco and…
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Celebrity Interview: Jane Parkinson
Jane is an award-winning journalist, author and broadcaster who was crowned International Wine & Spirit Competition Communicator of the Year in 2014. She is a wine expert on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen Live and author of Wine & Food. Jane is a previous recipient of the Chairman’s Award at the Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Awards…
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Blind Tasting Rosé Sparkling Wines
A selection of brut rosé sparkling wines were purchased at the local grocer with their discount on a six- pack purchase. The tasting proved more challenging than I thought it would. Compared to the non-vintage brut tasting, I have done previously, which was almost unanimous, The brut rosé tasting opinions were all over the place,…
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Ring in the New Year with Champagne & Dinner in London
Galvin La Chapelle’s New Year’s Eve menu offers the chance to celebrate the festive period in style. Set in a Grade II listed building, there will be both an early and a late sitting, with live music by the Ray Rich Band until 1am. The grandeur of this former Victorian chapel with 30-metre vaulted ceiling…
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Grower Cava
There’s quite a lot of talk in wine circles at the moment, about Grower Champagnes. These are Champagnes made usually by small (the current buzzword is ’boutique’) producers who own their own vineyards, in the officially protected area of Champagne, of course. Usually such ‘growers’ have held the vineyards for generations and often have simply…
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Taittinger Champagne Dinner at Luton Hoo Hotel
Aimee Reddick, chef at Luton Hoo Hotel tells us how she creates a pairing menu. When creating a pairing menu for our Champagne Dinners, the first thing I need to do is taste the Champagnes that will be served with each course. Sampling each of the Champagnes with my team of chefs and the sommelier…
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Celebrity Interview: Amelia Singer
Amelia is a wine consultant, educator, TV presenter and founder of wine-tasting event business Amelia’s, which aims to make wine-tasting fun and accessible. She has worked in wineries around the world and holds the WSET Wine Diploma. She currently stars in the ITV4 series The Wine Show. What are your thoughts on the future of…
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Hotel Byblos Celebrates 50th Anniversary in 2017
Beloved by royalty and a haven for celebrities, Groupe Floirat’s Hotel Byblos & nightclub Les Caves Du Roy, will celebrate their 50th anniversary next year having held residence in the heart of St Tropez since 1967. The family run hotel, which received the Palace1 distinction in 2012, is renowned for its historical heritage, location and…
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