Christopher Walkey
Champagne: Blanc de Blancs vs Blancs de Noirs
Squeeze a white grape or a black grape and the juice that comes from it will be clear which leads us to understanding better the terms Blanc de Blancs and Blancs de Noirs. If you spot either of these phrases on a bottle of Champagne you can be certain it will be white wine over…
Read More
Champagne Krug Clos du Mesnil Prices
Krug is a stand out Champagne, admired internationally and highly respected by wine connoisseurs. Priced at well above the average for the finer tasting experiences it offers and served at some of the finest dining locations around the world. The labels Krug offer are eagerly sought after and synonymous with a luxury lifestyle: Grande Cuvée…
Read More
Toast Toppings and Champagne
Though we primarily think of toast at breakfast time, in fact it is quite a popular food throughout the day and regularly partnering dishes from canapés to main dishes. Surprisingly, toast sits in second place for the most popular breakfast choice with us Brits thus seeing cereal taking the top spot, nonetheless 12 million loaves…
Read More
Champagne: Vintage vs Non-Vintage
Firstly, let us understand the difference between vintage Champagne and non-vintage Champagne. When it comes to Champagne there are five important things to understand and each of them you will find on the label! Sugar Level – Sweetness Style – Grapes Age – Structure / Depth Cru – Quality Producer – Identity / Terroir From…
Read More
What is Prosecco DOCG Rive?
Many will assume, and rightly so I guess, that the quality of wines depends on the prices they are set at. If you have ever visited a restaurant and looked at the wine list, they are usually in price order which dictates the order of quality, right? A glass of Prosecco is a glass of…
Read More
Sparkling Sake
Wine is made from grapes right? Well yes, that is most certainly correct, but we must also add that not all wines are made from grapes! 24,535 in 1,000 metric tonnes is the annual global grape production as stated by statista in 2021 with China being the leading country by over four times its nearest…
Read More
Champagne Lallier Réflexion R.019 Brut
The Champagne house of ‘Lallier’ dates back to 1906 with the founding gentleman being Réne Lallier. Today the winery is split in to two magnificent Champagne locations with the cellars in Aÿ and the Maison’s contemporary production facilities are held in Oger, Côte des Blancs. Cellar master Dominique Demarville leads today’s history for Lallier, alongside…
Read More
Book Review: Champagne ‘The Future Uncorked’
I first saw this book in question whilst I spent a leisurely afternoon back in 2018 with renowned Champagne connoisseur Michael Edwards as we enjoyed a bottle of 2010 Deutz Blanc de Blancs (a previous winner of The World’s Finest Trophy). Though a Champagne author himself, Michael was keen to let me know of a…
Read More
Champagne Gardet advises on Vintage Rosé / Saignée Rosé
Many lovers of Champagne will be particularly interested in vintage labels and there are certainly many options to choose from. ‘How about rosé Champagne though?‘ we ask, surely we are preferring a more fresh (red berry) fruity expression over any deep, complex, toasty character? Though there might be a commonly used phrase in the wine…
Read More