Christopher Walkey
Black Velvet Cocktail – Guinness and Champagne
I must say that I hadn’t heard of this combination until I was watching some old episodes of the Bullseye (British darts-themed television game) and Jim Bowen asks one of the contestants the question ‘What are the ingredients of the drinks cocktail ‘Black Velvet’. Well, the ‘lockdowns and pandemic’ is the excuse I have for…
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Prosecco Styles Pairing with Seafood Pizza
In recent weeks I have been doing an awful lot of Prosecco tastings not least with the recent introduction of the Rosé Millesimato to the market, but also for Instagram lives and Vivino reviews. Prosecco is such an easy to drink wine, slightly less alcohol compared to Champagne with usually 11% compared to 12.5/13% respectively,…
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When is the best time to drink Champagne?
Champagne seems to get away with being the drink that is acceptable to be seen enjoying at any time of the day and any situation. From breakfast to dinner, toasting celebrations at weddings or to fine memories of a past family member – Champagne cuts it far more than being spotted with a gin and…
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How to Recognise Champagne Faults
In most cases, we get to enjoy that glass of Champagne at its best, within its peak performance level, exactly as the winemaker wanted us to enjoy it. France’s most famous sparkling wine will usually set us back more money than many of its competitors and for consumers worldwide, our expectations of it are relatively…
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What does Terroir mean?
It’s a tricky one to answer, believe it or not, simply because there is no exact translation. A French word firmly used in the world of wine, yet many will debate its actual meaning. Used in many variations and yet widely understood when heard, we know what it means in our minds yet we will…
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Wine Border Regions – Slovenia & Croatia (Bizeljsko Sremič)
Slovenia gives us nine wonderful grape producing districts, within three main regions located on the eastern and western sides of the land. These wine regions spread out to the borders and touch upon the neighbouring countries of Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia. A total of 33,000 hectares of vineyards, 30,000 grape producers with 2,300 growers…
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Sparkling Wine Mountains and Rivers: The River Marne
Both famous names and both ingredients of providing the world with some of the finest sparkling wines. I am speaking of the Champagne region and a famous river that runs through it, the River Marne. Standing up on the hills full of vines I have many times looked down towards this river and been delighted…
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Prosecco – Running for the Hills
Many of the finer wine regions across the world obtain great influence from the land in which their vines are grown. The terroir, which mostly translates to the land and weather influence, will greatly affect the style of wine (grapes) that can be produced and the final quality that the consumer gets to enjoy. We…
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Slovenia: The Land of Deep Caves & Deep Sparkling Wine Flavours
Having travelled through most of Europe, both new and old, I have seen a great variety of style of wines from classic reds to vintage sparkling. Europe holds most of the world’s wine production, the biggest part of history and certainly the finest examples. The land holding the vineyards is truly wonderful and holding such…
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