Christopher Walkey
Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé Sparkling Wine
Have you ever come past a Cabernet Sauvignon Sparkling Rosé? No, me neither to be honest, it is certainly not a commonly seen option and up until the point of writing this article I had yet to ever taste one! If we are looking for still wine options then we have a nice selection to…
Read More
Champagne Vintage Years: 1970’s
The 1970’s delivered Champagne a decent handful of vintages. Though these years will be long past their peek performance levels, well at least to the standards of the then winemaker, they nonetheless prove to be much sought after today and offer a unique insight of taste/aroma profiles to what is now around 50 years of…
Read More
Asolo Prosecco and Cheese
For those of us familiar on the subject of Prosecco, a decent amount would highlight the excellence of the wines which come from Asolo. This smaller region with it’s very own classification under the DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) which was obtained in 2009, holds some 1,200 hectares of vineyards set up on…
Read More
A Guide to Champagne Terroir
Let us first take a look at the French word of Terroir and define its meaning as there is no actual word it translates into. Synonymous in it’s usage within the wine industry and for many wine professionals, it is the key to what makes a good wine: Terroir: Origination stories; of the Latin ‘terre’…
Read More
Characteristic Tastes & Flavours of Champagne
After many years of tasting and reviewing Champagne with a quite significant list of wineries and labels that I have enjoyed, I think it’s a good idea to break down, in to an easy to understand format, the tastes and the flavours to look out for. For those of us wanting to take time over…
Read More
Book Review: Madame Pommery by Rebecca Rosenberg
“Madame Pommery,” the mayor shouts. “You are hereby put on notice of serious consequences to your business and your person if you do not vacate Butte Saint-Nicaise immediately.” The councilmen concur with stiff nods and jutting chins. “We’ll return in a week to insure you have left the premises.” I watch their carriage drive toward…
Read More
Do’s and Don’ts of Decanting Champagne
You would be forgiven for thinking that the decanting of wine is reserved for more expensive / older still red wines or maybe for port / sherry. It for sure does interest people to know that Champagne is another wine that can benefit from decanting. Though it might be a somewhat rarer sight, with more…
Read More
Are You Taking The Fizz?
“No, Fizz I said” as someone questioned what I had just stated, “I’m just asking where are you taking that bottle of fizz“. We commonly use that term don’t we, fizz, when it comes to describing sparkling wine? It’s dictionary descriptions put it down as ‘making a hissing or sputtering sound‘ or ‘frothy, gaseous drinks‘…
Read More
Champagne: Single Vineyard and Clos
Just the mention of the word Champagne conjures up thoughts of luxury, success, happiness and more positives. Popping the cork of the bottle and pouring those bubbles, what a great moment to treat ourselves to or to share with others. If we want to explore the great depth of the wines from Champagne then we…
Read More