Christopher Walkey
Lympstone Manor unveils its Classic Cuvée
SEPTEMBER 2023 // Luxury Devon country house hotel Lympstone Manor is thrilled to announce the launch of its 2020 Classic Cuvée under its “Lympstone Manor Estate” label. Five years after Chef and owner Michael Caines planted 17,500 vines in 2018, the long-anticipated launch marks the first sparkling wine produced from the hotel’s own vineyard, to…
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What’s Bubbly’ing Away at Cava DO?
What’s Cava exactly? Well, it’s Spain’s very own, globally famous, sparkling wine that sells (2022) approximately 250 million bottles a year with the UK importing around 17 million of them! Made in very much the same way as that of Champagne, Cava production method is called mètode tradicional with the three main grapes used being…
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Hot Sunny Days – #Champagne or #Prosecco?
I’m sure that many who are given the choice between Prosecco or Champagne would opt for the latter. Let’s be honest, it has that all round superior profile, higher desirability and on most occasions more weighty on the price side of things. I know a fair few wine experts who simply will not engage at…
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Sparkling Wine Production Methods
Sparkling wines come with many variations from flavours to prices, much of this will be down to how it is made, the production methods. When we venture in to learning more about wine, we hear production terms such as tank method, Champenois method, Ancestral, traditional, carbonated and more, though what do they all mean? Sparkling…
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10 Things That Might Ruin Your Glass Of Champagne
With over 300 million bottles sold a year on average in recent times, Champagne is a globally loved alcoholic drink! From party celebrations to fine dining with bubbly alongside gastronomical delights, Champagne fits in to many different occasions perfectly. It’s adaptability means it is a highly demanded style of wine and is increasingly easier to…
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Ultimate Guide to Champagne Bollinger Grande Année Vintages / Price Values
“Made only from Grand and Premier cru grapes, La Grande Année is the embodiment of the carefully preserved traditional expertise of Champagne Bollinger. Vinified in oak barrels, sealed with natural cork and riddled by hand, this Champagne has waited patiently for 10 years in Bollinger’s chalky cellars.” – Champagne Bollinger For many consumers, Bollinger is…
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Ultimate Guide to Champagne (Piper Heidsieck) ‘Rare’ Vintages / Price Values
Though Piper Heidsieck might be a relatively well known brand in the world of Champagne, it’s prestige cuvée called ‘Rare’ is somewhat lesser known and as per its namesake, rare! Founded back in 1785 – Florens Louis Heidsieck launched the now globally famous house in Reims. Piper Heidsieck of recent years is very much associated…
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What is a Prestige Cuvée Champagne?
Though understanding Champagne labels might not be the easiest exercise, it will certainly pay you back well to gain a basic understanding into the information that they share and to have yourself knowledge of the key words. Not only can Champagne labels tell us who the producer is, we can also gather the style by…
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Venue Review: Wivenhoe House, 4* Hotel in Colchester, Essex
Whether it is a stop off when you are working away from home, that long awaited weekend break or as I did for my review, an enjoyable evening of fine wines and food pairings, nothing appeals more than a comfortable night’s stay at a welcoming hotel. Located on the grounds of University of Essex and…
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