Stephen Hawk
Buena Vista La Victoire Champagne
There are a number of French Champagne producers who have operations in California, such as Roederer (whose California wine I prefer over the French, and it’s half the price). But here’s a twist: a California winery with a genuine French champagne. And this isn’t just any winery; Buena Vista is the second oldest in the…
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Discovering Pietra Fine Prosecco
The ancient town of Asolo sits about 40 miles northwest of Venice in Italy’s province of Trevino. The Museo Canoviano is situated here, home to some of the works by Antonio Canova (1757-1822). Canova was the son of a stonecutter and grandson of a stone mason, and was an Italian Neoclassical sculptor famous for his…
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Exploring Langtry’s Brut Rosé
The Guenoc Valley in California is east of San Francisco, and just south of the far eastern edge of the East Bay. Situated in Lake County, grapes were planted there in 1854, and as soon as 1884 it hosted 600 acres under vine. Its fertile fields attracted a number of individuals who dabbled in wine…
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Philipponnat Brut Royal Reserve
Tiny Bubbles was, of course, the late Don Ho’s signature tune. So much so that he sang it twice at each concert, once at the beginning and again at the end. Champagne is also closely associated with Mother’s Day buffets, whether enjoyed alone in the glass or as an essential ingredient of Mimosas. But you…
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Lampley Reserve Demi-Sec Sparkling Wine
The founder and proprietor of Lampley Reserve is Illinois-native Chrishon Lampley, a remarkable African American woman, and the first in the Midwest to go national with a wine brand. She is also one of the less than 1% of wine industry negociants, vineyard owners, or winery owners who are black females in the traditionally Euro-centric,…
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The Story Of Champagne Bollinger
The story of Bollinger Champagne began with Athanase de Villermont, the youngest son of a noble family. He inherited an extensive estate from his family in the Aÿ area of France. He foresaw the potential of the wines of Champagne, but as an aristocrat he was forbidden to become involved in trade. Happily, he met…
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Mionetto Cartizze DOCG Prosecco
In 1887, master winemaker Francesco Mionetto opened his own winery in Valdobbiadene, in the heart of the Prosecco area, just north of Venice. In Mionetto’s vineyards, some slopes roll gently towards the valley, others are much steeper. For protection from the prevailing cold alpine winds and icy rains from the north, vines are on southeastern…
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The Story Of Champagne H. Billiot & Fils
Ambonnay, one of the top five Grand Crus in Champagne, is located in the heart of the Côte des Noirs, on the southern slopes of the Montagne de Reims. Its hillsides are renowned for the richness of their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the two essential Champagne grapes. In 1896 Eugene Billiot, a miller by profession…
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Dom Pérignon Champagne 2010
There’s sparkling wine. There’s Champagne. And then, as far as I’m concerned, there is Dom Pérignon. Sparkling wine is simply wine that contains bubbles of carbon dioxide gas. There are four methods of infusing the wine with bubbles, which I won’t bother with here and fizzy wine is made around the world. ‘Champagne’ has for…
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