Stephen Hawk

Philipponnat Brut Royal Reserve

By Stephen Hawk / 23rd May 2023

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

By Stephen Hawk / 4th May 2023

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

By Stephen Hawk / 11th April 2023

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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The DOCG Region of Prosecco in Italy

Mionetto Cartizze DOCG Prosecco

By Stephen Hawk / 10th April 2023

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

By Stephen Hawk / 29th March 2023

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 Perignon statue

Dom Pérignon Champagne 2010

By Stephen Hawk / 28th February 2023

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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1995 Vintage - Bollinger Grand Année

The Story of Bollinger Champagne

By Stephen Hawk / 21st February 2023

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 the trade. Happily, he…

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