Champagne News
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’…
Interview with Fiona Perrin – Founder of Rendez-Vous Champagne
There is no denying the love for Champagne, it’s a fan favourite, a household name and the go-to Glass of Bubbly for millions, its quality is timeless and the choices of new labels are always expanding, from the well-known Champagne houses, the smaller producers, the Grower Champagnes, and the own labels with their unique blends,…
Champagne & Easter Pairings
This Easter, it would be impossible to ignore the temptation to elevate your traditional lunch with a bubbly-filled Champagne pairing. With this in mind, the Champagne Bureau UK* shares its favourite Easter pairings to demonstrate the delights and diversity that Champagne can bring to the Easter period. Smoked salmon blinis Canapés and Blancs de Blancs…
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…
Ruppert-Leroy Delivers Sparkling Gems From Southern Champagne
The quiet French village of Essoyes seems an unlikely place to discover some of Champagne’s most intriguing and delicious wines. After all Essoyes is over 100 miles from the epicenter of Reims, Champagne’s unofficial capital. And with just over 700 inhabitants, Essoyes is best known as Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s summer home. He painted memorable scenes…
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…
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…
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‘…
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…