Sparkling Wine News
No 1 Family Estate – No. 1 Rosé – Trophy Sea Breeze
Congratulations to No 1 Family Estate with their No. 1 Rosé which received a Trophy at The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly awards 2017. A panel of 36 top industry wine judges tasted all the entries for 2017 and were able to not only scores wines with medals, but also place them in to easy to…
Camel Valley – Pinot Noir Rose 2014 – Trophy Summer Days
Congratulations to Camel Valley with their Pinot Noir Rose 2014 which received a Trophy at The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly awards 2017. A panel of 36 top industry wine judges tasted all the entries for 2017 and were able to not only scores wines with medals, but also place them in to easy to…
An interview with Connoisseur’s Cellar London
“I am always interested as to why people enter the wine industry and especially the sales side as it is very competitive and can require lots of patience and time commitment so I thought I would ask Azim from newly formed Connoisseur’s Cellar London” Christopher Walkey So, why have you entered the industry of Champagne? I…
International launch of Cava de Paraje Calificado in London
I was delighted to have been invited to the international launch of the all new Cava high quality classification that is Cava de Paraje Calificado. The Gherkin has held a few amazing tastings and launch events that I have attended in the past so myself along with several other top industry wine professionals gathered both excited and…
Red ‘n’ Bubbly
You might think that red would be a natural colour for a sparkling cocktail. After all, even if red bubbly per se generally falls into the category Germans call dreimenchenwein – the drinker having to be held down by two other men – with pink Champagne surely one is halfway there? And anyway, what about…
Supermarket Fizz: Part 1 – Spar
For many, frequently in the past and still sometimes today, supermarkets and convenience stores are a haven for those of us looking to purchase our weekly supply of wines with many stores holding huge selections and employing some of the best wine buyers to get award winning and unique options. Even though many stores lead…
Interview with Italian Winemaker Piero Masi
Noted Italian winemaker Piero Masi is one of the seven partners of India’s leading Fratelli brand of wines. Among the unusual influences he has introduced into Indian winemaking is an unusual zero dosage sparkling brut, the Fratelli Gran Cuvée Brut. This wine is hand-harvested and made by the method traditionelle. With India still a relatively…
Lambrusco, the Sparkling Red of a Land in Tune
One of the most famous operas written by Giuseppe Verdi, the Italian opera composer, at the beginning offers sort of lightheartedness in listening to these words: “ Libiamo, libiamo ne’ lieti calici, che la bellezza infiora; e la fuggevol’ ora s’inebrii a voluttà. Libiam ne’ dolci fremiti che suscita l’amore, poiché quell’occhio al core onnipossente…
An Evening of Fizz!
Last month I found myself representing Basilicata’s highly regarded Cantine del Notaio at Blenheim Palace’s literature, film and music festival gala dinner. Indeed!! Now one might have expected the early evening flutes of fizz to carry something as grandiose as their impressive surroundings, perhaps bubbles from a Grand Cru village or as is increasingly the…