Sparkling Wine News
Can English Sparkling Wine Overtake Prosecco?
English sparkling wine is made in the same way as Champagne, with a second fermentation in the bottle. Prosecco, however, is made using the Charmat method, where the second fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. Because Prosecco is quicker to make it has a cheaper price point compared to English sparkling wine which takes longer…
Sparkling Wine for Thanksgiving
This Thursday, 24th November 24th is Thanksgiving Day, which traditionally kicks off the ‘holiday season’ in the United States. On December 26, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a joint resolution of Congress changing the national Thanksgiving Day from the last Thursday in November to the fourth Thursday. Eating turkey is actually more associated with…
English Sparkling Wine from Sussex given Protected Status
Sparkling wines from Sussex have been granted protected regional status by DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). It means that producers in the county must meet stringent quality guidelines in order to display the name of the county on their wines. In 2015, 37 new wine producers and vineyards opened in England, while vineyard…
Lambrusco is Back & Overtaking Sales of Prosecco
Popular in the 1980s, Lambrusco had fallen out of fashion and considered too sweet. Today, Celebrity Chef Antonio Carluccio is heading up the revival of Lambrusco after stocking the £30 Vecchia Modena across 100 of his restaurants in the UK, where last week it outsold Prosecco. Thanks to a particularly good vintage, the wine,made from a…
Flute vs Coupe
Is it better to serve your Champagne, Prosecco and other sparkling wines in flutes or in coupes? Flutes seem to be the modern choice, but coupes have all the style and elegance of a bygone era. COUPE OR FLUTE? The Coupe is the first style of glassware made specifically for serving Champagne. As such, it…
Exton Park English Sparkling Flies the Flag in Hong Kong
Exton Park Vineyard, the innovative English sparkling wine producer based on the prized chalk slopes of Hampshire’s South Downs, has once again scored a ‘first’ – as the only English producer to win awards in one of the most prestigious Far East competitions. Announced last week at the glittering Awards Dinner for the Cathay Pacific…
Sparkling Wine in a Can
More Wine has added the only can of wine in the UK, ‘Quello’ to its growing online portfolio. Quello is a naturally fermented sparkling white wine in a slim 200ml aluminum can. This format is lighter and more portable than glass, chills faster, plus is easy to crush and dispose of when empty. Quello is made…
Interview with Lorenzo Palla on Using Only Indigenous Yeasts
Lorenzo Palla, the visionary producer of Asolo Prosecco DOCG, talks about his idea of using only indigenous yeasts, and how he came to this decision. How did you get the idea of using indigenous yeasts? “The project, aimed at improving perception of our wine, took off over 5 years ago when, supported by a cutting-edge…
Steven Spurrier of Bride Valley Vineyard
The first time I saw Steven Spurrier was at the Swiss Ambassador’s stylish residence, proposing a toast for Circle of Wine Writers Christmas Party in December 2013 when I was a Diploma student. I have often seen him at Tasting Events since then but I always hesitated to talk to him as he was somehow…