Sparkling Wine News
Sparkling Wine at Cascina Pastori
On a beautiful sunny day in June, I drove through the hills of Piedmont and arrived at Cascina Pastori. Together with the owners, Andrea and Antonio Colombo and their dog Ken, we welcome our English friends for an interesting wine tasting of the present vintages of the wines of Colombo family, mainly Pinot Noir but also…
New Crémant de Bourgogne Ranking System
A new ranking system for Crémant de Bourgogne has been approved by Burgundy producers and will include ‘Eminent’ and ‘Grand Eminent’ levels. Producers following certain rules will be able to add ‘Eminent’ or ‘Grand Eminent’ to their bottle labels. Crémant de Bourgogne Eminent wines must be aged on lees for at least 24 months. Grand…
Aldi Launches its First English Sparkling Wine
Aldi has teamed up with Denbies Wine Estate, in Dorking, Surrey, to produce its first English wine. Chalk Valley Quality English Sparkling Wine will go on sale for £14.99 – making it one of the most expensive bottles the chain has in stock. Chalk Valley has a creamy texture, long, zesty finish and finely balanced…
Join In The English Harvest At Denbies
Denbies Wine Estate is offering visitors the chance to participate in 2016’s exceptional harvest and take a peek behind the scenes at England’s largest single estate wine producer. Visitors will be given an introduction to grape picking on the 265-acre estate, which includes established varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as well as some…
Reserve Wine To The Rescue
The bad weather conditions this year have meant that Champagne makers will have to resort to the reserve stock system that is unique to this appellation. It was begun in 1938 and is now governed by the Comité Champagne. The idea of creating reserves was born out of the reality of the climatic irregularities of…
Exton Park has ‘Heart of Chalk & Stainless ‘Steel Resolve’
At the heart of Exton Park lie two key components – the prized chalk terroir that imparts a unique, mineral character to the grapes and the policy of focussing on non-vintage wines that are backed by a growing ‘library’ of reserve wines from different plots and years. Both have had the spotlight shone on them…
Sparkling Red Wines: A World Waiting To Be Discovered
There are three main styles of sparkling red wine, Australian sparkling Shiraz, Italian Lambrusco and Brachetto d’Acqui. There are a variety of styles of Lambrusco from dry, Secco, to sweet, Dulce, with flavours such as strawberries or blueberries. Brachetto d’Acqui also from Italy has rich floral aromas and pairs very well with chocolate. Sparkling Shiraz…
Gallo Introduces New Prosecco to UK
E&J Gallo Winery is hoping to take advantage of the booming UK sparkling wine market by launching La Marca Prosecco this month. The Prosecco has already enjoyed success following its launch in the US earlier this year. On the nose, it features aromas of fresh citrus, honey and white flowers. On the palate, it offers…
Viña Undurraga Relaunches Premium Sparkling Wines
Chilean producer Viña Undurraga has relaunched its premium Estate Sparkling Underraga Brut Royal and Estate Sparkling Rose Royal to make them more easily distinguishable their entry-level counterparts. They are due to appear on the shelves in November. The Royal range originally launched in 2014, but despite success at the 2013 Sommelier Wine Awards, attracted only…