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Category Archives: Sparkling Wine
Tillingham Update (Sept 2018)
I wrote about my visit to Ben Walgate’s Tillingham Wines back in June, here. Quite a lot of interest has been generated in what Ben Walgate is doing there, in the far east of Sussex. This is in part because he … Continue reading
Posted in Artisan Wines, Cider, English Cider, English Wine, Sparkling Wine, Wine, Wine Tastings
Tagged Ben Walgate, Ben Walgate at Plateau Brighton, Bourbon Cask Cider, English Qvevri Wine, English Wine, Ortega Grape, Plateau Brighton, Qvevri, Qvevri Cider, Starvecrow Cider, Sussex Vineyard, Tillingham Artego 2017, Tillingham at Plateau Brighton, Tillingham Chardonnay, Tillingham Col 2017, Tillingham Pet Rosé, Tillingham Qvevri Artego 2017, Tillingham Vineyard, Tillingham Wines
3 Comments
New at Newcomer
I read recently, under the Decanter Magazine headline “Bordeaux becalmed”, that for the first time since Sotheby’s started selling wine in 1970 Bordeaux has dipped below 50% in sales. The decline in popularity of this once king of the wine … Continue reading
Posted in Austria, Austrian Wine, Natural Wine, Neusiedlersee, Sparkling Wine, Wiener Gemischter Satz, Wine, Wine Agencies, Wine Merchants, Wine Shops
Tagged Christian Tschida Brutal Red, Christian Tschida Sonja Cabernet Franc, Claus Preisinger Gols, Enderle & Moll Baden, In A Hell Mood Pet Nat, Jutta Ambrositsch Rakete, Michael Grindl Weinviertal, Michael Wenzel Rust, Milan Nestarec, Mythopia Swiss Wine, Neusiedlersee Wine, Newcomer Wines, Prévost La Closerie London Retail Source, Puszta Libre, Rennersistas Gols, Strohmeier Schilcher Frizzante, Vienna Wine, Waiting For Tom White Blend, Wiener Gemischter Satz
4 Comments
Recent Wines (June/July 2018) #theglouthatbindsus
Philippe Alliet is a mercurial vigneron who makes Chinon east of the town, in the back streets of Cravant-les-Côteaux. He is best known for his single vineyard Côteau de Noiré, but Chinon Vieilles Vignes 2008 comes from Cabernet Franc vines over fifty … Continue reading
Posted in Alsace, Artisan Wines, Austrian Wine, Beaujolais, Champagne, Cider, English Cider, Loire, Natural Wine, Sparkling Wine, Wine, Wine Agencies
Tagged Alsace Muscat Ottonel, Andrew Nielsen, Brad Hickey Winemaker, Brash Higgins ZBO 2016, Champagne Dehours Oeil de Perdrix, Charlie Herring Wines, Davis Weszeli, Domaine des Forges Chaume 2005, Domaine Rietsch Murmure Muscat, Du Grappin, Du Grappin Aligoté, Du Grappin Beaujolais-Villages Nature, Fuchs und Hase Vol 4, Getariako Txacolina Ametzoi, Ginglinger Pinot Noir Sand, Karim Vionnet Grabuge!, Le Grappin, Loire Moelleux Chenin Blanc, Perfect Strangers Artisan Cider, Petnat, Philippe Alliet Chinon Vieilles Vignes, Plateau Brighton, Riverland Zibibbo Muscat, Tim Phillips, Txacoli, Weszeli Käferberg DAC Reserve Grüner Veltliner
6 Comments
Tillingham
Having got to know Ben Walgate and his wines over the past year I had been itching to make a visit to his Tillingham Vineyard, within sight of Rye in East Sussex. I finally got a chance just over a … Continue reading
Posted in Artisan Wines, Cider, English Cider, English Wine, Natural Wine, Sparkling Wine, Wine
Tagged Ben Walgate, Charlie Herring Wines, Cider, English Cider, English Sparkling Riesling, English Sparkling Wine, Natural Cyder, Perfect Strangers Cider-Wine blend, Promised Land Sparkling Riesling, Starvecrow Cider, Starvecrow Qvevri Cider, Strange Brew Wild Hop Beer, The Bookkeeper Sparkling Chardonnay, Tillingham PN17, Tillingham Qvevri Ortega "Artego", Tillingham Vineyard, Tim Phillips
8 Comments
London Wine Fair 2018 Part 2 – Drinks Britannia and the Trading Floor
In Part 1 of my review of the 2018 London Wine Fair I concentrated on the small importers in the Esoterica area, where you could find perhaps the real excitement of the event. If you haven’t already read Part 1, you can catch … Continue reading
Posted in English Wine, Sparkling Wine, Wine, Wine Agencies, Wine Festivals, Wine Merchants
Tagged Abbazia di Novacella, Astrum Wines, Bolney Estate, Craft Cider, Drinks Britannia, London Wine Fair 2018, Natural Cider, Natural Cyder, Nyetimber, Nyetimber Tillington 2013, Praepositus wines, Starvecrow Cider, Tavignano
3 Comments
Bursting Bubbles – Robert Walters, and Some Thoughts on the Grower Champagne Philosophy
You will recall that I made Champagne by Peter Liem my wine book of last year. That expertly written book which puts terroir at its heart was the outstanding work on wine, in my view, in the whole of 2017. Bursting Bubbles by Australian author Robert Walters follows a similar … Continue reading
Posted in Champagne, Sparkling Wine, Wine, Wine Books, Wine Writing
Tagged Anselme Selosse, Bursting Bubbles, Cedric Bouchard, Champagne, Champagne Books, Champagne Grower, Champagne Philosophy, Champagne Terroir, Grower Champagne, Jerome Prevost, Peter Liem Champagne, Robert Walters, Wine writing
3 Comments
Great Exhibition 2018 – with the emphasis on Great
Yesterday was the Winter 2018 Great Exhibition Tasting in the arches under Holborn Viaduct, this time featuring Winemakers Club and Carte Blanche Wines. These Tastings are always good, but there must have been something in the air yesterday, because there … Continue reading
Posted in biodynamic wine, Champagne, Hungarian Wine, Natural Wine, Sparkling Wine, Wine, Wine Agencies, Wine Merchants, Wine Tastings
Tagged Adrien Dhondt, Ancre Hill Estate, Ben Walgate, Benoit Dehu, Carte Blanche Wines, Christelle Guibert Orange Wine Itata, Craig Sheard, Dhondt-Grellet, Domaine des Marnes Blanches, Domaine L'Ecu, Elemental Bob, Eliane Delalot, Fabien Jouves, Great Exhibition Tasting 2018, Gudfish Wines, Hegyikalo, Jerome Francois, Karim Vionnet Beaujolais, La Grange de L'Oncle Charles, Maxime Magnon, Meinklang H15, Olivier Horiot, Pelle Pince Alma Palinka, PN17 Petnat, Rosé des Riceys, Stefan Vetter, Sylvaner, Tillingham Wines, Tom Shobbrook, Vincent Caillé, Winemakers Club
2 Comments
Our House (Taittinger)
Many of you will know that I have something of a thing for Grower Champagne. It comes from an interest in wines which express “place”, terroir wines, I suppose. But that doesn’t mean I ignore the so-called Grandes Marques. For … Continue reading
Posted in Champagne, Sparkling Wine, Wine, Wine Agencies, Wine Tastings
Tagged Champagne, Champagne Cellar Tours, Champagne Tastings, Chateau de la Marquetterie, Comtes de Champagne 2006, Folies de la Marquetterie, Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, Solent Cellar Tastings, Taittinger, Taittinger Prelude
3 Comments
Liem and Larmat – A Perfect Combination
Like most people, I imagine, I came to appreciate Champagne first as a celebratory drink. Most often it was the non-vintage wine of a well known Grande Marque, or occasionally a vintage wine, consumed several years too soon. But in … Continue reading
Eastern France Part 5 – Bérêche, Champagne
I can tell you two things about my relationship with Bérêche which will inform your reading of the rest of this article. First of all I will name you my favourite four Champagnes. They are Péters Chétillons, Philipponnat Clos des … Continue reading
Posted in Champagne, Sparkling Wine, Wine and Food, Wine Travel
Tagged Bérèche, Bérêche Crus Sélectionnés, Bereche et Fils, Campania Remensis, Côte Montagne and Vallée, Champagne, Coteaux Champenois, Craon de Ludes, Eastern France Trip 2017, Grower Champagne, Le Cran, Lees ageing under cork, Maison Bereche, Montagne de Reims Growers, Raphael Bereche, Reflet d'Antan, Terres et Vins de Champagne, Vincent Bereche, Vins d'Auteurs de Champagne
2 Comments
David Crossley's Wide World of Wine 