When judges are deciding which wines to add to the Winter Warmer they have the following description to guide them:

“This wine will be of a fuller flavoured character. Perfect for a winter’s evening sat in front of the fire.“

The Glass of Bubbly Awards, aided by countless recommendations from top wine professionals and the guidance from Tatiana Mann (Diploma in Level IV WSET) sees a unique way to judge wines so that not only medals can be achieved, but categories in which consumers can relate to thus making labels easier to understand.

Trophy Winner ‘Winter Warmer’

Fox & Fox – Mosaic 2015: Tasting Notes: “Apricot, peach skin, dry white cheese, red berry cheesecake on the nose. Dry crisp flavours showing gooseberry, peach skin, apricot, dry white cheese.” Available to purchase here

Gold Medal Winners ‘Winter Warmer’

Champagne Roger-Constant Lemaire – Rosé de Saignée: Tasting Notes: “Wonderful warm rosé colour from the Saignée blend. I have seen this winery producing the Saignee blend at their winery when Gilles was still the main winemaker. Creamy cranberry, red current, soft pastry, touch of asparagus and silky garden mint on the nose. Red berry fruit flavours.” Available to purchase here

Cantina Ventiventi Il Borghetto – Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce: Tasting Notes: “Dark berries on the nose with silky blueberry cheesecake. Also a smoky edge showing. Dry black berry fruits with a good mouth watering length. Added saline, herbaceous and smoky notes.” Available to purchase here

Vinarstvo Zalatel – de Onesti: Tasting Notes: “Green apple, smoky herbs, creamy herbaceous on the nose. Dry flavours. Citrus, chalky, apricot and peach skin, saline.” Available to purchase here

It is said that around 25% of all Champagne sold and consumed will be during the week of Christmas and New Year. Via a previous survey from ASDA supermarket results showed that the most popular food served / consumed at a Christmas dinner was roast potatoes with second place being carrots and third being Turkey.

Christmas dinner for many families across the UK will be that Turkey roast with all the trimmings, veg, sauces and more. Turkey meat is a particularly rich source of B vitamins, including B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), and B12 (cobalamin) – It is high in protein and also a rich source of minerals. It is one of the most healthier meats (further facts via HealthLine.com).

Turkey Christmas Dinner with Cranberry Sauce

Pairing Champagne with Turkey

If you’re looking for a great wine to pair with turkey then Champagne is a perfect suggestion. Though of course wine is a personal choice regarding what you prefer in style, a wine with a medium to high level of acidity is great to pair with white meats (especially the Turkey leg which have higher levels of fat), it is advised though that you should avoid pairing with excessive tannins such as from red wines!

A Brut style of Champagne, so medium levels of sugar / sweetness is the better style to go for. Turkey will be less greasy and require less powerful acidity from the wine to cleanse the palate. A touch of fruity sweet flavours from the Champagne will be welcomed to go against the savoury flavours from the dish. If you have sweeter sauces on your plate, such as cranberry sauce, then you can also opt for a rosé Champagne which will usually have a touch more red fruity sweet flavours to balance the palate.

Champagne Chateau de Boursault

Located West of Epernay, in Boursault, the grower label ‘Château de Boursault‘ is home to the famous château built between 1843 and 1850 by Madame Clicquot Ponsardin, the Veuve Clicquot who owned the Veuve Clicquot Champagne House.

Château de Boursault is one of the few estates in Champagne to have an enclosed space in which you’ll find the vineyards, a wine press, a winery and cellars.

Champagnes in the video:

Champagne Château de Boursault – Brut Tradition: Find our more here

Champagne Château de Boursault – Brut Rosé de Saignée: Find out more here

“Tom Smith created the first Christmas cracker. He was a London-based confectioner who was inspired by the paper-wrapped sugared almonds he saw in France. Tom Smith invented a sweet-filled wrapper that could be pulled apart by two hands, an idea that his three sons continued to develop into an exciting new business venture later on.” source Royal Liver Building Venue

From a box of six mini crackers at your local pound store with plastic mini toys within to those luxurious options containing diamond rings and gold watches. Famous brands supply their own versions such as John Lewis, Selfridges and Swarovski® or themed ones containing just chocolate, alcohol or hand crafted gifts. Plus of course, we can not forget those sometimes terrible jokes to read out and lastly who will be wearing their paper hat other than grandad this year!?

“The world’s longest Christmas cracker measured 63.1 m (207 ft) long and 4 m (13 ft) in diameter and was made by the parents of children at Ley Hill School and Pre-School, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, UK on 20 December 2001.” source Guinness World Records

Surveys suggest that Brits will pull on average around 150 million crackers during the Christmas period!

The word cracker holds many meanings that include those thin savoury wafer biscuits (that might make an appearance during Christmas also when the cheese board graces the table), though also it can refer to an offensive term used to refer to a white person from rural parts of the southeastern U.S.

Among variables of ‘cracker’ is something positive that stands out and mostly visually – Going back to many older, especially comedy, movies a person can sometimes be referred to as a cracker thus being liked and admired.

A Cracker for your Christmas table this year in the world of wine is a fabulous English Bubbly that was voted the best for Winter time at the London Champagne & Sparkling Wine Awards 2021 – Fox & Fox Mosaic 2015

In amongst roast potatoes (the most popular item eaten at Christmas), slices of Turkey, the gravy, the mince pies and cream we must of course have a bottle of wine – Why not make it a trophy winning English Sparkling Wine that can easily be ordered online and ready for Christmas Day and at only £29.00 a bottle! Purchase today here: Mosaic 2015 £29.00

Fox & Fox Mosaic 2015 Vintage – Trophy Winner 2021 ‘Winter Warmer’ – Tasting Notes: “Sit back, de-stress and enjoy… Aromas offer yellow floral, salty crisps, orchard fruits, honeysuckle, glazed patisseries, touch of red berries. Full of English countryside in flavours with hay, orchard fruits, gooseberry, freshly baked bread.“

It might seem quite extravagant, posh or something for the bartender to prepare, but in fact, it is a very easy to prepare cocktail, one which looks very picturesque in the glass and certainly will raise an impressed eyebrow or two. A glass of Champagne is one thing, a Champagne cocktail is on another level!

How to Make a Traditional Champagne Cocktail:

Also known as the Classic Champagne Cocktail, the Traditional Champagne Cocktail is very easy to make. The following are the ingredients that you will need:

• A bottle of your favourite chilled Champagne.
• One mini bottle of Angostura Bitters.
• One Lemon.
• One brown sugar cube.

Tools to make this happen:

• Champagne Glass (ideally a flute)
• Spoon.
• Sharp knife.

There you have it – Basic ingredients and tools and yet you can dazzle all with a Traditional Champagne Cocktail.

Champagne used was from the winery Roger Constant Lemaire (Select Reserve).

Christmas time is the busiest time globally for sparkling wine sales thanks to the many festive get togethers we have planned both at home, work and in bars/restaurants and not forgetting New Years Eve celebrations as we welcome in the year 2022.

“It is said that we enjoy some 200 million glasses of Champagne at Christmas and this number is greatly added to as we lead up to and enjoy New Years Eve celebrations – Champagne (or any other sparkling wine) is the one wine that can identity mostly with celebrations so it is unexpected that sales peak each year over the Christmas period.”

We must not forget that sparkling wine is not purely Champagne, in fact, this small region of France (despite having global fame) is only a smaller percentage of the global sparkling wine production each year. We are all familiar with Prosecco (Italy) though we also are able to enjoy the fizzy delights from England, Spain (Cava), South Africa (Cap Classic), Slovenia, Cremant (France), Canada, USA, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and much more.

So, what about some fabulous sparkling wines for Christmas 2021? I say let’s rock & roll with some Trophy Winning English sparklers to get the mood firmly in the swing:

Voted the world’s best sparkling wine in 2021! Fox & Fox – 2015 Paxton & Whitfield Blend

Fox & Fox Paxton Whitfield 2015 Vintage

Where to purchase: (£35.00/75cl) and available online from www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk and from its three stores in Jermyn Street, London, Cale Street, London and Bath.

Camel Valley – 2019 Pinot Noir Rose Brut

Camel Valley Rosé Brut

Where to purchase: £36 a bottle from the Camel Valley website.

Bolney Wine Estate – Cuvée Rosé 2018

Bolney Rosé Cuvee

Where to purchase: £38 per bottle via the Bolney Wine Estate website.

Fox & Fox – Mosaic 2015

Fox & Fox Mosaic 2015

Where to purchase: £29 from the Fox & Fox website.

Biddenden Vineyards – Gribble Bridge Ortega Demi-Sec 2019

Biddenden Vineyards – Gribble Bridge Ortega Demi-Sec 2019

Where to purchase: £24.80 via the Biddenden Vineyards website.

Surprisingly, there are already lots of articles on this exact subject and debates especially from people wanting to know if wine holds any health / medical benefits from helping to give you a healthier heart to improving your skin.

Firstly, we should take a look at Prosecco and run through some basic facts on this ever popular sparkling wine:

• Prosecco is only produced in the northern area of Italy most in and around / north of Venice.
• Approximately 450 million bottles are produced annually.
• You can now purchase Rosé Prosecco (up until 2020 there was only white Prosecco).
• 85% of the wine must be made from the Glera grape to include Rosé Prosecco which requires an additional 10 to 15% to be Pinot Noir.
• Prosecco usually has slightly less alcohol compared to Champagne, 11% to 11.5% compared to 12% to 12.5%.
• Prosecco is made via the tank method (Charmat) which sees both fermentations taking place in the tank (second fermentation in the bottle for Champagne).

Prosecco will generally offer floral and pear / apple aromas along with similar flavours. The wine is light, fresh and fruity.

Does Prosecco have any Health Benefits?

Now that we know Prosecco that little bit more we should set about discussing what health benefits it offers. We mostly get to hear about red wine when we think about wine & health and that it is good for the heart – Though my extensive research online from varied accredited and user generated information websites can have a conflict of opinion.

Example headlines include:

‘Glass of red wine a day keeps diabetes at bay‘ – Royal Society of Chemistry

‘A glass of red wine a day could stave off a heart attack or stroke, scientists say‘ – Mirror.co.uk

‘Extra glass of wine a day could shorten your life by 30 minutes‘ – Recover Alaska

‘Red wine may be good for eye health‘ – Eye Clinic London

‘Red wine may not be good for you after all, doctors reveal‘ – The Independent

‘Red wine increases friendly gut bacteria, boosts immune system‘ – Chris Woollams Health Watch

Prosecco can help with reducing your stress levels and much more…

In most articles, it is a positive on wine for health benefits with subjects stretching from stronger hair to improving fertility in men. You will also gather many conflicting bits of information when doing your research where for instance one medical themed website will say wine is good for the heart whereas another will say that wine causes heart problems.

Prosecco contains polyphenols (which translates to plant chemicals holding antioxidant properties) which are said to lower blood pressure and improve your circulation. Another offering in Prosecco is the flavonoids which have antioxidant properties that can help prevent cancer.

Scientists at the University of Reading have shown that the few phenolic compounds found in Prosecco can improve spatial memory, which is responsible for recording information about one’s environment and storing the information for future navigation.

Another topic covered is our skin. Prosecco, once again thanks to the antioxidants, acts to detoxify our skin helping to maintain a more even skin tone to include combating the likes of oily skin.

Antioxidants come into play again when it comes to helping our heart health by improving our blood flow, strengthening blood vessels, protecting against cholesterol build up and preventing clots.

If we include sex in the category for health then Prosecco comes up trumps again in that it holds an important antioxidant character which is said to initiate nitric oxide in our blood which relaxes artery walls – This is said to increase our blood flow down south, creating feelings of sexual excitement.

In the last month (October 2021) I have been involved in two events promoting Slovenian Sparkling Wines (Love Wine Love Slovenia) and a common conversation initiation towards me was “I never realised Slovenia was making so many wines” as well as a number of people who had yet to be educated to “where Slovenia was” on the atlas and yet to realise it wasn’t either Slovakia, Serbia neither part of Russia.

It’s surrounded by four other famous wine growing countries to include Italy and Austria – Produces around 90 million litres from 22,300 hectares of vineyards. Bang in the middle, with a touch of the Mediterranean Sea, of Austria, Italy, Croatia and Hungary. It holds sun, sea, ski, caves and more!

The capital of Slovenia is Ljubljana (also the country’s largest city) and is pronounced: Lyoo-BLYAH-na

There is nothing more joyful in the world of wine than when we discover a new wine region or winery. The world of wine holds an incredible depth of variety such as the splendour of our global terroirs to include winemaking styles. There are simply 100,000’s of wineries and probably well over a million labels to explore when counting vintages too. Over 10,000 varieties of grapes and with many of them combined to make blends, it’s grab your calculator time so to realise the amount of wine digit delights!

Some readers will be familiar with Slovenian wine so hats off to you – Though for others yet to discover this wine region then read on for some further information and useful note taking facts:

The Oldest Vine in the World – Maribor, Slovenia

Let’s start off with a very important record that Slovenia holds and that is the oldest vine in the world! Located in Maribor (the country’s second largest city and popular wine tourism destination) the vine is said to date back some 400 years and is officially included within the Guinness Book of Records. The vine stands outside the Old Vine House which includes a museum and tasting room – There are annual events that take place within and outside so do check the official website to find out more: www.staratrta.si/en/

Wine regions of Slovenia:

• Podravska containing Prekmurje / Štajerska / Bizeljsko Sremič
• Primorska containing Goriška Brda / Kras / Vipavska Dolina / Slovenska Istra
• Posavska containing Dolenjska / Bela Krajina

WineRegions_Map_Slovenia – Photo Credit and Copyright of Image belongs to ThinkSlovenia

Popular grape varieties in Slovenia (53 in total are permitted):

• Rebula
• Istrian Malvasia
• Šipon (Furmint)
• Chardonnay
• Zelén
• Pinela
• Refosco
• Žametovka
• Blaufränkisch
• Kraljevina
• Ranina
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Pinot Grigio

“Wine production is a part of history as well as the modern everyday life of Slovenia. It began with the Celts in the 3rd and 4th centuries BC, when wine-growing was thriving at the time of the Roman Empire. The fact that wine has always been a significant part of life in this territory is tellingly corroborated by the fight for the right to trade in wine, the so-called wine war between Maribor and Ptuj, which lasted over 300 years from 1339 to 1654.” source TasteSlovenia

Slovenian Trophy Winners – 2019 Glass of Bubbly Awards

Slovenia has a growing reputation for its traditional method sparkling wines with recent years over 100 Gold Medals received and countless trophies via the London Champagne & Sparkling Wine Awards. From extraordinary Champagne style vintages to bold red sparklers, Slovenia holds a great depth of expression to its wines thanks to the varied terroir (geographical and climatic diversity) seen across the country and its wine regions.

We must not forget that Slovenia is in fact a relatively young country having only been formed in 1991 prior to which it formed part of Yugoslavia. A smaller than average sized country, 20,271 square kilometres, and with a population of 2.1 million. Though wine is very much everyday life for many of its inhabitants and most to all adults will have some wine knowledge, the country only produces 0.2 per cent of global wine production – Many of the vineyards are smaller in size and those larger production houses will usually be co-operative thus servicing 10’s to 100’s of grape growers.

What Slovenia lacks in production levels it certainly makes up for in quality – In the shadows of its neighbours Italy and Austria and usually with less funding in order to achieve further global exposure, it remains relatively unknown and unexplored – A potential sleeping giant awaiting global attention.

Three Exceptional Gold Medal Winning Slovenian Sparkling Wines:

Istenic – Gourmet Rose Brut 2016

Istenic – Gourmet Rose Brut 2016 – Tasting notes: “Soft pink floral, raspberry, citrus nose. Delicate and elegant. Pink floral, wild strawberry, red berry zest, minerals in flavours.”

Bjana – Cuvee Prestige – Extra Brut 2016

Bjana – Cuvee Prestige – Tasting notes: “Zesty and yeasty yellow fruits on the nose. Added green apples, soft spices, pastry. Dry flavours. Dried lemon slices, gooseberry, freshly cut grass, flaky pastry, dare I say a touch of garden mint too.”

Vina Kobal Štanjel – Tera Terranova Penina (Red Sparkling Wine)

Vina Kobal Štanjel – Tera Terranova Penina – Tasting notes: “Fresh blackberry fruits, prunes in syrup, violet, dark red rose petals on the nose. Wonderful and well balanced presentation of blackberry fruits on the palate. A relaxing wine and also great for gastronomy delights.”

When we see those old traditional wine cellars they will almost certainly be deep underground, damp, cool and also very dark. During the production process when wines are stored to age, they are usually kept at consistent temperatures, undisturbed from movement (this includes the likes of heavy sound waves) and also in complete darkness where the likes of flashlights on cameras, sunlight, UV rays, any high-intensity, incandescent, halogen lights and more are all avoided – This is known within the industry as Light Exposure. Yes, in some cellars you will only be allowed to look at the wines (especially very old vintages) with candlelight!

So Light Exposure (also known as Light Strike) and the protection of wines against harmful light, is seen as an important topic so what effect can it have if not adhered to and respected? The easiest way to explain the effect is that light causes a chemical rearrangement and changes in the bottle mostly by creating sulphurous compounds at a faster rate – This is simply put as speeding up the ageing of the wine where it is left with ruined aromas and flavours to resemble the likes of damp cardboard, rotten / cooked vegetables (cooked cabbage mostly), egg and even wet fur / wool.

We must also remember that light can also bring with it heat (especially sunlight) which also has an adverse effect on the wine.

“Many wines, especially red and sparkling wines, will be produced in darker glass bottles being mostly green or brown. The reasoning is mostly that this helps to protect the wine inside the bottle from light – Some wines do come in clear glass bottles so to show off the colours, usually more expensive examples will be sold with wrapping / cellophane / cardboard or wooden boxes.”

Ways to combat Light Exposure:

• Correct storage – This may seem obvious, but if storing wines at home think about placing them in places such as under the stairs, in the cellar, alongside an external facing wall at home instead of just the kitchen counter or on show in the front room wine rack. Keep away from sunlight and radiators. For long term storage more suitable solutions can be wine fridges / Wine rooms / Spiral Cellar.
• Packaging – Think about keeping the wines in light proof boxes or at least some kind of wrapper / cellophane that can deflect away 98% of harmful and unwanted light rays.
• Drink sooner rather than later – If you are purchasing to drink then you should not be in any kind of problem – Simply put the wine in the fridge or home wine rack for a few days – This will not affect the quality you will enjoy.

Many wineries include picking their grapes at night during harvest time as a way to protect the wine (grape juice) from daylight exposure. This gives the resulting wine the best opportunity to stay pure before consumption. Other wineries, Radgonske Gorice of Slovenia included, take things further with protection during most / each and every process of the wine making procedure.

Untouched by Light – Packaging

One such wine that is said to be totally free from light exposure is the now famous ‘Untouched By Light‘ label which is not only harvested at night time (not even under the light rays of the moon) and continues this philosophy in the production house where the winemaking team wear night vision goggles and work in complete darkness – The bottles produced are distributed in black bottles (99.8% black glass) and package in sealed back foil bags.

“It was proven that a wine’s exposure to light, even for a relatively short period of time, decreases the intensity of citrus aromas and increases the development of its off-flavour, called the light-struck aroma. The perfected sparkling wine production method we devised is directly inspired by these scientific conclusions.” Untouched By Light

“The Vipava Valley is renowned for its premium wines and numerous wine gems, which place it on the map as one of Central Europe’s most attractive wine-growing districts. Over two-thousand years of cultivating grapevines the Vipava Valley has carved out its own identity, recognized through the preservation of old, indigenous grape varieties, stone wine cellars, and premium-quality wines, made with great respect to nature. This tiny district has burst onto the global wine scene, claiming some of the world’s top international awards and recognitions.” source Vipavskadolina

Slovenia Wine Regions – Vipava – Photo credit / copyright belongs to Slovenia For You

The region is nestled in between the Sezana and Gorisja Brda (Primorska) wine regions. Many see the western side of Slovenian to hold the most desirable sparkling wines from Slovenia with many great traditional method classics. The region is also very into its gastronomy with fine dining locations easy to come past combining both local and international cuisine with a big focus on pairing with local wines.

Here are some wine, gastronomical and overnight accommodation delights that you will find in this beautiful region of Slovenia:

Rosé Prestige – Silver Medal ‘Light & Fruity’ 2019 Glass of Bubbly Awards

Vina Povh | Wines Povh – 5271 Vipava Slovenia

Rosé Prestige – Tasting Notes: “A light and fruity Charmat method sparkling wine. Mostly a delicate display of red fruits mostly raspberry with a touch of dry red berries.”

On the eastern side of the Vipava Valley you will find Vina Povh, close to the community of Trebižani – A history dating back to 1935 and a current focus on Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Yellow Muscat and Vipava’s autochthonous Zelen wines.

Vipava 1894 Zelen Charmat Method

Vinska klet Vipava | Wines Vipava 1894 – 5271 Vipava Slovenia

Zelen 2017 – Tasting notes: “2017 vintage, 4 years of age when opened, Charmat method. A sweet creamy citrus, green fruits, faint lime / green grass aromas. Fresh, fruity, silky and elegant. Citrus, grass, touch of nettles (reminds me of Gruner Veltliner grape), green pear, yellow floral flavours. Most enjoyable. Noteworthy was the tiny bubbles in the glass. A warm golden citrus colouring.”

Viticulture in the Vipava valley ascribes great importance to the year 1894, when the winegrowers of Vipava founded the first wine cellar in Slovenia, which was registered as the Vipava Wine Cooperative. It is now the largest production house in Slovenia with a 200.000 h capacity.

Pixol Restaurant – Vipava

Fine Dining and Accommodation:

Lastly, we venture into the fine dining and accommodation within Vipava and speaking from a wonderful first hand experience I had some years back I wish to share with you the amazing Pikol Lake village which combines fine dining and lakeside water villas.

Lake Pikol Water Villas – Image copyright Pikol

Pikol Lake Village is a magnificent location towards the western side of the Vipava region. There is a fine dining restaurant that focuses a lot on fish dishes and is led by the highly respected and awarded sommelier Boris Gašparin.

One of the family’s sparkling wine (yes, the family produce their own wine too!) is their amazing Gold Medal winning Blanc de Blancs – With rebula grapes (100%), traditional method and aged 36 months on the lees (yeast). They also produce a fine selection of still wines.

Silveri Blanc de Blancs

Silveri Blanc de Blancs – Tasting notes: “Soft citrus, white floral, herbal faintly on the nose. Clean and fresh. Minerals, white fruits, white floral, sea breeze flavours.“