Christopher Walkey

The Bolney Estate 2016 Blanc de Blancs Brut

What is a Blanc de Blancs?

By Christopher Walkey / 5th April 2020

One of the most popular phrases that you will see on a bottle of wine is the term ‘Blanc de Blancs’. A question that I usually get asked by those starting off in enjoying wine or those simply wishing to understand a bit more about what is inside the bottle is ‘what exactly does the…

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10 sparkling wine labels

10 Eye Catching Sparkling Wine Labels

By Christopher Walkey / 11th March 2020

“Wine labels are, for many people, the first visual engagement they have with a wine, the way a bottle communicates itself can determine whether or not it will attract a buyers interest.“ For those who remember using public libraries and choosing books, especially novels, the cover can usually go a long way in persuading someone…

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Champagne Roger Brun La Pelle 2013 and Lobster

Lobster with Champagne Roger Brun La Pelle Grand Cru 2013

By Christopher Walkey / 27th February 2020

For many of us a particular favourite dish to pair with Champagne is fish and especially fresh fish / shellfish that fantastically compliment a fine drop of the ‘king of wines’ in your glass. There are many recommended Champagnes with fresh fish dishes, they are almost a long term couple in their relationship. We see…

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Artisan Pasta and Italian Sparkling Wines

Fresh Artisan Pasta via ‘Pasta Evangelists’ paired with Italian Fizz

By Christopher Walkey / 19th February 2020

Arguably, Italy holds some of the world’s best gastronomy delights and finest wines. For many of us, Italian food will conjure up thoughts of pizza and pasta, two highly popular dishes that for sure appear in nearly everyone’s weekly diet. Variations of pizza and pasta are quite limitless which enables us to enjoy a variety…

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Japan sparkling wine Lumiera and Sushi

Japan: The Land of the Rising Sparkling Wines

By Christopher Walkey / 18th February 2020

You would be forgiven for initially thinking about technology when someone mentions Japan, but this 3,000 km long island also has many other talents to share with the world. ” Japan is made up of a total of 6,852 islands and currently holds a population of 126.8 million” For lovers of cuisine, the word that…

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Pear Salad and Sparkling Wine

Pear Salad and Rosé Sparkling Wine

By Christopher Walkey / 5th February 2020

As quoted by Wikipedia, ‘Salad is any of a wide variety of dishes including: green salads; vegetable salads; salads of pasta, legumes, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads. They often include vegetables and/or fruits.‘ From an easy to put together light dish at home to those costing £100’s if…

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Chinese cuisine and Champagne pairings

Pairing Champagne with Traditional Chinese Cuisine

By Christopher Walkey / 3rd February 2020

For many of us, we will be familiar with and certainly fans of well known Chinese dishes such as Peking duck, chicken chow mein, sweet and sour chicken and egg fried rice. Much of what we see in restaurants and takeaways will cater for what is described as westernised Chinese food, ie the cuisine that…

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Champagne mistakes

7.5 Common Mistakes People Make With Champagne

By Christopher Walkey / 27th January 2020

There are many guidelines as to how one should enjoy Champagne, for instance a quick search on Google for a question like ‘how to taste champagne‘ brings up no less than 99,500,000 results! My tasting notes show that I have tasted over 2,000 different Champagnes in the last five years or so, this will have…

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No 1 Family Estate and Grilled Lamb

A Taste of New Zealand

By Christopher Walkey / 24th January 2020

New Zealand holds amazing coastlines with golden sandy beaches, sweeping mountains, caves, hot springs, wildlife and many more attractions that make it a popular destination and on many people’s holiday bucket list. It’s approximately a 25 hour flight time away from London and indeed it is more or less on the other side of the…

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