Search Results: champagne
Armand de Brignac
The History The art of Champagne has a rich history dating back to medieval times. Prior to the 17th century, however, France’s Champagne region produced only still wines – not the sparkling wine famous worldwide today. The Catholic Church owned many of Champagne’s vineyards and monks produced their own wines for use in the sacrament…
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Wiston Estate: History, Vineyard & Winery
The History The Wiston Estate has been owned and managed by the Goring family since 1743. Its 6000 acres straddle the chalky slopes of the South Downs. Sussex beef herds, grazing sheep and arable crops have been part of the Estate landscape for centuries but it was not until Pip arrived that the ancient Roman…
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Irvine Meslier Brut
The name Irvine represents a number of things: a luxurious super-premium wine brand, a gorgeous vineyard in Eden Valley, South Australia, a truly exciting dream and above all, a Grand experience in wine. At a much simpler level, Irvine is our family name and family business – the name at the front of the years…
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Dom Perignon
I love Champagne, and have many favorites, but no other Champagne impresses me more than Dom Pérignon. I’m certain that quite a few of you are surprised by my enthusiasm for the Dom. After all, it’s so “out there,” so well-known, so available. You would think that a wine writer who specializes in Champagne such…
Read MoreBoutique tour & tasting at Tinwood Estate
I’m endlessly fascinated, not just by the stories of wine production, but of how people came to be in the business of making wine in England & Wales. We hear quite often about people making money in other fields, like medicine or IT, the City or Formula 1 which enables them to make their dream of owning a vineyard…
Read MoreBoutique tour & tasting at Tinwood Estate
I’m endlessly fascinated, not just by the stories of wine production, but of how people came to be in the business of making wine in England & Wales. We hear quite often about people making money in other fields, like medicine or IT, the City or Formula 1 which enables them to make their dream of owning a vineyard…
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Prosecco Today…and a Special Prosecco
The first time that I can remember drinking Prosecco was in Tuscany, over 25 years ago. It was a warm summer afternoon, and we had lunch at an elegant restaurant. First we were escorted to the restaurant’s terrace, and amidst the chirping birds, without our asking, we were served a chilled Prosecco. Needless to say–being…
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Vallformosa: An Exciting Brut Cava
Spanish wine producers have been watching the amazing success of Italian Proseccos in the U.S., and are taking action to get a piece of the sparkllng wine pie in this country. Previously unimported Cavas are now showing up in the U.S. market. I am delighted by the increasing number of Spanish Cavas that are now…
Read MoreCodorníu, Queen of the Cavas
In 1872, Josep Raventós of the Codorníu Raventós family from Catalonia made Spain’s first bottle of sparkling wine using the traditional method (second fermentation taking place in the bottle). Today these wines are known world-wide as Cavas. The Codorníu company, the oldest family-owned business in Spain, itself dates back to 1551, when Jaume Codorníu planted…
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