Glass of Bubbly
An Introduction To Sparkling Wine
I remember my first trip to New York. I went with work and got put in business class, which I’d never travelled in before. I was nailing all the free stuff in the lounge before the flight, and then once we got on the plane there were only about 10 of us in the whole…
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Italian Sparkling wine
There are 20 unique wine regions in Italy with over 350 types of grape. The major types of sparkling wines from Italy include Prosecco, Asti Spumante, Lambrusco and Franciacorta. Prosecco is made from the white Prosecco grape ‘Glera’. Prosecco is also a region in Veneto, northwest Italy. Most Prosecco wines are meant to be enjoyed young and fresh. The…
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Production of Cava
Cava is the second largest traditional method wine by volume in the world, after Champagne. The Cava Denominacion de Origen (DO) was established in 1986. The Cava DO covers five regions in Spain: Cataluna (where the majority of production is based), Aragon, Navarra, Pais Vasco and La Rioja. Production is only about two-thirds that of Champagne, approxiamtely…
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Sparkling Wine Grapes
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are two grape varieties commonly blended together to produce sparkling wines and Champagne around the world. Pinot Meunier is sometimes added to enhance the character of the wine. Pinot Noir is one of the oldest grape varieties to be grown for the purpose of making wine from as early as the first century…
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Should Champagne houses list disgorgement dates on bottles?
Should Champagne houses and sparkling wine list disgorgement dates on their bottles? Most Champagne houses don’t put disgorgement dates on their bottles, however, Bruno Paillard have been putting disgorgement dates on their bottles for nearly 30 years and were the first to do so. Other Champagne houses that also list disgorgement dates include: Lanson, Krug, Dom Perignon, Bollinger, Tarlent, Charles…
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Charles Palmer Vineyards
Planted in 2006, the Charles Palmer exclusive 5 acre vineyard is fully south facing and sits on a bed of Kimmeridge clay just 5 metres above sea level, arguably putting it in the best place in England for growing and producing from its top quality Burgundy clone vines. The wine is produced from 100% estate…
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Bottega Gold Prosecco
Bottega was established in 1977 by Aldo Bottega and was taken over by his son Sandro in 1983. The big nineteenth-century farmhouse in Italy is surrounded by 10 hectares of vineyards. During Autumn 2001 Bottega Gold was launched in a limited edition. Bottega Gold is a Prosecco Doc Brut sparkling wine, from the Glera grapes, grown…
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What’s your favourite Champagne?
Champagne is not just a drink for weddings & celebrations it can be enjoyed at any time and not just as an aperitif, it can be enjoyed with many different types of foods. There are so many Champagnes that you may not know where to begin and what to try. The character of some Champagnes…
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Sparkling Wine Production
Most sparkling wines go through two fermentations: one to turn the grape juice into still wine (the base wine) and the second to turn the base wine into sparkling wine. The second fermentation involves adding yeast and sugar to the base wine. The yeast converts the added sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2 Gas) bubbles. The…
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