Taking the world one wine at a time.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: you (we) don’t drink enough Champagne! Understanding sparkling wine can be a slight nightmare though, as there’s about 5 different to give a wine its bubbles, not to even mention all the history details! Luckily the nice people at wine.com have put together this great little Champagne infographic for people looking to learn a little more about true Champagne. If after studying this whole thing from…
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Bubbly-maker Moët-Hennessy has invested in a vineyard in China that will produce red wine for the Chinese market. The luxury Champagne brand has been aggressively pursuing the Chinese market in recent years, having acquired a Chinese spirits brand five years ago. Last year, Moët-Hennessy also began production of a premium sparkling wine in the province of Ningxia Hui (NB: good luck pronouncing that!). The explosive growth of middle and upper classes in Chinese society has…
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There are about 5 different ways to make sparkling wine. The methods range from the most simple: carbonation (like they do with soda), right the way through to the method we’re about to discuss. Méthode Champenoise or Méthode Traditionnelle (Champagne Method) is easily the most time-consuming, but arguably yields the highest quality result. It’s also the oldest and most traditional way to make a wine “bubbly”. History boffins are a little confused as to who exactly…
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Grape 63% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay Facts I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: you (we) don’t drink Champagne often enough! With that being stated from the get-go, I should probably point-out that what we’re dealing with right here isn’t exactly a once-a-week kind of bottle! I’ve been saving this bottle of Bollinger La Grande Annee for a special occasion, and that occasion was last Friday. So what was the occasion?…
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It was the French Benedictine monk Dom Perignon (1638-1715) who proclaimed, “Come quickly! I am drinking stars!”, (NB: probably because Champagne makes everyone yell silly things) so it makes perfect sense that the range of Champagne bottles take their names from figures inspired by the bible. Before we get started, it’s worth pointing out that apart from magnum and jeroboam, very few of these names are ever been used seriously. However, I always seem to…
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The shape of the shallow and wide-mouthed Champagne glass is claimed by the French to be a tribute to the breast of Marie Antoinette, but the Greeks claim the glass is a tribute to the breast of Helen of Troy.
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James Bond, Ian Fleming’s fictional spy character, is portrayed as a frequent drinker of Champagne. A count reveals thirty-five occasions in which the character was portrayed drinking champagne in Bond films. The favorite Champagne of Mr Bond? That would be Bollinger. List of Bollinger Champagnes used in James Bond movies: Live and Let Die: Bollinger (year unknown) Moonraker: Bollinger RD ’69 View to a Kill: Bollinger ’75 License to Kill: Bollinger RD ’75 The…
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VinPass: Wine Lovers Can Now Check In A new social game called VinPass has just recently launched. It’s an application for wine lovers to "share wine reviews, win badges and earn real rewards. VinPass uses the ‘check-in’ paradigm popularized by location-based social network Foursquare and extended into other areas by the likes of GetGlue (entertainment) and Foodspotting (food). In a nutshell, you check-in to tasting a certain type of wine. If you write…
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English sparkling wine should be called Champagne, says Camilla English sparkling wine should be called Champagne, according to the Duchess of Cornwall. The quality of English fizz is so good the drink "is champagne" the Duchess declared, echoing what many in the English wine trade believe, but showing scant regard for complex and strict European food labeling laws. The Duchess’s comments came as she and the Prince of Wales toured the Denbies Wine Estate…
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