Sparkling Wine

Pairings October 27, 2013

Mumm Napa Brut Rose Paired with Oven Baked Ribs and Sweet Potato Casserole.

Apart from garnishing the plate with dried leaves and a squirrel, I can’t imagine how this recipe could be anymore Autumnal. [There’s a word I don’t use very often: Autumnal.] Any-who, this pairing combines two things I just don’t consume enough of; namely, ribs and bubbly…and even more-so on the same dinner table! I’ve never been a fan of sticking to “food and wine pairing rules,” but I’d never go so far as to say…

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News, Reviews October 14, 2013

Grape Expectations – Eight Wines that Pair With Summer and Fall.

Ok, first-things-first, I didn’t write the title for this article. “Grape Expectations” is way beyond my reaches of my creativity. Secondly; I wrote this article a couple of months ago for the Jacksonville Magazine “Taste” Edition…and I know we’re out of Summer now….but I think it still has relevance…since the weather here is Florida is so bloody-warm well into November! 4 Summer Wines Taltarni “Tache,” Brut Sparkling, Australia Description The term Tache (meaning “stained” in…

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Reviews October 4, 2012

Denbies Whitedowns Cuvée NV Sparkling, Surrey, England.

Grapes 100% Seyval BlancYes, you are indeed forgiven for never having heard-of/tasted Seyval Blanc. The reason this French hybrid grape is starting to see a rise in popularity in English vineyards (as well as in New York and Canada), is that it isn’t opposed to a little cold weather (something which England does so well), since it buds and ripens early.   Facts The time is currently 8:28am GMT and I’m headed back to the…

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News May 25, 2012

5 Million Bottles of English Bubbly to be Sold by 2015.

According to reports, sales of English sparkling wine are set to hit 5 million bottles by 2015.There are almost 400 vineyards in the UK now, almost twice that of 10 years ago. “We have a unique terroir that makes English sparkling wine special. It’s more expensive to produce than Champagne, the cost of land is higher and yields are lower.” said Ridgeview winemaker Charlie Holland. “It’s a fallacy to say you can’t ripen grapes in…

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Facts March 29, 2012

A Toast to Champagne Infographic

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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Facts March 3, 2012

A Guide to Wine Faults – Bubbles.

Bubbles Sometimes when you open a bottle of still wine, you might find it to be unexpectedly sparkling. I’ve ran into this mainly with white wines which are light and fruity (i.e. Sauvignon Blanc, Albarino, Vinho Verde etc) and primarily with screw-cap sealed bottles. This is due to a winemaker sometimes adding a little CO2 to keep them crisp and refreshing. In white wines this is often referred to as “petillance”. How to tell if…

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Facts January 27, 2012

Decoding Champagne Wine Bottle Sizes & Names.

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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Reviews June 27, 2011

Gary Vaynerchuk’s Daily Grape Feature – Parxet Titiana Brut Rose Pinot Noir Cava

Wine: 2008 Parxet Titiana Brut Rose Pinot Noir Cava Grape: 100% Pinot Noir Score: 90 Points Price: $15 MSRP Gary’s explanation why: With the summer weather you’re going to want to drink something fresh and lively. Cavas are produced in the same method as Champagne at a fraction of the price. Many can be hit or miss, but this one both has a friendly price tag and impressive structure for its price point. Lounging by…

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Funny, News May 28, 2011

This Week In Wine – May 28th 2011

  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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