Del Boy in ‘Only Fools and Horses’ showed himself to be a complete plonk plonker. He ordered a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau ... ‘the 79’ vintage. The vexing question of ‘vintage’ confuses consumers – particularly with Sparkling wines - so here's how to avoid...
Every now and again, a rebel challenges tradition and demands change. It reminds me of Topol in the ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ asserting confidently ‘Tradition! That’s how we keep our balance’, just before his daughters fall in love with all the wrong men and their...
It is Summertime! While the grapes bathe in the warmth of sunbeams, it is the perfect time to seek some shade, relax and sip some Sparkling Rosé - preferably from your favourite English Winery. There's nothing quite so delicious as a refreshing glass of pink to...
The name is Bond, James Bond - but what's his poison? The world's most famous spy , the style icon James Bond, inspires many aspirational drinks orders. Marketing men target him ruthlessly with a view to making a killing. He's just so much more influential than...
While the world frets over the current global pandemic, remember that vines had a grape global pandemic of their own: Phylloxera. Phylloxera is not a virus. It is a louse originating from America and which dines on vines. The local vines in the USA were...
If – like us – you’re worried about the plight of the bumblebee, please support The Bumblebee Conservation Trust. In the last 80 years bumblebee populations have plummeted, and two species have even become extinct in the UK.
We were delighted to be invited by Nores to Stockholm and Bergen to talk about English Sparkling Wine. The on-trade in Norway and Sweden have embraced our fine fizz and wanted to know a little more about it, so we gave them a little snapshot of the industry.
The English language is surprisingly rich in the language of inebriation. If someone is a little ‘tipsy' – in the sense of slightly drunk and unsteady, rather than tipsy in the sense of askew or tilted (although they could be that too) – then there are many words to describe them.
First of all, why is a toast is called a toast? Apparently it was the Romans who first dropped burnt bread – known as ‘tostus’ meaning roasted or parched in latin – into their wine. The charcoal of burnt toast would soak up some of the acidity in inferior wine and make it more palatable.
Why do people glug fizz from footwear? Originally for good luck. Apparently this bizarre tradition dates back to the Middle Ages. Before battle some sort of alcohol would be drunk from the military commander’s boot to ensure courage and good luck. There was yet...
