At last the 2020 harvest is safely in - and it is stunning. After all the hard work throughout the year the grapes have been hand-picked and pressed in the winery and the juice is beginning to ferment gently. Its the most exciting time for the winemaker when all...
Can you tell your Classic, from your Blanc de Blancs or your Blanc de Noirs? If not, and labels confuse you, here's what it means in black and white. Most English Sparkling Wine - just like most Champagnes - are made from the three famous grape varieties:...
There is a plethora of wine awards out there, but we feel that the Decanter World Wine Awards is one of the best. It is the quality of its judging and its global perspective that makes all the difference. A medal from the DWWA really means something and we always...
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.
