Cellar Stories
The Rise of English Sparkling Wine
Champagne has long been considered the gold standard for celebratory drinks. Even its Italian counterpart Prosecco, whilst hugely growing in popularity, fails to enjoy quite the same reputation. How about English sparkling wines, however? Can homegrown products stand toe-to-toe with France's finest export? Believe it or not, English sparkling wine actually predates champagne. The French monk Dom Pierre Perignon invented the beverage that bears his name in 1697. Christopher Merrett, a British scientist that hailed from the Cotswolds, first coined the term 'sparkling' in relation to wine in 1662. Merrett was the first person to document secondary fermentation, or the...
Churchill
When we think of Sir Winston Churchill, many associations spring to mind. Beyond the bulldog spirit, inspirational speeches and devastating way with a one-liner, however, are you also aware that Churchill was an early adopter of magnums? As the famously hard-drinking politician quipped, "a magnum is the perfect size for two gentlemen to have over lunch, especially if one isn’t drinking.” A man of voracious appetites, champagne was Churchill's tipple of choice, most notably Pol Roger. The former Prime Minister claimed to have sunk at least 42,000 bottles of this vintage during his lifetime. Perhaps this was what inspired Churchill...
Port
Few classic vintages carry as much heritage as port. A great addition to the table of any dinner party and a natural accompaniment to a cheese board, it's pivotal to understand how port should be shared and imbibed. We need to look back to classic nautical practices to understand this! Firstly, port should always be decanted and placed in the middle of the table, to the right of the host. From there, tradition dictates that the glass of the guest to your right is filled, then the bottle passed to the left. Are you seeing the naval theme yet? Port...
Recent articles