This is the first release from a new English sparkling wine producer, Black Dog Hill. This is a vineyard based in Ditchling, East Sussex, at the foot of the South…
Video: an introduction to English sparkling wine
It’s an exciting time for English sparkling wine. I shot this short segment as an introduction for a blind tasting that was being held in Vancouver, including the first English…
Cult Cava: Juvé y Camps Reserva de la Familia Gran Reserva 2011 Spain
I first encountered Juvé y Camps last year in Barcelona. It’s a sort of ‘cult’ Cava, in that it’s really good, more expensive than regular Cavas, and is a bit…
Raventós I Blanc Textures de Pedra Blanc des Negres 2011 Conca del Riu Anoia, Spain
This is a new wine from Raventós I Blanc, formerly a Cava producer, but now working outside the DO (interestingly, BBR in the UK have decided to continue labelling this…
English sparkling wine versus Champagne – the Noble Rot tasting – my results
I mentioned a while back that I’d taken part in a tasting of English sparkling wine versus Champagne. Organized by counter-culture wine publication Noble Rot, it pitted a carefully selected…
Camel Valley Pinot Noir Rosé Brut 2012 England
2012 was an absolute shocker of a vintage across southern England. It was just too cool, and then the season ran out of heat. The result? Many wineries just didn’t…
So just how good is English sparkling wine? A blind tasting
I took part in a brilliant tasting today, organized by Noble Rot magazine. Alas, there’s an embargo, so I can’t tell you the outcome or list the wines involved, but…
Another lovely English fizz: Gusborne 2010
Another lovely English fizz, this time from Gusborne. As I was writing this up I realized I’ve already reviewed in (back in November), and I was also impressed by their…
On Champagne bubbles
I was reminded last night about how bubbles aren’t really a property of a Champagne (or sparkling wine). I poured the same Champagne into two different glasses. In one, the…