This MCC (Methode Cap Classique, a term used for traditional method sparkling wines from South Africa) deserves a post of its own. It’s 15 years old (almost 16) and it’s…
Some thoughts about Cava, and Raventos leaving
Cava is, sadly, not cool. The news that one of the leading producers of Cava, Raventos, is to leave the Cava appellation has shocked a lot of people. [Aside: ‘appellaton’…
Some festive fizz, and fun quotes
It’s always a good time for sparkling wine and Champagne. Christmas gives me that extra prompt to open bottles though, and to seek out the company of those who also…
Recaredo: world-class Cava?
Great discovery today, made at Les Caves de Pyrene’s sparkling tasting. Recaredo. World-class Cava, something that many wine nuts didn’t think was possible. The secret to Recaredo’s wines? Biodynamic viticulture and…
Two very nice sparkling wines: New Zealand and England
Two very nice sparkling wines: one from Kiwi land and one from over here. Both pretty serious, and not expensive. Huia Blanc de Blancs 2005 Marlborough, New Zealand I’d been…
A brilliant Kiwi sparkling wine from Huia
I recently wrote up the 2004 Huia Blanc de Blancs. Very favourably. The 2005 is the current vintage, and the good news is that this is also exceptional. Huia Blanc…
A really good Kiwi fizz: Huia Blanc de Blancs 2004
New World sparkling wine isn’t my happiest hunting ground. But this is really good: full flavoured, complex, intense. I can’t find any UK stockists, but I reckon it will come…
Laithwaites Theale Vineyard Sparkling Wine
I was impressed by this. It’s a limited-production sparkling wine from a vineyard at the headquarters of Laithwaites, one of the UK’s most successful wine merchants, located in Theale, near…
Video: tasting four pink sparkling wines
A short film of me tasting four pink Sparkling wines. The wines: Hush Heath Estate Balfour Brut Rosé 2008 England (£34.99 Waitrose, Bibendumfinewine.com, Slurp.co.uk, Sparklingenglishwine.com) Freixenet Cava Elyssia Rosé…