Given that the oldest champagne in the world has been found on the Baltic seabed near the Aland Islands, between Sweden and Finland I was wondering what shipwrecked Champagne has surfaced before and, more importantly, what it tastes like? I know that Louis Roederer, one of France’s oldest champagne producers, stored its champagne on the seabed off Northern … Read more
Sauternes has 5 communes – Barsac, Sauternes, Bommes, Fargues and Preignac. All 5 can use the name Sauternes but Barsac also has its own appellation. Long before the great sweet wines of Sauternes were made the Romans grew their vines here. Preignac, (home of the Second Growth Chateau de Malle) takes its name from the Roman villa … Read more
A Norwegian study has found that light to moderate wine consumption was associated with better cognitive function. – in other words a glass of wine a few times a week could keep your brain in trim! The research in the Tromsø Study in northern Norway, published in Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, studied the drinking habits of 5,033 … Read more
Reports are starting to emerge speculating on Bordeaux’s 2010 grape harvest and I thought it would be a good idea to have a look at what is going on. So far I have read that yields will be low and that the grapes are apparently in excellent health. A report from Decanter reported that June was the hottest … Read more
If, like me, you enjoy Asian cuisine and good wine there is a book I can highly recommend. The first Asian Master of Wine, Jeannie Cho Lee, has published Asian Palate: Savouring Asian Cuisine and Wine which addresses the question of which wine pairs well with Asian food. It’s a big topic given the sheer range and … Read more
Rosé wines have been increasing in popularity for a while now and I have been banging the drum about Bordeaux Rosé and Clairet for a number of years. However it seems to have really taken off with Rosé wine sales rising by over 20% in value in the UK on-trade last year, according to the Wine and … Read more
Mention Margaux and wine lovers will immediately think of Chateau Margaux – the only Château that has the unique privilege of bearing the name of its appellation. The château has a prestigious past which stretches back to the 12th Century when it was known as La Mothe de Margaux. La Mothe comes from the French word motte, meaning a small rise in … Read more
Chateau Ballan Larquette is the new label for our most popular Clairet: Domaine de Ricaud Bordeaux Clairet. The award winning estates (Domaine de Ricaud, Chateaux Ballan Larquette and Peynaud) are owned by the Chaigne family who have been wine makers for several generations. Their wines are award winning and this Clairet was awarded a Silver Medal by the Concours des … Read more
You might be thinking that Bordeaux has bust the bank with the recent 2009 vintage price releases but there are some super wines around that won’t cost you a fortune. Wines from Petit Châteaux are often eclipsed by their more famous brethren and if you love good red wine then it is well worth discovering them. … Read more
Halibut is a great fish for barbecuing and I love its firm flesh, mild but slightly sweet flavour. It’s the largest flat fish in the ocean and they live in the freezing cold waters off Scotland, Norway, Iceland and Newfoundland. They used to be eaten instead of meat during Lent and were popular on Holy Days … Read more
