Searching for regionality in English sparkling wine

To mark the start of English wine week tomorrow, Peter Ranscombe ponders whether it’s possible to spot regional identity in the country’s sparkling wines ASK a connoisseur of Champagne about their favourite bottles and more likely than not they’ll start waxing lyrical about the different areas that make up the famous French sparkling wine region.…

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First vines planted at Taittinger’s Domaine Evremond in Kent

PETER RANSCOMBE “WE HAVE even arranged for bubbles to fall from the sky,” laughed Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, president of the eponymous Champagne house, as he prepared to plant the first vines at Domaine Evremond, the French producer’s vineyard at Chilham, in Kent. His joke drew nervous giggles from the crowd of journalists, drinks industry veterans and…

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Going beyond bubbles

PETER RANSCOMBE FLICKING through the pages of a wine textbook sometimes feels like looking back at an old photo album. There on the pages are all the old friends – from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir through to Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and that cheeky wee Sauvignon Blanc. Then you reach the pages about England…

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Alternatives to Chablis

PETER RANSCOMBE CHABLIS will always hold a special place in my heart. As a red drinker, it was the white that opened the door for me to a whole world of elegant and exciting wines, eventually leading to delights such as riesling and gruner veltliner. That’s why last year’s news sent a shiver down my spine…

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