Heard it on the grape vine...

So, you’ve purchased a bottle of champers, yippee; but don’t feel like a brute if you have no idea what ‘dosage’ means. Essentially dosage, pronounced ‘do-zaj’, is a form of sweetness (sugar, liquor, reserve wines) added to a Champagne to balance it out.

Single village Champagnes; a different expression. Throughout the magnificent history of Champagne, the art of blending has been celebrated widely. The Chef de Caves, of the big houses, will meticulously...

Solera System? – Out of this world, when it works! 

The Solera method, which originated in Jerez, Spain, for the production of Sherry, is a wine ageing system which blends multiple vintages to create a reserve of consistent quality. 

We will look at how it is used in Champagne and the benefits and drawbacks of such a method which is used by a handful of producers.

You know you love the warm, smoky textures and flavours but are unsure how to keep finding the right cuvées that give you that fuzzy feeling inside. Oak has been a contentious topic in Champagne for the last couple of decades and it has seen a variety of different uses and trends. We will look at these methods and examples and delve deeper to understand the use of Oak in Champagne and answer the question of; ‘What the Fut de Chene?!’

2020? Let's go out in style! We all know Christmas is going to be different this year so let's make our wine selections different too! Impress your bubble with some...

Grower Champagnes are wines made from a producers own vineyard using only their own grapes. This means they look after every process from the crops all the way through to bottling and sales. What makes Grower Champagne different to other Champagnes?...

One of the key factors effecting the style of a Champagne is the grapes which are used and in what quantities per bottle. The location these grapes come from can make a difference to the flavour and smell of a cuvée too. Some Chardonnays may taste slightly different from one village to another and that is mainly due to the soil and climate. But what are these grapes and how do they taste? 

You may have seen the term ‘Grand Cru’ or ‘Premier Cru’ on Champagne bottles you have purchased. These terms refer to the status and location of the villages the grapes have come from which makes the wine. The term...