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Global thirst for Champagne drives staggering new price highs.

From Harpers Magazine.

Over the last five years, Champagne’s value sales on Bordeaux Index’s fine wine trading platform, LiveTrade, have risen by a staggering 90% to over $20m, with the most significant part of the gains occurring last year.

Matthew O’Connell, CEO of Bordeaux Index’s market-leading LiveTrade online fine wine trading platform, said: “Champagne’s market performance – largely across the board as far as prestige cuvées are concerned – was nothing short of staggering in the second half of 2021.

“A combination of global hospitality reopening and increased ultra-wealthy collector focus on the category – especially in Asia and the US-led to a supply squeeze and prices ‘gapping’ upwards.”

The outsized demand has been a key driver of sharply increasing prices, with LiveTrade data showing prestige Champagne prices up 36% in 2021 and 15% in 2022 YTD, a performance which compares to UK Equities having posted +14% and 2%, respectively.

Louis Roederer’s Cristal was Bordeaux Index’s top-selling Champagne last year, thanks to the cuvee enjoying strong demand across the 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2014 vintages.

• READ MORE: Nyetimber announces record year as estate leads the way for English sparkling

The ultra-exclusive Salon saw the greatest price gains in 2021 (2002 vintage +105% to £1250/bottle) – unsurprising given that UHNW buying for consumption and “hard asset” investment was such a key driver.

More broadly, and on the same theme, super-premium vintages such as 2002 and 2008 saw the biggest price rises across Krug, Cristal and Dom Perignon.

O’Connell added: “Champagne’s momentum from 2021 is likely to continue across the year, with prices already up another 15%, while there are interesting questions around the role of climate change in further supporting price gains, looking ahead over the medium term, with a 2021 harvest that was decimated by challenging conditions.”

WELSH VINEYARD OPENS 26-BED HOTEL TO BOOST WINE TOURISM

Llanerch vineyard in South Wales has opened a 26-bed hotel after securing a £2 million loan, aiming to stimulate successful oenotourism models found in New Zealand and Australia.

The vineyard, which was bought by Ryan Davies in 2010, claims to be the first to have opened a dedicated hotel in the UK.

Located north west of Cardiff, just outside Hensol, the first vines were planted back in 1986. It now produces wine under the brand name Cariad wines with a total of 10,000 bottles produced each year.

The new hotel has a total of 26 en-suite rooms as part of plans that were submitted to the Vale of Glamorgan Council in 2017.

The business has provided a number of bed and breakfast rooms since 2010, and its decision to open a dedicated hotel was prompted by demand for accommodation in the area.

The vineyard currently hosts tours, tastings, weddings and corporate packages. It also operates a restaurant and bistro.

Commenting on the opening, Davies said: “To become the first vineyard hotel in the UK is a fantastic achievement for the team at Llanerch.

“Across Europe, wine hotels are very popular and we wanted to bring that unique experience to south Wales.

“The popularity of Cardiff, which is just 20 minutes away, as an events destination for everything from rugby to high profile concerts has also pushed up demand for high-quality accommodation in South Wales.

“This has been a vision for Llanerch for many years. We have managed every aspect of this project – the biggest we’ve ever undertaken – ourselves to ensure that the hotel offers the highest quality and that every detail has been thought about, from luxury in-room products to maximising the spectacular scenery enjoyed by every room.”

Denbies Wine Estate in Surrey will shortly be joining Llanerch in the wine tourism sector. The winery is set to open a 17 room carbon neutral vineyard hotel this summer.

Part of the new Vineyards of the Surrey Hills Group, the estate hopes the new accommodation will increase travel to the region. The hotel will include an Orangery restaurant and will be fitted with solar panels, tesla batteries, Enomatic wine machines, heated garden pods and a wine barrel sauna.

The winery currently attracts around 350,000 visitors each year and offers 7 miles of public footpaths.

Industry body WineGB predicts the wine tourism industry will grow rapidly in the coming years. It expects UK oenotourism to generate an additional revenue of £658 million a year by 2040.

In April last year, seven wine producers from Kent joined forces with tourism body Visit Kent to launch the Wine Garden of England, a new wine trail for those wanting to explore and sample the county’s produce.

The website allows users to book tastings, tours, food and accommodation in one place.

110-year-old woman says whisky is the secret to long life

Grace Jones, who goes by the name Amazing Grace among her friends, is now the 10th oldest living person in the United Kingdom, and has said that the reason she has lived for so long is thanks to a single shot nightcap of Famous Grouse whisky every night for the past 60 years.

Jones’ claims are now beginning to sound familiar, as this year alone we have already heard from a 102-year-old woman crediting beer for her long life, a 100-year-old woman believing that six G&Ts a day keeps her young and a 107-year-old Spanish winemaker who put his long life down to four bottles of red wine every day.

“I never miss my night cap. All I have is the whisky at night,” said the mother of one.

“Whisky is very good for you. I started having a nightly tot of it when I turned 50 so I’ve been having it every night for the last 60 years and I certainly have no intention of stopping now.

“My doctor said “keep up with the whisky Grace, it’s good for your heart.

“I still feel the same as I did when I was 60. I feel fine. I feel full of spirit. I have got seven cards from the Queen now. This year’s was a very nice one.”

Jones celebrated the landmark birthday at Buckland Manor near her home in Worcestershire with her 78-year-old daughter, where she enjoyed a drinks reception, lunch, and a complimentary glass of whisky.

She was born in Liverpool September 16, 1906, five years after the death of Queen Victoria.

Plundered Nazi Champagne discovered

A collection of Champagne and Cognac plundered from occupied France by the Nazis and which survived looting by the Soviets has been discovered in Saxony.

Discovered at the Marcolinipalais Villa in the grounds of the Wasserschloss Moritzburg estate north of Dresden, the booze was found in the gardens of the villa during renovation work by a famous German restaurateur, Silvio Stelzer, some years ago.

The discovery was supplemented by ledger belonging to the late Prince Ernst Heinrich of Saxony whose family used to own the estate.

In the ledger it was shown that in 1944 the SS had stored large quantities of Champagne, Cognac, fine food and cigarettes, moving it on the orders of Adolf Hitler out of Berlin which was being pounded by Allied bombers.

“It was brought here at night in hundreds of boxes,” said Stelzer. “In addition to alcohol there was cheese, biscuits, tins of butter, salami sausage, coffee, chocolate and cigarettes – everything that it was impossible to get on the home front.”

It has not been revealed how many bottles were discovered but there existence is remarkable in the first place as the estate and rest of the carefully stored loot was comprehensively looted by the Red Army in 1945.

The contents and cellars have been turned over to historians for research.

Although described as “Hitler’s cellar” in other parts of the press, it is more likely that the stash was for the entertainment of high-ranking Nazi officials and SS officers who were always furnished with the very best of the luxuries looted from occupied Europe.

The Führer was not entirely tee-total, he drank wine and beer occasionally and while he largely followed a vegetarian diet during the war he ate meat from time to time.

Wine recipes

Want to add spice to your Christmas? Need something new to serve? Let us bring you to a ride around the world in the comfort of your home by indulging in these Christmas recipes. Now who said you could not be at two places at the same time?

What would be the better place to start than the recipe that has been around since the ancient Romans―mulled wine!

Germany’s Glühwein

Ingredients                                        

• 750 ml Red wine
• 2  Star anise
• Cinnamon stick (s)
• 6  Cloves
• Lemon (s)
• 50 g Sugar

Instructions:

1. Cut the lemon in half, and then slice it into parts as seen in the picture. Squeeze the lemon juice and put it with the lemon slices on a medium sauce pan.
2. Add wine, sugar and spices. Heat it slowly. Wine may only be heated up to 80°C. Never make it boil.
3. Do this for about 15 minutes. You can also add sugar depending on your taste.
4. Filter the wine using a sieve and serve in heat-resistant glasses.

Note: It is important to pay attention to wine quality as this could make or break this recipe, especially if you plan on adding just a little amount of sugar. The one we recommend would be heavy wines like Pinot Noir.

Scandinavia’s Glӧgg

Ingredients:

·                  1 bottle of red wine

·                  0.5 Liter inexpensive brandy or vodka

• 10 cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick (broken down)
• 1/ orange peel (dried or fresh)
• ½ lbs sugar (regular or lumped)

Optional Ingredients: 5 cloves, ½ cup raisins, ½ cup almonds and 5 dried figs.

Instructions:

1. Heat the wine, brandy and other ingredients in the pot. Don’t add the sugar. You may also add the raisins and cloves or any other ingredient that you like.
2. Let it simmer for 45 minutes. Don’t ever let it boil. If you want a stronger drink, add more brandy.
3. Strain through a cloth to separate the solids.
4. You may now serve your Glӧgg over the sugar. Feel free to add some raisins and almonds as desired.

Recipe from: http://goscandinavia.about.com/od/restaurantsdining/r/gloggrecipe.htm

Photo from: http://promenaderpalandet.blogspot.com/2010/11/glogg-ar-jul.html

Oriental Infused Mulled Wine

By: Chef Phillip Kraal

Ingredients:

• one bottle of red wine
• one orange
• one lime
• 2-3 thick slices of root ginger
• 2-3 star anise
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 5 whole cloves
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 3-4 stalks of coriander
• 1-2 fresh chilles
• 1/2 cup clear liquid honey
• 1 cup Stones ginger wine
• 1/4 Cointreau
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients except the ginger wine and the Cointreau in al large pot. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
2. The next day, heat the mixture in low to medium heat for 20-25 minutes. Don’t let it boil. Stir occasionally to ensure that the honey is dissolved. Wait until steam/smoke appears from the ingredients have been blended well.
3. Add the ginger wine and Cointreau.
4. Serve!

Recipe: http://www.radionz.co.nz/collections/recipes/oriental-infused-mulled-wine

Picture: http://www.healthyliquor.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/redwine.jpg

Quentão deVinho

(Brazilian Mulled Wine)

Ingredients:

• 34 fl. ounces (1 liter) red wine such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon (or grape juice if desired)
• 17 fl. ounces (1/2 liter) of water
• 1 orange, sliced
• 2 slices of fresh ginger, peeled
• 6 cloves
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1 cup sugar (or more, if desired)
  

  Recipe and Picture from: http://www.frombraziltoyou.org/quentao-de-vinho-brazilian-mulled-wine/

  ://www.frombraziltoyou.org/quentao-de-vinho-brazilian-mulled-wine/

Instructions:

1. Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to boil in high heat.
2. Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved (about 2-3 minutes). Let it boil for 10 more minutes.
3. Strain and serve warm. Garnish as desired.

Red Wine and Blueberries could improve our immune system

Red wine and blueberries could protect the body against illness by boosting the immune system, according to a new study by researchers from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon University in the US.

Researchers carried out a laboratory study and analysed the effects of 446 different chemical compounds on the immune system and found two in particular which had a significant impact.

The two compounds are resveratrol, which is found in red grapes and is thought to have various beneficial effects on the body such as fighting cancer and lowering the risk of heart disease, and pterostilbene, found in blueberries, which are considered a superfood and have qualities such as lowering cholesterol and reducing heart disease.

Individually the effect was marginal but when the two compounds were combined with vitamin D to increase the activity of a gene known as CAMP which helps boost the body's ability to defend against bacterial infection there was a significant increase.  The protein produced by this CAMP gene is, say the researchers, effective at killing a wide range of bacteria, and is produced by immune system cells and the cells that line the cavities and structures of the body.

Vitamin D has been linked to the function of the CAMP gene in the past but the new study suggests other compounds can also play a role, researchers reported in the Molecular Nutrition and Food Research journal.

As this research was carried out on cells and not on humans or rats further work will need to be done.  The study does not prove that consuming foods high in these compounds will boost the human immune system.

Burgundy loses 90% of harvest due to severe hailstorms

Top wine producing vineyards in France's Burgundy region have suffered 'catastrophic' damage after hailstorms and high winds on Tuesday and it is feared that between 75-90% of this year's crop may have been lost.

High winds and hailstorms caused serious damage in the Beaune region, which covers a 12 mile area, affecting well known wine growing villages such as Meursault in the south to Savigny-les-Beaune to the north and includes Volnay and Pommard.

Leaves were ripped from the vines and the grapes burst.  It depends how many leaves are left to protect the remaining grapes.  The northern part of the area was the worst affected with Pommard and Beaune being worst hit with damage hitting 70-90% of vines but the BIVB reported that no vineyard is untouched.

The Burgundy region produces some of France's most expensive grand crus wines with the Lest Epenots grand crus being one of the hardest hit.  After a poor harvest last year due to late frosts and disease the vineyards in the Burgundy and Beaujolais region had recently predicted a harvest of 2.31 million hectolitres - an increase of over 30% on last year.

London Cru is Central London’s first winery!

I'd heard about this but was sceptical about the whole enterprise but now I see that they will indeed begin production later this year!

We'll be sure to include a couple of the wines in our tastings if they are up to scratch....watch this space!

Bespoke winemaking equipment is currently being installed at London Cru – central London's first winery – and the first grapes will be processed in September. The winery plans to open to the public in November

London Cru will be a state of the art, boutique winery, with grapes sourced from prestigious vineyards in Bordeaux, Languedoc and the Roussillon.

Winemaker Gavin Monery will oversee everything from grape deliveries through to processing, fermenting, ageing and bottling. Gavin started his wine career in 2000 in his native Western Australia, and has worked at some of the world’s top wineries, including Cullen Wines, Moss Wood and Jean-Louis Chave.

Grapes will be hand harvested, transported in refrigerated trucks and will arrive at London Cru within 36 hours. The fruit will then be carefully processed and vinified with the first limited edition London Cru wine expected to go on sale from mid 2014 onwards.

London Cru will offer a unique experience for people wanting to get more involved in the winemaking process without having to leave London. Doors open to the public in November, when winery tours and tastings will begin. It will also be available for hire as a unique events space in the city.

Housed in a former gin distillery, London Cru is being built under Roberson Wine’s Earls Court head office, near its shop in Kensington.

Explaining the decision to launch the winery, Gavin Monery, London Cru’s winemaker said: “With so many talented people creating world-class craft beers and spirits in London we thought it was a great time to do the same with wine, and share the experience of making it with people who want a hands-on, informative and entertaining experience.

“We realise that this is going to be a challenge, but we have all of the tools, skills and experience to make top quality wines in an urban environment. We also have the freedom to create the styles we want without the rules that apply to so many wine regions.”

McMullen Brewery releases beer in honour of new Royal Baby

It was only a matter of time before a UK brewery released a beer in honour of the new royal arrival and on Monday the McMullen Brewery released  their new beer called 'Heir Raiser' to mark the occasion.

Heir Raiser is a 4% ale, a golden bitter made with a careful blend of English grown Progress, Fuggle and Bramling Cross hops with Ale and Crystal malts to give a well-balanced bitter with delicate fruit and floral notes.

McMullen's operates 49 Tenanted pubs and 86 managed outlets, including 7 'Baroosh style' bars the first of which opened in Hertford in 2000. All their pubs and bars are located in the northern Home Counties, from central London to Chelmsford in the East, to Windsor in the West and to Cambridge in the North.

Wine Tasting in London

Schedule a wine tasting in London for your family and friends in the comfort of your own home.

Wine: Its history and social importance

The production and consumption of wine dates back thousands of years. Historical data and evidence points at the country of Georgia to be the first known site of wine production around 7000 BCE. The first known winery was in Armenia around 4100 BCE. The winery is considerably developed with tools such as fermentation vats and a wine press.

It is believed that the Romans brought wine to England. After Julius Caesar's introduction, monasteries grew vines and produced wines. Winery is so much embedded in the English culture, as evidenced by streets and places named after it (i.e. Vine Street).

The use and consumption of wine throughout history is widely related to agriculture, cuisine and civilization. Drinking wine is a tradition that is repeatedly mentioned in the bible, as well as local legends, tales and folklores. Greek and Roman mythology has the god Bacchus, the god of revelry and wine.

Wine was largely used in ceremonies, and were seen in scenes drawn on tombs in Egypt. The Romans made wine a huge industry, as wine is consumed daily during meals. In China, rice wine was more popular because grapes were considered exotic. In areas where the climate was not conducive for growing vines, such as the Middle East, medieval merchants traded with wine.

Today, wine remains a social tool in dinners and gatherings.

Wine Tasting in London

Wine tasting is the evaluation and examination of wine through the sense of taste. Wine tasting may either be a formal activity, such as to retailers, or a more informal, recreational activity.

Wine tasting in London have become very popular. Traveling to famous wine regions and visiting wineries have become part of an adventurer's itinerary. Wine schools have also been sprouting up, offering wine tasting classes to the public.

Wine Works can provide you with the best experience in wine tasting in London. The best part is -- we will come to you! No matter where you are, or what the occasion is, we can accommodate you. Call us today and let us help you plan a day of wine tasting in London.

Wine and chocolate tasting in London

Wine tasting has allowed many would-be connoisseurs to first be made aware that all  that we eat and drink have aromas and flavours .  Of course we realise that wine, tea and coffee experts know all the best regions which produce the best results  - and flavors - but few know that cocoa experts do the same. 

Chocoholics quickly learn there is a mighty difference in off the shelf diary chocolate and the "real" stuff . Inevitably it goes back to the cocoa bean, and its origin.

As with wine, there are high-and low-quality cocoa varieties, top sites and mediocre production areas. Most varieties come from these three: by far the largest on the market is Forasteros, then Criollos and Trinitarios. The third Trinitarios is derived from a cross between the first two.

 A cacao tree produces around 200 cucumber-like fruits, which contains 20 to 50 seeds, the cocoa beans. They are dissolved with the remains of the flesh and poured in to ferment in ventilated wooden crates where they develop, from the heat of the fermentation process, bitters and flavourings. They are then dried.

 For the chocolate, the master chooses what Cocoa Beans which are graded like coffee then roasted to release the flavours. Then, the master chocolatier blends them together, then they are ground. He may respect provenances or varieties or seek a more balanced aroma and consistency. In the next step, sugar and vanilla pods are rolled. To eliminate bitterness and acidity and give the chocolate smoothness, it must be stirred between one and three days in a lathe. 

Then the chocolate is ready and poured into plates where cocoa is usually 63 to 70%. Today you can hardly find chocolatiers who produce chocolate themselves. Most chocolatiers and pastry chefs refer to specialized, highly regarded companies and then melt forming their own blends,  by lust and creativity with cinnamon, tea or coffee, ginger, licorice and pepper, nuts, dried fruits or other ingredients.

Anyone with a taste preference for bittersweet chocolate may soon ask the question: What wine can match that? 

Let the simplicity, variety of additional ingredients as well as aside from chocolate desserts.The main formative flavors of chocolate are cocoa in all its diversity, roasted and hazelnut notes and vanilla. Who now might think of wine descriptions that instantly come to mind, - concentrated red wines that have been aged in oak barrels, one, in particular blends Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, but also Syrah wines.

But wait! With the marriage of chocolate and wine there is an obstacle: the sugar. The higher the cocoa content of a panel, the lower the sugar content, but they are still often 25% or more.

Sugar and dry wines are a tricky pair. Especially if the wine itself has a, good density and full maturity as has the Reds from Chile or Australia, so you can discover great taste sensations. If the wine has an intense, ripe cherry, raspberry and cassis fruit will taste excellent with a fine bitter chocolate and roasted notes. However, their sugar content makes each wine bitter. 

Those who do not feel that they like it after experiments, but who wants to try again, dark chocolate and old Rivesaltes or a tawny port may be recommended. This is about pure indulgence, because the nuances of a first-class chocolate enter into an exciting interplay with the flavors of  powerful sweet wines. Both Rivesaltes and Tawny mature for years in old barrels with air contact, developing a host of flavors, ranging from candied fruit compote and dried fruits to nuts, caramel, cocoa, coffee, and tobacco, and create excellent harmony with those of the chocolate. Here, even the sugar has a positive effect because it reduces the impression of sweetness in the wines, which contain much more than the chocolate. 

It is best is to be careful that the chocolate or dessert does not have more sugar content than the wine. This is a basic rule for everyone, the sugar changes the flavour of the wine and makes it more acidic and bitter.

But how is it with white sweet, very sweet and natural sweet wines and chocolate? Can they work together? Yes they can, but ... with not as much harmony, best to resort to milder, smoother chocolate, milk or white chocolate.

 If you want to surprise your friends with a tasting of chocolate and wine, it is recommended that both of the light and push forward lighter to darker and stronger. After all, we now find it more and more fun to test the possibilities of chocolate and wine, while the veteran of the Great Kitchen at the end of the 19thCentury in France the chocolate just recommended a glass of water.

André Dominé

Champagne Tasting London

Travelling to London?  Allow us to welcome you on a bubbly note!

Book your champagne tasting experience with us and let this sparkling wine fizzle up your vacation.

Travelling, after all, is supposed to be a learning experience.  For example, did you know that champagne is called champagne because it is produced from grapes grown in the Champagne region of France?

So experience London in a way like no other - with a flute of bubbly in your hand!  It doesn't matter if your London holiday is week-long or only for a weekend, or even if you're just staying the night.  Champagne tasting will make it a delightful experience.

After all, London is not called a "global" city for nothing.  If you book our champagne tasting package, we will bring the world to you on a silver platter.  Literally, that is!  French champagne with charcuterie, Italian antipasti, Spanish tapas, Swiss cheese, American nibbles, Belgian chocolates, or even a full intercontinental dinner.   Truly a delicious experience.

It's a fun event that travelers can enjoy - in private or in public!  Integrate it with your sightseeing and you will absorb more of the British culture.  In London, there are simply so many things you can do.  Sip champagne as you sail across the River Thames, stroll along the Royal Botanic Gardens or even aboard the London Eye, or at the peak of The Shard, or after watching a play on the West End.  Feeling tired already?    If you're the type who would rather sit in a pub with a view of London's magnificent historic sights, we can do that too.  (What's a visit to London without going to a pub, right?)

Whatever your personality is, one thing is guaranteed.  You will have fun while learning from our Masters.  Our Masters will tell you the history, artistry, and methodology of champagne.  And your new knowledge is the best souvenir that you can get from this vacation.  You are bound to enjoy champagne more as you get back home.

If you are entertaining a tourist, this is a chic way to do so.

Come to London a champagne nouveau but return home as a sommelier.  Let Wine Works lead the way.

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• New research shows glass bottles considered much more sustainable than bag-in-box
• Rosé’s global success ‘partly based on luck’, says UK buyer
• Friends of the Earth, Stroud Brewery & Toast Ale have joined forces.
• Pinot Noir’s Huge Potential in England
• Cognac exports reached €3.2 billion in 2018
• Sir Ian Botham Launches New Wine Range
• GVG fined €200,000
• Vranken-Pommery Monopole becomes first French Champagne house to sell English wine
• Wettest weeks in Champagne
• Chapel Down sees excellent harvest 2017 despite Spring frost

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