Borgo Maragliano – Bubbles that Touch the Sky

Paul Howard Articles, Blog, Italy, Sparkling Wine

Borgo Maragliano vineyards dawn

Borgo Maragliano – Bubbles that Touch the Sky The Galliano family own Borgo Maragliano, a wine estate in Piemonte. It sits 450 metres above sea level (asl) on a natural terrace of the southern Langhe, surrounded by hills reaching over 600 metres. Their glass and steel tasting room seems suspended mid-air and offers breathtaking panoramic countryside views, while the roads here …

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Sténopé – a Champagne from Devaux and Chapoutier

Paul Howard Articles, Blog, Champagne, France, Organic, Sparkling Wine, Sustainability

Sténopé 2011

Sténopé – a Champagne from Devaux and Chapoutier Champagne Veuve A. Devaux was founded in 1846 by brothers Jules and Auguste Devaux, based at the beautiful Chateaux of Domaine de Villeneuve. It’s at Bar-sur-Seine, down south in the Aube region. The Veuve (widow) referred to was Madame Augusta Devaux, in charge of this House for several decades. After five family …

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Cantina Toblino Vènt project – a different kind of tension

Paul Howard Articles, Blog, Italy, Organic, Sparkling Wine, Sustainability

Cantina Toblino Vènt Project Wines

Cantina Toblino Vènt project – a different kind of tension Cantina Toblino was recently awarded the Wine Alchemy WOTY 2021. This was for their sweet dessert wine, Trentino Vino Santo DOC. You can read all about this here. However, as we’ll see, this isn’t the only terrific wine they make. Thanks to their Vènt Project, there are several new wine stars, all …

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Cantina Tramin and their path to Alpine wines

Paul Howard Articles, Blog, Italy, Sustainability, Wine Business

Cantina Tramin

Cantina Tramin and their path to Alpine wines Cantina Tramin is one of the leading wine producers in the Alto Adige (Südtirol) region of northeast Italy. This co-operative is in the village of Tramin (Termeno), comprising some 300 members and 270 hectares of vines, some of which are now organic. In this mountainous region, individual family holdings are frequently tiny, …

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Philipponnat Champagne Royale Réserve

Paul Howard Articles, Blog, Champagne, France

Philipponnat Champagne

Philipponnat Champagne Royale Réserve The Philipponnat family have been winegrowers and merchants in the Champagne region for sixteen generations. Their history dates back to 1522; they were suppliers to the Sun King, Louis XIV. But it wasn’t until 1910 that Auguste and Pierre Philipponnat created their Champagne house in the village of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. There have been several changes in ownership …

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Lyme Bay Chardonnay 2018 for English Wine Week 2020

Paul Howard Articles, Blog, England and Wales

EWW & Lyme Bay

Lyme Bay Chardonnay 2018 for English Wine Week 2020 This year’s English Wine Week is a little later in the year than usual. It runs from Saturday 20 June to Sunday 28th June. So to tie in with this year’s event, here are my English wine recommendations. The principal feature is the newly released Chardonnay 2018 from the Lyme Bay …

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Huia Blanc de Blancs and Marlborough Memories

Paul Howard Articles, Biodynamic, Blog, New Zealand, Organic, Sparkling Wine, Sustainability

Huia Blanc de Blancs 2016

Huia Blanc de Blancs and Marlborough Memories The Huia was a native New Zealand bird with beautiful plumage. In particular, its distinctive tail feathers, now extremely rare, were highly prized, both by the Maori and by milliners.  Sadly, this species hasn’t been seen since 1907 and is now almost certainly extinct. Huia is also the name of a winery.  In …

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Assemblage 2009 released by Champagne Bruno Paillard

Paul Howard Articles, Blog, Champagne, France

Bruno Paillard Assemblage 2009

Assemblage 2009 Regular readers of these pages will know my liking for the Champagnes made by Maison Bruno Paillard.  This time it’s about vintage Champagne and the new release of Assemblage 2009. The Cuvée This Champagne is made exclusively from the first pressings of the grapes, ensuring the best quality. These came from ten of the best terroirs in the …

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Chablis and the Grand Auxerrois – Book review

Paul Howard Articles, Blog, Book Reviews, France

Chablis, Rosemary George

Chablis and the Grand Auxerrois – Book review Chablis – it’s the best known white wine. And not just in the UK, which is still its biggest market, but worldwide. It’s so famous that many don’t realise it’s made only with Chardonnay grown in a small group of villages in northern Burgundy. Even though it’s a unique expression, Chablis is …

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Salon – expensive, but never dearer

Paul Howard Articles, Blog, France, Sustainability

The Gates of Champagne Salon

Salon – expensive, but never dearer Eugène-Aimé Salon founded Champagne Salon at the beginning of the 20th Century. He was a native of Champagne and from humble origins became a wealthy Parisian furrier and socialite. Champagne Salon arose when he decided to create his own Champagne, primarily for consumption by him and his society friends. Such was his obsession with …

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