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When I am poured a pleasing Champagne from a house I am not familiar with, curiosity is aroused to discover what is behind the label Champagne Palmer & Co. Founded in 1947 by seven family growers with 220 hectares (543 acres) of Premier and Grand Cru vineyards in Montagne de Reims. They produce great Pinot…

My good friends at Studio Cru in Italy invited me to join a zoom tasting of five of the winery’s exceptional wines. Our host was Luigi d’Angelo the winery’s the Export Executive who joined the team in September 2023, guided us through the tasting these wines. Located in the Marche region in central Italy on…

Max Riedel is an impassioned presenter committed to developing his glassware collection to optimise the taste experience. I was recently had the opportunity to meet him at his Veloce glass tasting at Westminster College. He talked us through tasting the most wines in his Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir/Nebbiolo and Cabernet/Merlot glasses and comparing wines…

Leckford Sparkling wine is made from grape grown with the greatest care and attention on their estate. Picked in October and sent in selected batches to Ridgeview to be made into the best Brut and Blanc de Blancs to be sold in Waitrose supermarkets. A complete story with interesting unspoken tales to be told. Laurence…

Roasting artisanal coffee is a fine balance of art and science. Wanting to learn how Moon Roast aim to highlight the flavours of specialty grade coffee through roasting techniques and profiles. Laurence Civil went to meet Francis Bradshaw their roastery in converted farm building at Chilton Manor Farm. Francis is the fourth generation from a…

I recently had the pleasure to join Carlo Galliano for a zoom tasting of six of Borgo Maragliano’s superb sparkling wines, kindly arranged by Studio Cru. The winery is privately owned by his family. He is the fifth generation managing the business and making the wine. Three generations are currently working together. His parents Guiseppe…

“The glass we choose to taste a wine does change and optimize the taste experience,” says Laurence Civil. “I have been privileged to have enjoyed several glass tasting classes, which taught me how tasting the same wine from different shaped glasses, does change the taste experience. That is why I was interested to learn the…

Purbeck Cider is a signature taste of Dorset. It is the vision and passion of Joe Hartle, Cider maker and farmer who launched the company on his family’s farm at Kingston near Corfe Castle. He makes the finest premium cider using 100% single pressed British apples from some of the county’s long forgotten trees, including…

French cheese makers have an established tradition for making rind washed semi cream cheeses. Will Torrent, Waitrose supermarket’s Senior Brand Development Chef had the vision to have a similar cheese with the rind’s washed in their own Leckford Estate Brut, made with grapes grown on the Waitrose vineyard on their Leckford farm in Hampshire. Laurence…

Their name card says, “Putting the art back into food”. Laurence Civil explores how they achieve this. I fell for Yarty’s ‘B’ Black Garlic when it was the dressing on a wild rocket salad at Leckfords Farm Shop. Instantly after I tasted it, I knew that this was a perfect combination. When I knew Jayne…