Laura Rhys celebrates Sommelier award with Champagne's Piper-Heidsieck

Laura Rhys ( Lovethatwine.co.uk’s resident sommelier) from Hotel TerraVina, Southampton tantalised her tastebuds as the guest of Champagne’s Piper-Heidsieck & Charles Heidsieck's head wine maker Régis Camus.

Each year award-winning Camus has the task of blending the wines of both Piper-Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck according to the characteristics of each base and reserve wine.

The highlight of the trip for Rhys, was not only to pick up her award for the 2009 UK Sommelier of the Year, but she had the opportunity to taste still wines from the 2009 harvest and selections from Heidsieck's collection of reserve wines with Camus.Read more

Perfect love nests to celebrate St Valentines Day in the heart of France

Champagne and good food are definitely the way to a man or woman’s heart. But why not make this Valentines extra special staying in unusual love nests in the heart of France?

Choose from a gypsy caravan or medieval chateaux. The possibilities are endless.

Here are just a few tasters of what is on offer:Read more

Wine lovers ditch the Champagne in favour of sparkling

Recession-hit drinkers shunned the likes of Dom Perignon or Veuve Clicquot for something easier on the wallet.

Over Christmas and in the lead-up to New Year, sales of prosecco were up by 60-70% at Sainsburys and Majestic Wine, while Selfridges saw a 50% increase in demand for its own-label prosecco.
 
Shipments of Champagne to Britain plunged almost 32% in the first nine months of the year, according to the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne, the producers' professional body, although sales picked up in the few weeks leading up to the festive season after supermarkets offered heavily discounted Champagnes.Read more

Party like it's 1999 with vintage Champagne and Wine Cases

The Purveyor.com is hoping to take its customers back to 1999 this festive season with a selection of prestigious Champagnes or wines.

The online retailer, which stocks over 500 quality wines, Champagnes and spirits has selected six bottles per case of only the best Champagne and wines that have been maturing since 1999 and 2000, perfect to be shared with family and friends.Read more

New research shows the bubbly contains same health benefits as Champagne and Cocoa

New research, due to be published in the British Journal of Nutrition this week has found that Champagne has the same health benefits as previously found in red wine.

The research, conducted by a team led by Dr Jeremy Spencer of Reading University found that Champagne contains polyphenol antioxidants, which are believed to reduce the effects of cell-damaging free radicals in the body.

In particular, these antioxidants slow down the removal of nitric oxide from the blood, lowering blood pressure and therefore reducing the risk of heart problems and strokes.Read more