England Vs France in the Wine Rivels

This weekend England and France battle out century of war and political dispute. In a 80 mins game of rugby. We will see the French and English reenact the battles of: Agincourt, Trafalgar, Waterloo; I can not not think of a battles France won with my selective memory.

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So in light of this rugby game; which like most 6 nation games have more to do with historic rivalry than on current forum, we have a new 'Wine The Rivals'. It be unfair to put the hole of France wine production against England's s we put up a French region and as I wont England to do well I put up our best tipple, fizzy pop, but is seems that the frogs do fizzy pop as well in a place could Champagne. This puts England on the back leg as Champagne has 33,500 hectares of vineyards around 319 villages that are home to 5,000 growers who make their own wine and 14,000 growers who only sell grapes. Where there are only 362 registered vineyards comprising of 923 hectares in England and Wales.

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Don't write of the English just yet in 2007 the Theale Vineyard Sparkling Chardonnay 2003 beat off stiff competition from fine Champagnes and top sparkling wines to make it into the world’s Top Ten Sparkling Wine at the world’s only dedicated sparkling wine competition, French-based Effervescents du Monde (sparkling wines of the world). The Theale Vineyard it self is a 50 meters by 20miters vine yard in front of a massive warehouse office block on a industrial estate which is surrounded by the M4 motorway, the A4 and a busy train line. I know a lot about this as the office was my old office in fact I helped with the 08 vintage by doing a bit of pruning and I own the last bottle of the amazing 03. So English wine can hold there own.

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So today the challenger is from Champagne, France we have the Bredon Brut NV and the defending champ from West Sussex, England we have the South Ridge Cuvée Merret 2006.

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Top Trumps.
Price: Bredon £14.24 from Waitrose Vs South Ridge £15.99 from Laithwaites. Bredon wines.
Vintage: Bredon NV Vs South Ridge 2006. South Ridge wines.
Alcohol:Bredom 12% Vs South Ridge 12%. Draw.
Awards: Bredom Silver IWC Vs South Ridge Silver IWC, Draw.

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So it all square after the Top Trumps. Now let put them to the taste test. The Bredon Brut NV is a full flavored crisp wine but with a creamy richness with touches of fruit. What you would expect from the guys behind Piper & Charles Heidsieck. A cracker of a wine. A good party or reception tipple. The South Ridge Cuvée Merret 2006 has a fantastic ripe melon and honey taste to it with just a hint of creamy mousse to it. What can I say but it under prised!

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It a close one both are class wines I will have to give it to....... Well I am biased it is England with South Ridge Cuvée Merret 2006! Go out and buy a couple of bottle of both wines and see if you think I am right.

A Glass of Love

Wine and love has been imbibed with each other as long as any one can trace. Wine is the natural partnership for humans’ deepest and pure of emotion’s with its smooth flavoursome juice of grapes that blends the passion and lust of love with a flowing savoury of ecstasy. This partnership of wine and love can been seen throughout our culture and heritage. The ancient Greek god of wine and ecstasy, Dionysus was the farther to the goddess of love, Aphrodite. The Greeks knew that love and wine were interconnected with family links on a divine scale. Even in the world of fairy tales wizards would serve their love potion with wine.

I would like to think the reason the two nations renowned for love, Italy and France, had something to do with them being the power-nations of the wine world. If that is true there is hope yet for us Brits. If the perditions of global warming is correct we will have the same climate as Champaign in 10 years time, still a bit too soon to call myself Nic Casanova.

So what makes wine the drink of love and lovers? Which wine is the wine to start the chemical reaction of passion with the sensualism of love?

Tim Atkin MW of the Guardian thinks 1961Château Lafleur-Pétrus is the drink of seduction. The 1961 Château Lafleur-Pétrus might set you back a couple of penny's but it has the attributes of a lovers wine with its chocolate and plum on the nose and ripe tannins with lots of good fruit. There is other Pomerol which still has the same attributes, take Tony Laithwaite's Le Grand Chai Pomerol 2004 grown by him in his Bordeaux Château is £19.99 per bottle it has a lovely deep purple colour, plum and cherry fruit flavours and a firm oakie structure. Château Segonzac 2006 Premières from Côtes de Blaye is the fantastic Waitrose Bordeaux for £8.54 it, like the other two, has great plum and cherry fruit flavours and a firm oak base. All these wines would be perfect if you combine them with the other seductive treat, dark chocolate; a bite of dark chocolate with a sip of wine would set off the sensations of love.

Love can be described as passion in a bottle ready to explode. Maybe this is why a glass of fizz is the most romantic drink of them all. There a lot of names out there and some times buying a bottle for it name is the best option, something like Laurent Perrier or Veuve Clicquot which you can pick up from most shops. If you are after a bottle with a name and a great taste go to Nicolas and pick up a bottle of Pol Roger for £29.97, Winston Churchill’s favourite tipple. Alternatively Ruinart for £35, it was served on the first flight of Concorde, here you have a name appeal mixed with a supine taste. Moving away from Champagne and into Alps you'll find a passionate fruity Italian, Val D'Oca Prosecco 2004 it has great light refreshing fizz with plenty of fruit a great alternative to Champaign from the Wine Rack for £9.99.

The drink for me this valentines day is not a 'name wine' but if you after a bottle of Champaign for its taste and not to fuss about the name have a couple of sips of Tesco Finest Premier Cru Champagne for £14.99 it has a lovely floral taste with creamy strawberry flavours that creates an extremely balanced bottle of fizz to make it pound for pound the best bottle of fizz in Britain this Valentines day.