Candover Brook

Stephen tastes and talks through Candover Brook, one of Hampshire's emerging quality sparkling wine producers.

Champagne Bérêche & Fils: My Lunch with Raphaël Bérêche

The dining room at Marcus, in Montréal’s Four Seasons Hotel, gleams with marble and brass. Light streams through floor-to-ceiling windows, catching on polished glassware and the curve of plush banquettes. There’s a soft hum from the open kitchen. In a corner nook of cosy banquettes, Raphaël Bérêche stands as he speaks, a glass in hand, posture relaxed yet assured. His tone is both poetic and practical, shaped by years of experience. The conversation flows easily; technical at times but with such obvious underlying passion and conviction that it is captivating all the same . He talks about time as if it were an ingredient, and about how every step, from vineyard to cellar, serves the pursuit of a clearly defined goal. A Family Estate Rooted in Time and Place Bérêche & Fils was founded in 1847 in Ludes, a Premier Cru village perched on the northern slope of the Montagne de Reims. Today, fifth-generation brothers Raphaël and Vincent Bérêche carry the legacy forward. Vincent oversees the v

Franciacorta’s Ca’ del Bosco: Icon of Italian Sparkling Wine

Yesterday was a gloriously sunny fall day. One of those echos of summer that puts you in a celebratory mood. And, happily for me, I was headed to lunch with the charming Giacomo Marzotto, a member of the wine powerhouse Marzotto family, in town to sing the praises of their Franciacorta estate. Ca’ del Bosco is one of the most renowned producers of Franciacorta sparkling wine. Over a lineup of both sparkling and still bottlings, Giacomo offered insight into the philosophy that has made Ca’ del Bosco a benchmark estate in Italy. Franciacorta in Context Franciacorta is a relatively young appellation, officially recognized in 1967 and elevated to DOCG status in 1995. In just a few decades, this Lombardy region has grown into Italy’s premier source of traditional-method sparkling wine, often compared to Champagne. With just under 3,000 hectares under vine and some 200 producers, Franciacorta remains small in scale but ambitious in quality. Chardonnay dominates plantings, with Pinot Noir and

Candover Brook

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Hundred Hills

Champagne Bérêche & Fils: My Lunch with Raphaël Bérêche

Franciacorta’s Ca’ del Bosco: Icon of Italian Sparkling Wine