Forecourt Tasting - Weekend 4

Go Off with a Pop

Up next for the Forecourt Tastings we have Go Off with a Pop. This menu will showcase 5 wines for 5 different styles of sparkling wine. The styles include Prosecco, Cava, Moscato and two other very interesting styles.

Often when we think about Sparkling wine we automatically go straight to Champagne. And despite there always being some very good choices for this style of sparkling wine, it is not the only method to make it. Spain and Italy both have their own methods, which are close seconds to Champagne. Prosecco is where the first fermentation happens in tanks. Whereas Cava is made in the exact same way as Champagne but just with different grape varieties. Moscato’s are sparkling wines with lower alcohol percentages and some residue sugar. Making them a sweeter wine. There will also be a Sparkling red available to try, these are deep in colour with red fruits. The last wine available is in the same style as Champagne but from the Loire.

Come along on Friday and Saturday evenings to taste these amazing wines and see why they could be great alternatives to the mainstream Champagnes we have available. The wines that will be open for you to taste will be:

Open on Friday from 4pm till 7pm and on Saturday 2pm till 7pm. There’s no need to book, just turn up and member of staff will be there to guide you through the tasting of these amazing sparkling wines.

Go Off with a Pop

by Debbie Buckley

On the weekend of the 4th & 5th of November we jumped into the tasting of Go Off with a Pop, where we tasted through 5 different types of Sparling wines. The styles include a Prosecco, Cava, Moscato and two other very interesting styles. Due to the poor English weather, we set up the table inside, allowing customers to enjoy a taste as they browsed the shelves.

From Italy, we had opened a bottle of one of our most popular Proseccos, Casa Defra ‘1404’ Prosecco Frizzante. This particular wine comes from the region of Veneto & Northeast Italy. The grape variety being used is Glera. This is a classic style of Prosecco that was beautifully fruity with delicate peach aromas. Prosecco, also known as the tank method, goes through the first and second fermentation in tanks rather than in bottle. The wine is then bottled under pressure so that is doesn’t lose its fizz. Proseccos are a style that is easy drinking and pairs with most occasions.

From Spain, we had opened a bottle of Cava, Mas Macia Cava Brut. This particular wine is made from Macabeo, Xarel-Lo, and Parellada grapes. Cava lost a lot of popularity at the turn of the century but has since started to regain its favour. It is produces like this one that help to remind people what good Cava can taste like. Cava is made in the same method as Champagne but with different grapes to put a twist on the normal flavours. This wine was fresh and creamy, well taken by most that tried it.

Heading back over towards Italy, we had opened a slightly different style of sparkling wine, Olim Bauda Centive Moscato d’Asti Frizzante. This wine comes from the region of Piedmout, Northwest Italy. This wine is made from the grape variety of Muscat. This style of wine predates the arrival of Prosecco. The wine starts fermentation but is stopped once it reaches the desired sweetness. The resulting wine is lightly sparkling with a subtle sweetness and low alcohol. Most that tried it were pleasantly surprised at how much the liked it despite the sweeter finish.

Heading the France next, we opened a bottle from the Loire Valley, Langlois Chateau Cremant de Loire Brut. This wine is made in the exact same way as Champagne and this particular producer is part of the Bollinger group, so there is a lot of expertise going into this wine. The grape varieties of Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay are used for this wine. It creates a wine that is crisp, dry, and delicate in fruit flavours. At the price it is a great alternative to Champagne for the festive season.

For the final wine we have gone back to Italy, we had opened a bottle of Sparkling red wine, Medici Ermete ‘La Favorita’ Reggiano Lambrusco. This wine comes from the region of Emiglia-Romagna of northern Italy. The grape variety used is Lambrusco. This is a classic, dry but fresh red sparkling wine with loads of red fruit flavours. For the customers that hadn’t tried a red sparkling wine before this was a shocker to them, a well-produced wine that sets a good example of what this style can do.