Podcasts about pol roger

  • 39PODCASTS
  • 61EPISODES
  • 37mAVG DURATION
  • 1MONTHLY NEW EPISODE
  • Dec 4, 2024LATEST
pol roger

POPULARITY

20172018201920202021202220232024


Best podcasts about pol roger

Latest podcast episodes about pol roger

Tasting Together
The Epic Wine Tasting We're Glad We Didn't Miss

Tasting Together

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2024 46:23


On a nice October day - during the week Miroki was due to be wed - André forced her to drop all her plans to attend the grand cru culinary wine festival in support of UHN programs hosted by Halpern. 2024 was the 20th incarnation of this festival and raised 38 million in support of the new surgical tower at Toronto Western Hospital. That being said - Grand Cru is also a great place to taste some wines that may be out of reach for some...We had the chance to taste and chat with David Butterfield of his eponymous wineryTaste through the line up of Caduceus Cellars wines Discover whether or not California can rival the wines of Burgundy by tasting the wines of Racines next to the wines for Domaine de MontilleHave a very laid back conversation with Alexandre Leger of the iconic Domaine PonsotWe fought the mob to taste the Champagne of Pol Roger - but instead discovered the bubbles of Pierre PaillardThank you to Mika from Halpern for allowing us early access to the event to get some interview.You can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncespleaseYou can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Unreserved Wine Talk
313: The legendary Hugh Johnson, author of The World Atlas of Wine, on how you can improve your wine-tasting skill and pleasure

Unreserved Wine Talk

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2024 41:33


Are you curious what it would be like to ask for wine advice from legendary Hugh Johnson, author of The World Atlas of Wine, among many other books? What would he advise you on how you can improve your wine-tasting skill and pleasure? Why was Hugh initially against wine scoring and how has his perspective changed over the years? What makes a wine great in Hugh's opinion? Why does Hugh now prefer English sparkling wines over his long-time favourite Pol Roger Champagne? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Hugh Johnson. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks   Giveaway Two of you will win a copy of his marvellous memoir, The Life and Wines of Hugh Johnson. To qualify, all you have to do is email me at natalie@nataliemaclean.com and let me know that you've posted a review of the podcast. I'll choose two people randomly from those who contact me. Good luck!   Highlights What is it about Chablis that makes it Hugh's favourite white wine? How have English sparkling wines changed over the years and why does Hugh now turn to them more than his long-time favourite Champagne Pol Roger? Why is it important to taste high-quality wines at the beginning of your wine journey, if you can afford it? How can you improve your wine-tasting skill and pleasure? How did Hugh's first writing job at Vogue magazine lead to his extensive wine writing career? How did The World Atlas of Wine revolutionize the way wine and wineries were understood? What have been the most surprising changes Hugh has seen in the wine world over the years? What was it like for Hugh to buy his first case of First Growth Bordeaux? How does Hugh remember his first encounter with Robert Parker's wine scoring system and his initial skepticism?   Key Takeaways What advice does Hugh have on improving your wine-tasting skill and pleasure? The first thing you have to do is concentrate on the wine. Look at the color, sniff it, take a sip, but then when you take a sip, think about it. Keep it in your mouth for a moment or two, chew on it. Swirl it around until it registers, and you experience the wine more fully. Hugh asks how can you score wine any more than you can score Mozart or your friends? He didn't believe in an objective scale or giving the wrong impression that one wine is better than another. Over the years, he's accepted scoring within a narrow range say for wine competition categories where all the wines are from the same region and grape. Hugh says he's had an account with the house of Pol Roger for about 60 years but more recently, he's been switching to English sparkling wine. He observes they have a brilliant wine industry in England. Climate change is part of it, but they're also now using champagne grapes to make the wine.   About Hugh Johnson Hugh Johnson is the world's best-known wine writer, having sold more than 20 million books worldwide over a 60-year career. He began acquiring his wine knowledge as a member of the Wine and Food Society at Cambridge University before becoming a feature writer for Vogue and House & Garden magazines.         To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/313.

Jeg kan ingenting om vin
165. Vi får besøk fra det legendariske champagnehuset Pol Roger

Jeg kan ingenting om vin

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2024 49:53


De fleste nordmenn har et forhold til Pol Roger. I ukens forteller eksportsjef Arthur Camut om produksjonen av de rundt to millioner flaskene årlig, og hvorfor champagnehuset fremdeles sverger til en metode de fleste andre har gått vekk fra.Ukens omtalte viner:Pol Roger Brut Vintage 2018Pol Roger Rich Demi SecPol Roger Rosé Brut 2018Pol Roger Brut Vintage 2016 Sir Winston Churchill Brut 2015Pol Roger Brut ReserveBlanc de blancs Brut 2015Pol Roger Brut Vintage 1999 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sips, Suds, & Smokes
S12E578 - Shafer. Hmm. Shafer.

Sips, Suds, & Smokes

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2024 51:22


Shafer. Hmm. Shafer.@Champagnepolroger @royestate @shafervineyards #WineLovers #Champagne #NapaValley #WineReviews #podcast #radioshow #host Co hosts : Good ol Gal Denise, Good ol Boy Justin, Made Man Maury, Made Man BobSIPS – Join us as we dive deep into a spectacular lineup of wines from Pol Roger, Roy Estate, and Shafer Vineyards. From the crisp Pol Roger Pure Extra Brut to the robust Roy Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, and the elegant Shafer Vineyards TD-9 Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, this episode is a treat for all wine aficionados. Tune in to hear our expert panel dissect each bottle with their signature blend of humor and expertise. We will be discussing these wines and rating them from 1-5 with 5 being the best:05:13 Pol Roger Pure Extra Brut 3 SIPS08:27 Pol Roger Reserve 4 SIPS18:14 Pol Roger Brut Vintage 2016 4 SIPS24:15 Roy Estate Mr. Evans Proprietary Red 2019 5 SIPS33:10 Roy Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 5 SIPS39:32 Shafer Vineyards TD-9 Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 4 SIPS45:18 Shafer Vineyards One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 4 SIPSinfo@sipssudsandsmokes.com X- @sipssudssmokes IG/FB - @sipssudsandsmokes Sips, Suds, & Smokes® is produced by One Tan Hand Productions using the power of beer, whiskey, and golf. Available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeart, and nearly anywhere you can find a podcast.Enjoying that cool Outro Music, it's from Woods & Whitehead – Back Roads Download your copy here:https://amzn.to/2XblorcThe easiest way to find this award winning podcast on your phone is ask Alexa, Siri or Google, “Play Podcast , Sips, Suds, & Smokes” Credits:TITLE: Maxwell SwingPERFORMED BY: Texas GypsiesCOMPOSED BY: Steven R Curry (BMI)PUBLISHED BY: Alliance AudioSparx (BMI)COURTESY OF: AudioSparxTITLE: FlapperjackPERFORMED BY: Texas GypsiesCOMPOSED BY: Steven R Curry (BMI)PUBLISHED BY: Alliance AudioSparx (BMI)COURTESY OF: AudioSparxTITLE: Back RoadsPERFORMED BY: Woods & WhiteheadCOMPOSED BY: Terry WhiteheadPUBLISHED BY: Terry WhiteheadCOURTESY OF: Terry WhiteheadPost production services : Pro Podcast SolutionsAdvertising sales: Contact us directlyContent hosting services: Audioport, Earshot, Radio4All, & PodBeanProducer: Made Man BobExtra Brut, Reserve Champagne, Brut Vintage 2016, Roy Estate, Mister Evans Proprietary Red, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shafer Vineyards, Td Nine Cabernet Sauvignon, Wine Tasting, Wine Ratings, Wine Review, Napa Valley Wines, Champagne Tasting, Wine Episode, Wine Enthusiasts, Premium Wines, Wine Pairing, Wine History, Winemaking TechniquesPol Rogerhttps://www.polroger.com/Roy Estatehttps://www.royestate.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sips, Suds, & Smokes
Shafer. Hmm. Shafer.

Sips, Suds, & Smokes

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2024 51:22 Transcription Available


Shafer. Hmm. Shafer.@Champagnepolroger @royestate @shafervineyards #WineLovers #Champagne #NapaValley #WineReviews  #podcast #radioshow #host Co hosts : Good ol Gal Denise, Good ol Boy Justin, Made Man Maury, Made Man BobSIPS – Join us as we dive deep into a spectacular lineup of wines from Pol Roger, Roy Estate, and Shafer Vineyards. From the crisp Pol Roger Pure Extra Brut to the robust Roy Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, and the elegant Shafer Vineyards TD-9 Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, this episode is a treat for all wine aficionados. Tune in to hear our expert panel dissect each bottle with their signature blend of humor and expertise. We will be discussing these wines and rating them from 1-5 with 5 being the best:05:13 Pol Roger Pure Extra Brut                                                                 3 SIPS08:27 Pol Roger Reserve                                                                              4 SIPS18:14 Pol Roger Brut Vintage 2016                                                           4 SIPS24:15 Roy Estate Mr. Evans Proprietary Red 2019                                         5 SIPS33:10 Roy Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019                                            5 SIPS39:32 Shafer Vineyards TD-9 Cabernet Sauvignon 2021                  4 SIPS45:18 Shafer Vineyards One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon 2021            4 SIPSinfo@sipssudsandsmokes.com X- @sipssudssmokes IG/FB - @sipssudsandsmokes Sips, Suds, & Smokes® is produced by One Tan Hand Productions using the power of beer, whiskey, and golf. Available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeart, and nearly anywhere you can find a podcast.Enjoying that cool Outro Music, it's from Woods & Whitehead – Back Roads Download your copy here:https://amzn.to/2XblorcThe easiest way to find this award winning podcast on your phone is ask Alexa, Siri or Google, “Play Podcast , Sips, Suds, & Smokes” Credits:TITLE: Maxwell SwingPERFORMED BY: Texas GypsiesCOMPOSED BY: Steven R Curry (BMI)PUBLISHED BY: Alliance AudioSparx (BMI)COURTESY OF: AudioSparx TITLE: FlapperjackPERFORMED BY: Texas GypsiesCOMPOSED BY: Steven R Curry (BMI)PUBLISHED BY: Alliance AudioSparx (BMI)COURTESY OF: AudioSparx TITLE: Back RoadsPERFORMED BY: Woods & WhiteheadCOMPOSED BY: Terry WhiteheadPUBLISHED BY: Terry WhiteheadCOURTESY OF: Terry WhiteheadPost production services : Pro Podcast SolutionsAdvertising sales: Contact us directlyContent hosting services: Audioport, Earshot, Radio4All, & PodBeanProducer: Made Man BobNapa Valley Wines, Champagne Tasting, Wine Episode, Wine Enthusiasts, Premium Wines, Wine Pairing, Wine History, Winemaking TechniquesPol Rogerhttps://www.polroger.com/Roy Estatehttps://www.royestate.com/

Sips, Suds, & Smokes
Shafer. Hmm. Shafer. PROMO

Sips, Suds, & Smokes

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2024 0:29


@Champagnepolroger @royestate @shafervineyards

VINE and BUBBLE Podcast
#15 Pol Roger's Managing Director, Laurent D'Harcourt

VINE and BUBBLE Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2024 43:20


When you think of Champagne Pol Roger it's likely to conjure up thoughts of the royal family or Sir Winston Churchill. These are important historical but also contemporary connections to what they humorously consider to be the ‘most British' of champagne brands. But you're also likely to consider Pol as producing some of the most classical and elegant champagnes. Very few other Maisons apply such exacting precision to the management of their production facilities, pressing and vinification processes as Pol Roger. The recent opening of a state-of-the-art production site is just the latest innovation in a long-documented series of quality improvements that go to the heart of the Maison's mandate for producing some of the most pure and precise champagnes with huge ageing potential. It was my pleasure to sit down with Pol Roger's Managing Director, Laurent d'Harcourt for this interview on the occasion of the Maison's 175th anniversary.

Lounge Lizards - a Cigar and Lifestyle Podcast
Ep. #138: Davidoff Maduro Robusto (w/ Pol Roger Réserve Brut Champagne & Orin Swift Papillon 2019, Davidoff Value Debate, Listener Email & Poobah's Birthday Celebration)

Lounge Lizards - a Cigar and Lifestyle Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2024 111:18


LOUNGE LIZARDS PRESENTED BY FABRICA 5 - Visit Fabrica005.com and use code LIZARDPOD at checkout for 10% off THE ENTIRE STORE! Free worldwide shipping from Miami on all orders over $125. See website for more information and terms.Recorded at Ten86 Cigars in Hawthorne, New Jersey, the lizards pair the Davidoff Maduro in Robusto with Pol Roger Réserve Brut Champagne and Orin Swift Papillon 2019. The guys debate the value of this high-priced Dominican maduro, they answer some listener email and they celebrate Poobah's birthday.Lizards' Preferred Wine Saver: https://amzn.to/4cqM6zEJoin the Lounge Lizards for a weekly discussion on all things cigars (both Cuban and non-Cuban), whiskey, food, travel, life and work. This is your formal invitation to join us in a relaxing discussion amongst friends and become a card-carrying Lounge Lizard yourself. This is not your typical cigar podcast. We're a group of friends who love sharing cigars, whiskey and a good laugh.website/merch/rating archive: loungelizardspod.comemail: hello@loungelizardspod.com to join the conversation and be featured on an upcoming episode!instagram: @loungelizardspod

XChateau - Navigating the Business of Wine
Transmitting Values through Generations w/ Alessia Antinori, Primum Familiae Vini

XChateau - Navigating the Business of Wine

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2024 34:06


As the 26th generation family member to run Marchesi Antinori, Alessia Antinori, VP and Winemaker, knows the benefits of being a family-owned business, particularly around transmitting family values from generation to generation. These insights and values are shared as members of an elite group of family-owned wineries, the Primum Familae Vini. Alessia digs into the structure of the PFV, its purpose, and its activities to promote family businesses globally. Detailed Show Notes: Antinori Family - started in wine in 1385 as wine merchants in Florence and became a producer in the Chianti Classico regionAlessia is part of the 26th generation, the 27th generation also in the companyFather was part of the important 25th generation - in the 60s/70s changed towards a quality mindset vs. quantity focus for most of Italy, e.g., launched Tignanello (1st Super Tuscan)“Blending tradition and innovation”Family members are not obliged to join the company but grow up around the wineryPrimum Familiae Vini (“PFV”)Founded in 1993 by Joseph Drouhin and Miguel Torres wineriesCurrent members include Vega Sicilia, Pol Roger, Chateau Mouton12 members, family-owned, old world (the exception was Opus One w/ Mondavis and Mouton Rothschild)When a family sells, a new winery is invited, often from a missing region (e.g., Jaboulet replaced by Beaucastel to keep a Rhone producer), look for high quality, shared values, and families get along (including children)Exchange one case of wine with each other every ChristmasFamily businesses are important to: Transmit values from generation to generation (e.g., for Antinori - passion, integrity, obsession for quality)Can make decisions for future generations (long-term mindset)Two committees in the PFV - marketing & technicalMeet 3-4x / year virtually or in personMeet at least 2x/year (1 annual meeting - 2024 in Oregon hosted by Drouhins)Annual MeetingUp to 100 people, several generations per familyBusiness meetings, lunches, dinnersEach year, a different family hosts an event and then becomes President of PFV for the following yearTopics - technical (Torres often has good topics), issues in family businesses, sales, legal issues, future PFV planningMostly, internal PFV presentersPromotion/marketing events2024 - after Oregon hosted a press tasting in NapaUsually, press, charity, or walk-around tastingsPFV Family Prize - “the most beautiful company of the year”Family-owned businesses, not only wine, must have 3 generations working in the businessReceive financial and market support/cross-promotion1st year was a Belgian violin companyGiven every two yearsDo an event together with the press to present the awardPFV is funded by an annual fee from membersCollector CasesHaute Couture case - 1 back vintage, iconic wine from each winery, only for charity, includes the PFV Passport, which is an invitation to visit each winery with lunch or dinner with a family member (many wineries closed to the public)Limited Edition case - 1 recent vintage wine for each winery can buy for €25kAdvice for other family wine businesses - be very passionate about the work, be curious and passionate Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Maul or Nothing
Zach Mercer + Jonathan Joseph. It's The Ultimate Barbarians Party!

Maul or Nothing

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2024 52:49


We are really going up in the world…. It's a very special episode of Maul or Nothing as we head to our favourite luxury hotel, the Mandarin Oriental, to welcome Baba's boys Jonathan Joseph and Zach Mercer to our suite to sip the finest champagne in the world in the shape of Pol Roger. It was the tipple of Sir Winston Churchill don't you know…. so we enjoy some lovely drops of that while discussing all things code.How has the France experience gone at Biarritz for JJ and how does it compare to Zach's stunning time at Montpellier?What are Zach's England aspirations as he continues to put in world class performances?How big has the Barbarians party actually been?Perhaps most importantly…. As friends and former teammates. .. How much can they take the piss out of Max Lahiff in an hour???All questions answered….It's a cracker! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

glouglou
GLOUGLOU #4 : Antoine Vignac

glouglou

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2023 58:05


Découvrez avec GLOUGLOU ce que le vin dit d'Antoine Vignac ! Plongeons nous dans cet adage qui raconte que c'est en forgeant que l'on devient forgeron. Figurerez vous que notre invité du jour, forge le goût de milliers d'amateurs de vins, dans un lieu où il fait bon vivre, chez lui, à L'Artnoa, cette adresse que j'aime tant, située au numéro 56 de la rue Gambetta à Biarritz.  Ce basque d'adoption, devenu figure locale, voue une sacrée passion pour le vin, et c'est peu dire ! Pour glouglou, Antoine déclare sa flamme au vignoble français, à ses paysages, ses panoramas, toujours en quête de typicité! Typicité tient, parlons-en, un mot qui comme « buvabilité » n'existe pas selon le correcteur d'orthographe de nos téléphones, essayez, vous verrez ! Et pourtant il se pourrait bien que ces deux mots occupent une place de choix dans son champ lexical et dans son cœur, un cœur tendre, réconfortant, qui bat au grès des rencontres et des découvertes !Mais après tout, quant on y pense, est-ce que ça ne serait pas le vin, qui forge depuis des années la personnalité généreuse et inspirante de celui qui aime tant surfer sur les vagues mythiques de la côte des basques, et sur les mots d'Euripide , qui disait « Where there is no wine, there is no love »! Là où il n'y a pas de vin, il n'y a pas d'amour, on se comprend

Champagne Talk
MCE23 #7 - Pol Roger, una storia di eccellenza

Champagne Talk

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2023 10:13


Arrivati al settimo episodio dedicato alla Rubrica Extra della Modena Champagne Experience, oggi tocca alla Maison Pol Roger. Andiamo a scoprire la grande storia di questa importante azienda.

Lounge Lizards - a Cigar and Lifestyle Podcast
Ep. #100: Padrón 50th Anniversary Limited Edition Maduro "The Hammer" (w/ Pol Roger Vintage Champagne, The Balvenie 21 Portwood, Best and Worst Reviewed Cigars, Favorite Pod Moments & Lizard Origins)

Lounge Lizards - a Cigar and Lifestyle Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2023 163:40


Recorded at Ten86 Lounge in Hawthorne, New Jersey, the lizards pair the Padrón 50 Years The Hammer in Maduro with Pol Roger 2013 Vintage Champagne and The Balvenie 21 Year Aged Portwood Scotch. The guys celebrate 100 episodes by recapping their favorite podcast memories, reviewing the best and worst rated cigars on the podcast and sharing stories of their lizard origins.Join the Lounge Lizards for a weekly discussion on all things cigars (both Cuban and non-Cuban), whiskey, food, travel, life and work. This is your formal invitation to join us in a relaxing discussion amongst friends and become a card-carrying Lounge Lizard yourself. This is not your typical cigar podcast. We're a group of friends who love sharing cigars, whiskey and a good laugh.website/merch/rating archive: loungelizardspod.comemail: hello@loungelizardspod.com to join the conversation and be featured on an upcoming episode!instagram: @loungelizardspod

Ukens vintips med Svein og Jon Trygve

I denne podcastepisoden: Svein har vært besøk hos en favoritt i Champagne. Det sier sitt når Winston Churchill ontalte adressen til Pol Roger: «The most drinkable address in the world» . Den kunnskaperike markedsjefen i Pol Roger Axel Gillery tar deg gjennom historien og bakgrunnen for at Pol Roger opplever stor suksess i Norge. Pol Roger er et tradisjonsrikt firma, og det imponerer i et marked hvor konkurransen er sterk – spesielt i Norge. Vinmonopolet har musserende vin fra 27 land, og over 1.100 varelinjer med stort og smått. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In The Money Players' Podcast
Nick Luck Daily Ep 698 - A Day from the Gods

In The Money Players' Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2023 42:00


Nick is joined in the Fitzdares Club at Cheltenham to reflect on a truly special first day of the Festival and to look ahead to the rest of the week. Henry de Bromhead talks at length to Nick about one of the great moments in the sport - and for his family - as Honeysuckle bowed out with a win here yesterday. Nick also catches up with Paul Nolan, while resident artist Liz Armstrong is back, JA McGrath brings us his update from Hong Kong, and Neil Phillips delivers his usual spectacular food and beverage offering, with assistance from Peter Donnelly from Glenfarclas and Megan Loveridge from Pol Roger. Fitzdares' Bobby Burns and Country and Townhouse Magazine's Ellie Rix also join the party.

Nick Luck Daily Podcast
Ep 698 - A Day from the Gods

Nick Luck Daily Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2023 42:00


Nick is joined in the Fitzdares Club at Cheltenham to reflect on a truly special first day of the Festival and to look ahead to the rest of the week. Henry de Bromhead talks at length to Nick about one of the great moments in the sport - and for his family - as Honeysuckle bowed out with a win here yesterday. Nick also catches up with Paul Nolan, while resident artist Liz Armstrong is back, JA McGrath brings us his update from Hong Kong, and Neil Phillips delivers his usual spectacular food and beverage offering, with assistance from Peter Donnelly from Glenfarclas and Megan Loveridge from Pol Roger. Fitzdares' Bobby Burns and Country and Townhouse Magazine's Ellie Rix also join the party.

Winederlust - Exploring Aussie Wine Regions
David Yeates - Winederlust Festive Season

Winederlust - Exploring Aussie Wine Regions

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2022 16:34


This series, Jeanene from Winederlust is meeting wine experts and travel specialists asking the 'hard hitting' questions we all want to know leading into the festive season.  In this episode Jeanene is chatting with David Yeates, a wine judge with WineWise Magazine at Canberra events. You can find out more at: www.winewise.net.au and Instagram @david.yeates  What to serve? seafood with Pol Roger or Charles Heidsieck Vintage Champagne; Canberra Riesling from Collector, Helm Wines or Nick O'Leary; Meursault White Burgundy; Morey-St-Denis Pinot Noir What to give? Jancis Robinson Oxford Companion to Wine Where to visit in Australia? Tasmania - Derwent Valley and Coal River Valley Where to visit overseas? Portugal; Ribeiro and Rioja regions in Spain This season was first released December 2021, and re-released December 2022.  Check www.winederlust.com.au for more information This podcast has been written, edited, produced and hosted by Jeanene Kennedy of Winederlust. Music is All About It by Jamie Lono, licensed trough Music Bed.    Winederlust logo by Odeth Casanova Get in touch at hello@winederlust.com.au 

Méchants Raisins
Les Champagnes de la maison Pol Roger

Méchants Raisins

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2022 34:22


Cette semaine, les Méchants Raisins reçoivent Bastien Collard de la prestigieuse maison de Champagne Pol Roger, l'une des seules restées strictement familiale. C'est l'occasion de boire du Champagne bien sûr, mais aussi d'entendre des anecdotes incroyables sur cette entreprise qui possède 170 ans d'histoire et maintenant près de 9 km de caves! Et on vous fait nos suggestions de la semaine!  Suggestions  Patrick  Faustino I, Gran Reserva 2011, Rioja, Espagne  30,50 $ - Code SAQ 10483026 – 14 % - 2 g/L  Georges Descombes, Brouilly 2020, France  32,00 $ - Code SAQ 12494028 – 12,5 % - 1 g/L  Nadia  La Marchigiana, Criolla Chica 2020, Vino Natural Ancestral, Mendoza, Argentine 25,05 $ - Code SAQ 14917881 – 12,5 % -

Um pulo em Paris
Os franceses e Elizabeth II: uma história de admiração recíproca ao longo de 70 anos de reinado

Um pulo em Paris

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2022 11:38


A amizade e a admiração entre a rainha Elizabeth II e os franceses era recíproca. A monarca britânica, falecida na última quinta-feira (8), adorava a França e demonstrou isso em cada uma das cinco visitas de Estado que fez a Paris e outras cidades.  Autoridades, artistas, intelectuais, cidadãos e a imprensa francesa lamentaram o falecimento de Elizabeth II. Apesar de os franceses terem adotado o sistema republicano há mais de dois séculos e terem apego ao Estado laico, a rainha inspirava admiração e respeito do outro lado do Canal da Mancha. Em sinal de luto, a Torre Eiffel ficou apagada na noite que se seguiu à morte da monarca. No dia seguinte, as bandeiras amanheceram a meio-mastro, em todos os edifícios públicos franceses.   Em um vídeo de 3 minutos, gravado em inglês, o presidente Emmanuel Macron se dirigiu diretamente aos britânicos. Na gravação, ele disse que a morte de Elizabeth II "deixava uma sensação de vazio nos franceses". Macron prometeu perpetuar os valores que a soberana nunca deixou de encarnar e promover "a força moral da democracia e da liberdade".  Macron foi até a embaixada britânica, em Paris, que é vizinha do Palácio do Eliseu, no Faubourg Saint-Honoré, e assinou o livro de condolências aberto pela missão diplomática. Ele conversou durante alguns minutos com a embaixadora britânica e disse: "acredito que os franceses estão comovidos porque a rainha foi uma personalidade, uma presença que acompanhou 70 anos da vida dos britânicos e da Europa".  Elizabeth II adorava a França e demonstrou isso em cada uma das cinco visitas de Estado que fez a Paris e a outras cidades francesas. Ela falava perfeitamente o francês, conhecia profundamente a história do país e, conforme lembrou o ex-ministro Jack Lang, "admirava a cultura francesa, os vinhos, a gastronomia, a famosa 'art de vivre à la française'", ou seja, a maneira como os franceses celebram a vida no cotidiano, além de ter sido uma pró-europeia convicta. Para alguns, pode parecer contraditório que um povo que fez uma revolução sangrenta para derrubar a monarquia há mais de 200 anos, cortando cabeças de membros da família real da época, tenha essa relação de admiração pela monarca britânica falecida. Mas não é. Tranquilidade e segurança A estabilidade que Elizabeth II transmitia dentro e fora do país inspira essa admiração entre os herdeiros da Revolução Francesa, de 1789. O jornal Le Figaro publicou um editorial muito preciso sobre isso, na sexta-feira (9): "O mundo podia tremer, a identidade da Inglaterra ser ameaçada, a família real ser abalada por dramas e escândalos, mas o ar sereno e imperturbável da rainha transmitiam tranquilidade”.  Essa qualidade de Elizabeth II, associada à relação de amizade particular que ela sempre demonstrou em relação à França, criaram esse laço forte e duradouro.  Depois de ser coroada, a França foi o primeiro país que a rainha visitou fora da Comunidade de Nações britânica, o Commonwealth. Essa histórica visita a Paris aconteceu em 1956, quando ela tinha 30 anos. No discurso pronunciado num jantar de gala oferecido no Palácio do Eliseu, ela disse em um francês impecável que esperava que "a confiança e a compreensão mútua entre a República Francesa e o Reino Unido durassem para sempre".  Elizabeth II conviveu com nove presidentes franceses Em 70 anos de reinado, Elizabeth II conviveu com nove presidentes franceses. Em Paris ou Londres, ela sempre demonstrava estar contente de se reunir com os chefes de Estado franceses. Com alguns aconteceram discordâncias e gafes, porém logo superados. A história registra que a rainha tinha uma cumplicidade especial com o socialista François Mitterand, com quem conviveu durante dois mandatos consecutivos, de 1981 a 1995. A cultura do líder francês socialista encantava a monarca. Eles trabalharam juntos para construir o túnel sob o Canal da Mancha, que hoje liga a França à Grã-Bretanha.  Apesar do Brexit, as expectativas do governo francês são positivas em relação ao rei Charles III. Com uma personalidade mais aberta e engajada, Charles III poderá redefinir a monarquia britânica. Ele é um ativo defensor do meio ambiente, e a França conta com esta convicção do novo soberano para influenciar o mundo a acelerar o combate à mudança climática. Champagne preferido da rainha O fabricante de champagne Pol Roger publicou uma nota de pesar pelo falecimento da rainha. A marca francesa, que primeiro conquistou o paladar do ex-primeiro-ministro britânico Winston Churchill e depois o de Elizabeth II, tornou-se fornecedora oficial da coroa britânica há várias décadas. A rainha gostava de degustar uma taça de Pol Roger "extra brut" nas recepções que oferecia no Castelo de Windsor. William e Kate Middleton serviram essa marca de champagne em seu casamento, em abril de 2011. Harry e Meghan Markle fizeram o mesmo em maio de 2018. O fabricante francês, instalado em Épernay, na região de Champagne, tem orgulho de exibir em suas garrafas "Royal Warrant of Appointment", um selo concedido às empresas que fornecem produtos à coroa inglesa. "A Maison Pol Roger está profundamente entristecida com a morte de Sua Majestade a Rainha Elizabeth II e agradecida por sua longa vida de dedicação e serviço", diz a nota publicada na home page do vinhedo.

Reportage International
En pouces et en onces… Le Royaume-Uni veut rétablir la mesure impériale

Reportage International

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2022 2:26


Avant sa démission, le Premier ministre Boris Johnson avait lancé une consultation pour remettre au goût du jour la mesure impériale. Une politique rendue possible par le Brexit et une mesure plus instinctive selon ses défenseurs. Mais pas sûr que cela plaise à tout le monde. De notre correspondante à Londres  Mesure impériale ou système métrique ? Au Royaume-Uni, cette question se pose toujours. Dans ce salon de coiffure de Londres, ce client d'une quarantaine d'années utilise les deux unités de mesure et ça lui va très bien, dit-il en s'installant devant le miroir sur un siège en cuir. « C'est la meilleure méthode pour moi. Je ne comprends pas pourquoi quelqu'un voudrait revenir en arrière en mesurant la nourriture en livre. Pour la hauteur, je dirais que je mesure 6 pieds et un pouce, mais je ne sais pas ce que ça fait en centimètres. Je ne conduis qu'en miles. Mais j'achète la nourriture en grammes et je ne saurais pas dire ce qu'est une livre. » Mais c'est parfois un peu confus. Alors Tom, le coiffeur, a sa propre méthode avec ses clients. « Je relève les cheveux de la personne, comme ça elle décide de la quantité de cheveux que j'enlève, parce que ce que j'appelle un pouce ou un centimètre n'est pas forcément ce que les gens appellent un pouce ou un centimètre. » « La seule mesure qui compte, c'est la pinte ! » À 5 minutes à pied du salon, Carrie, elle, pense que le système métrique est le meilleur. La jeune femme de 18 ans est serveuse dans un pub. Selon elle, la mesure impériale n'a plus aucun sens. Elle parle de grammes, kilogrammes, de mètres. Sauf pour les pintes qu'elle sert à ses clients. « Une pinte, je ne sais pas ce que ça fait en millilitre, mais on dit juste une pinte ou un demi de pinte. » « C'est un lien vivant avec le monde de Shakespeare », une tradition culturelle qui ne doit pas disparaître, affirme Warwick Cairns de l'Association britannique des poids et des mesures. Sauf que les plus jeunes ne l'utilisent presque plus, comme Carrie. À l'école, on privilégie les normes européennes aujourd'hui. Il demande donc qu'on réapprenne les deux mesures et que chacun les utilise comme il le souhaite.  « Laissez-moi vous donner un exemple : pendant de nombreuses années, la taille populaire pour une bouteille de champagne était la pinte. Mais à cause des législations européennes, seule une taille pouvait être vendue. Depuis le Brexit, la maison Pol Roger travaille avec des producteurs de vin britanniques pour produire à nouveau des bouteilles de champagne en pinte. » Inutile pour ce poissonnier qui vend ses produits au kilo, ça facilite la communication avec les fournisseurs, explique-t-il. « Quand les plus âgés demandent une livre, on sait que c'est 450 grammes. Perte de temps, perte d'argent, nous savons que Boris Johnson fait ça pour garder son poste, ajoute le poissonnier. La seule mesure qui compte dans l'ancien système, c'est la pinte ! »

Vite al Vino
17 i 20 vini Must Have ep.1

Vite al Vino

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2022 40:38


Analizziamo con il Dott.Luca Carmignani i vini “must have” da tenere sempre nella propria cantina per i vari abbinamenti, la lista dei vini menzionati li trovate qua sotto:1) Champagne Bollinger brut €40/50menzionati anche il Pol Roger brut, Louis Roederer brut2) Lambrusco di Sorbara in purezza, Cantina della Volta rosè €20/253) Flower Power rosato, Podere 414 €8/104) Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc (New Zeland) €25/305) La Bora di Kante - Chardonnay (Collio, Friuli) €40/456) Vigna Tondonia blanco gran desser, Lopez de Heredia - (Rioja - Spagna) €60/707) Mas de Daumas Gassac - Viognier, Chardonnay, Petit Manseng, Pinot Blanc €40/458) Fiorduva Marisa Cuomo (Campania) €55/609) Montepepe Bianco (Montignoso Toscana/Liguria) €20/2510) Ürziger Wüzgarten Dr.Loosen Riesling della Mosella (Germania) €35/4511) Munjebel bianco - contrada Barbabecchi. (Etna contea Barbabecchi, Sicilia) €40/45

Lounge Lizards - a Cigar and Lifestyle Podcast
NYE 2021: Partagás Serie D No. 4 (w/ Pol Roger Champagne, Favorite Cuban Robustos & Sourcing Authentic Cubans)

Lounge Lizards - a Cigar and Lifestyle Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2021 62:35


The lizards pair the Cuban Partagás Serie D No. 4 with Pol Roger Reserve Brut champagne for a very special New Year's Eve episode. Senator attempts to democratize caviar, the lizards discuss Cuban robustos, sourcing authentic cubans and end with a discussion on their deep appreciation for the cigar hobby. // Join the Lounge Lizards for a weekly discussion on all things cigars (both Cuban and non-Cuban), whiskey, food, travel, life and work. This is your formal invitation to join us in a relaxing discussion amongst friends and become a card-carrying Lounge Lizard yourself. This is not your typical cigar podcast. We're a group of friends who love sharing cigars, whiskey and a good laugh. Email us at loungelizardspod@gmail.com to join the conversation and be featured on an upcoming episode! Find us on instagram: @loungelizardspod

Ukens vintips med Svein og Jon Trygve
Nyttårsboblene du må sikre deg

Ukens vintips med Svein og Jon Trygve

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2021 18:14


Året 2022 hilses best velkommen med disse champagneneEr du ute i siste liten for å handle Champagne til nyttårsaften? Jon Trygve og Svein har valgt ut to flotte champagner hver som finnes på de fleste Vinmonopol. Først ut er Jon Trygves anbefaling av 2013-årgangen fra Pol Roger. En klassisk, god årgangschampagne med en flott husstil som oser av moden utviklet smak og en behagelig syrlighet. – En av de champagnene jeg har anbefalt oftest i vinartikler i 2021, avslører Svein. Neste anbefaling er fra Svein. En prisgunstig champagne med moden eplekarakter og en flott syrlighet som skiller seg ut i mengden. Diebolt-Vallois Brut Prestige er en liten hemmelighet i polets hylle hvor etiketten skiller seg ut som noe umoderne i dagens marked, men smaken er virkelig god.Pol Roger 2013Diebolt-Vallois Brut Prestige See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Wealth,  Yoga , Wine
Your Mind- Tethering the Jumping Monkey

Wealth, Yoga , Wine

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2021 12:56


www.chezvalerie.us Mary Morrissey tells us that the South East Asians acknowledge that our negative thoughts are a runaway monkey and they require tethering constantly. Learn the three easy steps to kick negativity to the curb and incorporate empowering thoughts. http://lifemasteryinstitute.com/go/aff.php?p=vahail&w=IYG_EVG_WRK-EM https://www.pritchettnet.com/ Kundalini yoga teaches us a calming breath that will also tackle the negative thought process - left nostril breathing. Mary also teaches us a breath that calms the mind when we wake up at 3:00 am with the jumping monkey in full activity. https://youtu.be/nsQQggtdMSI Wine- Champagne demystified and it's competitor, Prosecco, explained. Examples of great Champagne and a few Prosecco: Noteworthy house styles are Perrier-Jouet, Kruger, Pol Roger and Billecart - Salmon. Pricing begins at about $49 to $70 for the entry level generic wine. Zonin is the only Prosecco I truly enjoy.  I'm a snob..Scarpetta is enjoyable also...might be difficult to find however    

Wine & Hip Hop Los Angeles
Episode 7: KOBE: Baxter Holmes x Krug/Pol Roger Champagne (Copy)

Wine & Hip Hop Los Angeles

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2021 31:32


Dev is back with a new episode dedicated to Kobe Bryant; James Beard Award-Winning ESPN Senior NBA Wine Writer Baxter Holmes, who covered Kobe for several years, joins Dev and tells an unforgettable story about the first NBA player he ever had wine with: Kobe. The story is unreal, and later Dev educates the audience on the similarities of two champagnes, while talking the NBA's obsession with wine, wine in the bubble, and the state of journalism in today's polarizing media atmosphere. This is Wine & Culture LA.

Wine & Hip Hop Los Angeles
Episode 7: KOBE: Baxter Holmes x Krug/Pol Roger Champagne

Wine & Hip Hop Los Angeles

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2021 31:32


Dev is back with a new episode dedicated to Kobe Bryant; James Beard Award-Winning ESPN Senior NBA Wine Writer Baxter Holmes, who covered Kobe for several years, joins Dev and tells an unforgettable story about the first NBA player he ever had wine with: Kobe. The story is unreal, and later Dev educates the audience on the similarities of two champagnes, while talking the NBA's obsession with wine, wine in the bubble, and the state of journalism in today's polarizing media atmosphere. This is Wine & Culture LA.

InVinoRadio.TV
984e émission - Marc Lagrange et Christelle Taret

InVinoRadio.TV

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2021 24:48


Marc Lagrange, millésime 1949, passionné de mots et d'écriture dès son plus jeune âge, est l’auteur de l'ouvrage Les Ecrivains du Champagne. Il évoque dans son dernier ouvrage vingt-six romanciers ou poètes qui, au long de leurs œuvres, ont cité une grande maison de champagne. Le champagne, ambroisie à la réputation planétaire, véhicule depuis des siècles l'image de la fête, du bonheur, de la réussite. Ici, Marc aborde une nouvelle série de couples célèbres depuis Voltaire jusqu'à Amélie Nothomb qui vouent une passion au champagne jouant souvent un rôle effervescent dans leurs romans. L'auteur décrit, chemin faisant, quelques personnalités inattendues comme de Gaulle (et Drappier), ou Churchill (et Pol Roger). En quelques lignes, il évoque les vendanges, les enchères, les étiquettes, la peinture, les caves, sous un angle « pétillant »... Christelle Taret est propriétaire des « Caves du Parc » à Neuilly-sur-Seine. Ayant été initiée par Alain Senderens aux accords mets et vins, et d’origine Lyonnaise, Christelle a toujours baigné dans l’univers du vin et de la gastronomie. Dans les 40 m² de la boutique des Caves du Parc, dont elle est propriétaire, on trouve environ 600 références de vin, pour toutes les bourses, puisque les bouteilles y sont affichées de 5 euros à 4.000 euros. De plus, les Caves du Parc bénéficient d'une allocation de Bourgogne grâce à laquelle, chaque année, elles peuvent proposer des grands crus rares bourguignons. Christelle ne s’arrête pas en si bon chemin : Le 1er décembre dernier, elle s'est vu remettre le titre de maître-caviste ! Une reconnaissance nouvellement créée dont elle fut la première femme à recevoir le titre !

Coffee House Shots
Has the government reached a Christmas truce with Tory rebels?

Coffee House Shots

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2020 10:18


As parliament breaks up for recess, the government likely dodged a Tory rebellion by allowing Christmas to go ahead. Katy Balls and James Forsyth chew over what's next for MPs on Brexit and Covid. Go to spectator.co.uk/cheers to subscribe and get a free bottle of Pol Roger champagne.

The Big Vin Theory
Will Dennison - Pol Roger Portfolio

The Big Vin Theory

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2020 52:16


We talk with Will Dennison - Head of Fine Wine at Pol Roger Portfolio. Pol Roger surely needs no introduction, and Will heads up the fine wine estates they manage from Napa, Burgundy, Alsace and beyond. We ask whether or not investment is good for the industry, how has the market changed over the past 10 years, what can fine wine companies do to promote diversity and much more.

Délice in extremis - Olivier Poels
Le Champagne Drappier, le préféré de De Gaulle

Délice in extremis - Olivier Poels

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2020 5:08


En dehors d’avoir été de grands hommes d’état qui ont marqué l’histoire de leur pays et l’Histoire tout court, le général de Gaulle et Sir Winston Churchill ont un autre point commun : ils étaient tous deux amateurs de champagne. Et si le britannique avait jeté son dévolu sur la maison Pol Roger, notre général avait des goûts plus modestes. Il appréciait particulièrement les vins d’une petite maison de l’Aube : Drappier. 

Coffee House Shots
Has Rishi Sunak lost the argument?

Coffee House Shots

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2020 13:39


The Chancellor announced new furlough measures today, something that he has long been opposed to. Katy Balls speaks to Kate Andrews and James Forsyth about whether or not Rishi Sunak has lost the argument. Tell us your thoughts on our podcasts and be in for a chance to win a bottle of Pol Roger champagne by filling out our podcast survey. Visit http://spectator.co.uk/podcastsurvey.

Coffee House Shots
Should the government take a stance on the US election?

Coffee House Shots

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2020 13:14


Dominic Raab refused to comment on Donald Trump's claims of election 'fraud' this morning, after the President said he planned to contest the result in the Supreme Court. Boris Johnson also refrained from being drawn into a conversation about the race, saying at PMQs that the UK would not comment 'on the democratic processes of our friends and allies'. Is the the government right not to take a stance? Cindy Yu speaks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls. Tell us your thoughts on our podcasts and be in for a chance to win a bottle of Pol Roger champagne by filling out our podcast survey. Visit http://spectator.co.uk/podcastsurvey.

Holy Smoke
'If necessary I'll be arrested': the lockdown defying priest

Holy Smoke

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2020 20:00


Has there been a single Covid death as a result of someone attending a socially distanced church service? The answer is no, as you'd expect it to be. But, despite this, the Government will ban public acts of worship from Thursday.  This decision is so perverse that even the Catholic bishops of England and Wales – who fell over each other during the last lockdown in their eagerness to shut churches – have written to the government asking for the scientific evidence indicating that properly supervised Masses pose a threat to the people attending them. So far they haven't received the courtesy of a reply, probably because there is no evidence.  In this episode of Holy Smoke, Fr David Palmer, a Catholic priest from Nottingham, tells me that his church will be open this Sunday, cleverly exploiting a loophole in the government guidelines. If the police try to stop him saying Mass, or administering any other sacrament, then he's willing to be arrested. Other clergy, including some in the Church of England, have taken the same decision. Listen to the interview and ask yourself: why is the government targeting religious believers in such a cruel and scientifically illiterate fashion? And is it prepared for the backlash?  Tell us your thoughts on our podcasts and be in for a chance to win a bottle of Pol Roger champagne by filling out our podcast survey. Visit http://spectator.co.uk/podcastsurvey.

Coffee House Shots
Is mass testing the way out of lockdown?

Coffee House Shots

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2020 15:50


As England heads into a second lockdown, today brings a glimmer of hope. Liverpool will be the first UK city to undergo mass testing, including a fast turnaround saliva test. John Connolly talks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth about whether Moonshot, this time around, is more realistic. Tell us your thoughts on our podcasts and be in for a chance to win a bottle of Pol Roger champagne by filling out our podcast survey. Visit http://spectator.co.uk/podcastsurvey.

Spectator Radio
Spectator Out Loud: Matthew Parris, Lionel Shriver and Douglas Murray

Spectator Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2020 24:48


On this episode, Matthew Parris talks about how, on free school meals, he's truly fallen behind the zeitgeist; Lionel Shriver on why she's voting for Biden, warts and all; and Douglas Murray's reflections from America in the days before the election. Tell us your thoughts on our podcasts and be in for a chance to win a bottle of Pol Roger champagne by filling out our podcast survey. Visit http://spectator.co.uk/podcastsurvey.

Coffee House Shots
Can the Labour left resist Keir Starmer?

Coffee House Shots

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2020 10:51


Labour is truly under new leadership as Jeremy Corbyn gets suspended from the party today. The left of the party is clearly not happy - but can they do anything about the new direction of the party? John Connolly talks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls. Tell us your thoughts on our podcasts and be in for a chance to win a bottle of Pol Roger champagne by filling out our podcast survey. Visit http://spectator.co.uk/podcastsurvey.

Spectator Radio
Book Club: Women in the Greek Myths

Spectator Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2020 44:06


In this week's Book Club podcast, Sam's guest is the writer and broadcaster Natalie Haynes, whose new book Pandora's Jar: Women In The Greek Myths investigates how the myths portrayed women from Pandora to Medea, and how those images have been repurposed in the retellings of subsequent generations. She tells Sam why Theseus isn't quite the hero we imagine him, how Erasmus's mistranslation of a single word crocked Pandora's reputation for good, why Euripides was a feminist avant la lettre, and how the Gorgon got her body.   Tell us your thoughts on our podcasts and be in for a chance to win a bottle of Pol Roger champagne by filling out our podcast survey. Visit http://spectator.co.uk/podcastsurvey.

Coffee House Shots
Can Boris Johnson resist a national lockdown?

Coffee House Shots

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2020 12:25


SAGE warned that the second wave of Covid-19 could be worse than the first, and that the whole of England could be in Tier-3 by Christmas, reports today claim. With Emmanuel Macron also expected to announce another national lockdown in France tonight, can Boris Johnson continue to resist doing the same? Cindy Yu speaks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman. Tell us your thoughts on our podcasts and be in for a chance to win a bottle of Pol Roger champagne by filling out our podcast survey. Visit http://spectator.co.uk/podcastsurvey.

Spectator Books
Natalie Haynes: Women in the Greek Myths

Spectator Books

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2020 44:06


In this week's Book Club podcast, my guest is the writer and broadcaster Natalie Haynes, whose new book Pandora's Jar: Women In The Greek Myths investigates how the myths portrayed women from Pandora to Medea, and how those images have been repurposed in the retellings of subsequent generations. She tells me why Theseus isn't quite the hero we imagine him, how Erasmus's mistranslation of a single word crocked Pandora's reputation for good, why Euripides was a feminist avant la lettre, and how the Gorgon got her body.   Tell us your thoughts on our podcasts and be in for a chance to win a bottle of Pol Roger champagne by filling out our podcast survey. Visit http://spectator.co.uk/podcastsurvey.

Spectator Radio
Table Talk: with Ian Rankin

Spectator Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2020 20:24


Ian Rankin is a bestselling crime writer, most known for his Inspector Rebus novels. On the podcast, he tells Lara and Livvy about living in a motel during his first year at university; how eating curry for the first time was 'a revelation'; and the snacks that keep him going while he writes. Tell us your thoughts on our podcasts and be in for a chance to win a bottle of Pol Roger champagne by filling out our podcast survey. Visit http://spectator.co.uk/podcastsurvey.

Table Talk
With Ian Rankin

Table Talk

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2020 20:24


Ian Rankin is a bestselling crime writer, most known for his Inspector Rebus novels. On the podcast, he tells Lara and Livvy about living in a motel during his first year at university; how eating curry for the first time was 'a revelation'; and the snacks that keep him going while he writes.  Tell us your thoughts on our podcasts and be in for a chance to win a bottle of Pol Roger champagne by filling out our podcast survey. Visit http://spectator.co.uk/podcastsurvey.

ian rankin pol roger inspector rebus
Coffee House Shots
Is levelling up still viable in the age of Covid?

Coffee House Shots

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2020 10:05


More than 50 Tory MPs have signed a letter organised by Jake Berry's Northern Research Group, urging the government to not forget its pledge to level up the North. But does Boris Johnson need to recalibrate his ambitions in the age of Covid? Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and John Connolly. Tell us your thoughts on our podcasts and be in for a chance to win a bottle of Pol Roger champagne by filling out our podcast survey. Visit spectator.co.uk/podcastsurvey.

Jimmy Eat Pod
053 – Pol Roger

Jimmy Eat Pod

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2020 111:20


David and Justin sip bubbly and brush up on their French while learning about English hotel rooms. They also talk about being content with being alone, the Moog Cookbook, and playing The Floor is Lava. Get the YouTube playlist for this episode here Follow us on Instagram at @jimmyeatpod Follow us on Twitter at @jimmyeatpodRead More

Wine & Hip Hop Los Angeles
Episode 7: KOBE: Baxter Holmes x Krug/Pol Roger Champagne

Wine & Hip Hop Los Angeles

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2020 31:32


Dev is back with a new episode dedicated to Kobe Bryant; James Beard Award-Winning ESPN Senior NBA Wine Writer Baxter Holmes, who covered Kobe for several years, joins Dev and tells an unforgettable story about the first NBA player he ever had wine with: Kobe. The story is unreal, and later Dev educates the audience on the similarities of two champagnes, while talking the NBA's obsession with wine, wine in the bubble, and the state of journalism in today's polarizing media atmosphere. This is Wine & Culture LA.

The Scott Take
The Most Dangerous Game

The Scott Take

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2020 54:11


Scott reads a classic for Sunday Fireside"OFF THERE to the right--somewhere--is a large island," said Whitney." It's rather a mystery--""What island is it?" Rainsford asked."The old charts call it 'Ship-Trap Island,"' Whitney replied." A suggestive name, isn't it? Sailors have a curious dread of the place. I don't know why. Some superstition--""Can't see it," remarked Rainsford, trying to peer through the dank tropical night that was palpable as it pressed its thick warm blackness in upon the yacht."You've good eyes," said Whitney, with a laugh," and I've seen you pick off a moose moving in the brown fall bush at four hundred yards, but even you can't see four miles or so through a moonless Caribbean night.""Nor four yards," admitted Rainsford. "Ugh! It's like moist black velvet.""It will be light enough in Rio," promised Whitney. "We should make it in a few days. I hope the jaguar guns have come from Purdey's. We should have some good hunting up the Amazon. Great sport, hunting.""The best sport in the world," agreed Rainsford."For the hunter," amended Whitney. "Not for the jaguar.""Don't talk rot, Whitney," said Rainsford. "You're a big-game hunter, not a philosopher. Who cares how a jaguar feels?""Perhaps the jaguar does," observed Whitney."Bah! They've no understanding.""Even so, I rather think they understand one thing--fear. The fear of pain and the fear of death.""Nonsense," laughed Rainsford. "This hot weather is making you soft, Whitney. Be a realist. The world is made up of two classes--the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are hunters. Do you think we've passed that island yet?""I can't tell in the dark. I hope so.""Why? " asked Rainsford."The place has a reputation--a bad one.""Cannibals?" suggested Rainsford."Hardly. Even cannibals wouldn't live in such a God-forsaken place. But it's gotten into sailor lore, somehow. Didn't you notice that the crew's nerves seemed a bit jumpy today?""They were a bit strange, now you mention it. Even Captain Nielsen--""Yes, even that tough-minded old Swede, who'd go up to the devil himself and ask him for a light. Those fishy blue eyes held a look I never saw there before. All I could get out of him was 'This place has an evil name among seafaring men, sir.' Then he said to me, very gravely, 'Don't you feel anything?'--as if the air about us was actually poisonous. Now, you mustn't laugh when I tell you this--I did feel something like a sudden chill."There was no breeze. The sea was as flat as a plate-glass window. We were drawing near the island then. What I felt was a--a mental chill; a sort of sudden dread.""Pure imagination," said Rainsford."One superstitious sailor can taint the whole ship's company with his fear.""Maybe. But sometimes I think sailors have an extra sense that tells them when they are in danger. Sometimes I think evil is a tangible thing--with wave lengths, just as sound and light have. An evil place can, so to speak, broadcast vibrations of evil. Anyhow, I'm glad we're getting out of this zone. Well, I think I'll turn in now, Rainsford.""I'm not sleepy," said Rainsford. "I'm going to smoke another pipe up on the afterdeck.""Good night, then, Rainsford. See you at breakfast.""Right. Good night, Whitney."There was no sound in the night as Rainsford sat there but the muffled throb of the engine that drove the yacht swiftly through the darkness, and the swish and ripple of the wash of the propeller.Rainsford, reclining in a steamer chair, indolently puffed on his favorite brier. The sensuous drowsiness of the night was on him." It's so dark," he thought, "that I could sleep without closing my eyes; the night would be my eyelids--"An abrupt sound startled him. Off to the right he heard it, and his ears, expert in such matters, could not be mistaken. Again he heard the sound, and again. Somewhere, off in the blackness, someone had fired a gun three times.Rainsford sprang up and moved quickly to the rail, mystified. He strained his eyes in the direction from which the reports had come, but it was like trying to see through a blanket. He leaped upon the rail and balanced himself there, to get greater elevation; his pipe, striking a rope, was knocked from his mouth. He lunged for it; a short, hoarse cry came from his lips as he realized he had reached too far and had lost his balance. The cry was pinched off short as the blood-warm waters of the Caribbean Sea dosed over his head.He struggled up to the surface and tried to cry out, but the wash from the speeding yacht slapped him in the face and the salt water in his open mouth made him gag and strangle. Desperately he struck out with strong strokes after the receding lights of the yacht, but he stopped before he had swum fifty feet. A certain coolheadedness had come to him; it was not the first time he had been in a tight place. There was a chance that his cries could be heard by someone aboard the yacht, but that chance was slender and grew more slender as the yacht raced on. He wrestled himself out of his clothes and shouted with all his power. The lights of the yacht became faint and ever-vanishing fireflies; then they were blotted out entirely by the night.Rainsford remembered the shots. They had come from the right, and doggedly he swam in that direction, swimming with slow, deliberate strokes, conserving his strength. For a seemingly endless time he fought the sea. He began to count his strokes; he could do possibly a hundred more and then--Rainsford heard a sound. It came out of the darkness, a high screaming sound, the sound of an animal in an extremity of anguish and terror.He did not recognize the animal that made the sound; he did not try to; with fresh vitality he swam toward the sound. He heard it again; then it was cut short by another noise, crisp, staccato."Pistol shot," muttered Rainsford, swimming on.Ten minutes of determined effort brought another sound to his ears--the most welcome he had ever heard--the muttering and growling of the sea breaking on a rocky shore. He was almost on the rocks before he saw them; on a night less calm he would have been shattered against them. With his remaining strength he dragged himself from the swirling waters. Jagged crags appeared to jut up into the opaqueness; he forced himself upward, hand over hand. Gasping, his hands raw, he reached a flat place at the top. Dense jungle came down to the very edge of the cliffs. What perils that tangle of trees and underbrush might hold for him did not concern Rainsford just then. All he knew was that he was safe from his enemy, the sea, and that utter weariness was on him. He flung himself down at the jungle edge and tumbled headlong into the deepest sleep of his life.When he opened his eyes he knew from the position of the sun that it was late in the afternoon. Sleep had given him new vigor; a sharp hunger was picking at him. He looked about him, almost cheerfully."Where there are pistol shots, there are men. Where there are men, there is food," he thought. But what kind of men, he wondered, in so forbidding a place? An unbroken front of snarled and ragged jungle fringed the shore.He saw no sign of a trail through the closely knit web of weeds and trees; it was easier to go along the shore, and Rainsford floundered along by the water. Not far from where he landed, he stopped.Some wounded thing--by the evidence, a large animal--had thrashed about in the underbrush; the jungle weeds were crushed down and the moss was lacerated; one patch of weeds was stained crimson. A small, glittering object not far away caught Rainsford's eye and he picked it up. It was an empty cartridge."A twenty-two," he remarked. "That's odd. It must have been a fairly large animal too. The hunter had his nerve with him to tackle it with a light gun. It's clear that the brute put up a fight. I suppose the first three shots I heard was when the hunter flushed his quarry and wounded it. The last shot was when he trailed it here and finished it."He examined the ground closely and found what he had hoped to find--the print of hunting boots. They pointed along the cliff in the direction he had been going. Eagerly he hurried along, now slipping on a rotten log or a loose stone, but making headway; night was beginning to settle down on the island.Bleak darkness was blacking out the sea and jungle when Rainsford sighted the lights. He came upon them as he turned a crook in the coast line; and his first thought was that be had come upon a village, for there were many lights. But as he forged along he saw to his great astonishment that all the lights were in one enormous building--a lofty structure with pointed towers plunging upward into the gloom. His eyes made out the shadowy outlines of a palatial chateau; it was set on a high bluff, and on three sides of it cliffs dived down to where the sea licked greedy lips in the shadows."Mirage," thought Rainsford. But it was no mirage, he found, when he opened the tall spiked iron gate. The stone steps were real enough; the massive door with a leering gargoyle for a knocker was real enough; yet above it all hung an air of unreality.He lifted the knocker, and it creaked up stiffly, as if it had never before been used. He let it fall, and it startled him with its booming loudness. He thought he heard steps within; the door remained closed. Again Rainsford lifted the heavy knocker, and let it fall. The door opened then--opened as suddenly as if it were on a spring--and Rainsford stood blinking in the river of glaring gold light that poured out. The first thing Rainsford's eyes discerned was the largest man Rainsford had ever seen--a gigantic creature, solidly made and black bearded to the waist. In his hand the man held a long-barreled revolver, and he was pointing it straight at Rainsford's heart.Out of the snarl of beard two small eyes regarded Rainsford."Don't be alarmed," said Rainsford, with a smile which he hoped was disarming. "I'm no robber. I fell off a yacht. My name is Sanger Rainsford of New York City."The menacing look in the eyes did not change. The revolver pointing as rigidly as if the giant were a statue. He gave no sign that he understood Rainsford's words, or that he had even heard them. He was dressed in uniform--a black uniform trimmed with gray astrakhan."I'm Sanger Rainsford of New York," Rainsford began again. "I fell off a yacht. I am hungry."The man's only answer was to raise with his thumb the hammer of his revolver. Then Rainsford saw the man's free hand go to his forehead in a military salute, and he saw him click his heels together and stand at attention. Another man was coming down the broad marble steps, an erect, slender man in evening clothes. He advanced to Rainsford and held out his hand.In a cultivated voice marked by a slight accent that gave it added precision and deliberateness, he said, "It is a very great pleasure and honor to welcome Mr. Sanger Rainsford, the celebrated hunter, to my home."Automatically Rainsford shook the man's hand."I've read your book about hunting snow leopards in Tibet, you see," explained the man. "I am General Zaroff."Rainsford's first impression was that the man was singularly handsome; his second was that there was an original, almost bizarre quality about the general's face. He was a tall man past middle age, for his hair was a vivid white; but his thick eyebrows and pointed military mustache were as black as the night from which Rainsford had come. His eyes, too, were black and very bright. He had high cheekbones, a sharpcut nose, a spare, dark face--the face of a man used to giving orders, the face of an aristocrat. Turning to the giant in uniform, the general made a sign. The giant put away his pistol, saluted, withdrew."Ivan is an incredibly strong fellow," remarked the general, "but he has the misfortune to be deaf and dumb. A simple fellow, but, I'm afraid, like all his race, a bit of a savage.""Is he Russian?""He is a Cossack," said the general, and his smile showed red lips and pointed teeth. "So am I.""Come," he said, "we shouldn't be chatting here. We can talk later. Now you want clothes, food, rest. You shall have them. This is a most-restful spot."Ivan had reappeared, and the general spoke to him with lips that moved but gave forth no sound."Follow Ivan, if you please, Mr. Rainsford," said the general. "I was about to have my dinner when you came. I'll wait for you. You'll find that my clothes will fit you, I think."It was to a huge, beam-ceilinged bedroom with a canopied bed big enough for six men that Rainsford followed the silent giant. Ivan laid out an evening suit, and Rainsford, as he put it on, noticed that it came from a London tailor who ordinarily cut and sewed for none below the rank of duke.The dining room to which Ivan conducted him was in many ways remarkable. There was a medieval magnificence about it; it suggested a baronial hall of feudal times with its oaken panels, its high ceiling, its vast refectory tables where twoscore men could sit down to eat. About the hall were mounted heads of many animals--lions, tigers, elephants, moose, bears; larger or more perfect specimens Rainsford had never seen. At the great table the general was sitting, alone."You'll have a cocktail, Mr. Rainsford," he suggested. The cocktail was surpassingly good; and, Rainsford noted, the table apointments were of the finest--the linen, the crystal, the silver, the china.They were eating borsch, the rich, red soup with whipped cream so dear to Russian palates. Half apologetically General Zaroff said, "We do our best to preserve the amenities of civilization here. Please forgive any lapses. We are well off the beaten track, you know. Do you think the champagne has suffered from its long ocean trip?""Not in the least," declared Rainsford. He was finding the general a most thoughtful and affable host, a true cosmopolite. But there was one small trait of the general's that made Rainsford uncomfortable. Whenever he looked up from his plate he found the general studying him, appraising him narrowly."Perhaps," said General Zaroff, "you were surprised that I recognized your name. You see, I read all books on hunting published in English, French, and Russian. I have but one passion in my life, Mr. Rainsford, and it is the hunt.""You have some wonderful heads here," said Rainsford as he ate a particularly well-cooked filet mignon. " That Cape buffalo is the largest I ever saw.""Oh, that fellow. Yes, he was a monster.""Did he charge you?""Hurled me against a tree," said the general. "Fractured my skull. But I got the brute.""I've always thought," said Rainsford, "that the Cape buffalo is the most dangerous of all big game."For a moment the general did not reply; he was smiling his curious red-lipped smile. Then he said slowly, "No. You are wrong, sir. The Cape buffalo is not the most dangerous big game." He sipped his wine. "Here in my preserve on this island," he said in the same slow tone, "I hunt more dangerous game."Rainsford expressed his surprise. "Is there big game on this island?"The general nodded. "The biggest.""Really?""Oh, it isn't here naturally, of course. I have to stock the island.""What have you imported, general?" Rainsford asked. "Tigers?"The general smiled. "No," he said. "Hunting tigers ceased to interest me some years ago. I exhausted their possibilities, you see. No thrill left in tigers, no real danger. I live for danger, Mr. Rainsford."The general took from his pocket a gold cigarette case and offered his guest a long black cigarette with a silver tip; it was perfumed and gave off a smell like incense."We will have some capital hunting, you and I," said the general. "I shall be most glad to have your society.""But what game--" began Rainsford."I'll tell you," said the general. "You will be amused, I know. I think I may say, in all modesty, that I have done a rare thing. I have invented a new sensation. May I pour you another glass of port?""Thank you, general."The general filled both glasses, and said, "God makes some men poets. Some He makes kings, some beggars. Me He made a hunter. My hand was made for the trigger, my father said. He was a very rich man with a quarter of a million acres in the Crimea, and he was an ardent sportsman. When I was only five years old he gave me a little gun, specially made in Moscow for me, to shoot sparrows with. When I shot some of his prize turkeys with it, he did not punish me; he complimented me on my marksmanship. I killed my first bear in the Caucasus when I was ten. My whole life has been one prolonged hunt. I went into the army--it was expected of noblemen's sons--and for a time commanded a division of Cossack cavalry, but my real interest was always the hunt. I have hunted every kind of game in every land. It would be impossible for me to tell you how many animals I have killed."The general puffed at his cigarette."After the debacle in Russia I left the country, for it was imprudent for an officer of the Czar to stay there. Many noble Russians lost everything. I, luckily, had invested heavily in American securities, so I shall never have to open a tearoom in Monte Carlo or drive a taxi in Paris. Naturally, I continued to hunt--grizzlies in your Rockies, crocodiles in the Ganges, rhinoceroses in East Africa. It was in Africa that the Cape buffalo hit me and laid me up for six months. As soon as I recovered I started for the Amazon to hunt jaguars, for I had heard they were unusually cunning. They weren't." The Cossack sighed. "They were no match at all for a hunter with his wits about him, and a high-powered rifle. I was bitterly disappointed. I was lying in my tent with a splitting headache one night when a terrible thought pushed its way into my mind. Hunting was beginning to bore me! And hunting, remember, had been my life. I have heard that in America businessmen often go to pieces when they give up the business that has been their life.""Yes, that's so," said Rainsford.The general smiled. "I had no wish to go to pieces," he said. "I must do something. Now, mine is an analytical mind, Mr. Rainsford. Doubtless that is why I enjoy the problems of the chase.""No doubt, General Zaroff.""So," continued the general, "I asked myself why the hunt no longer fascinated me. You are much younger than I am, Mr. Rainsford, and have not hunted as much, but you perhaps can guess the answer.""What was it?""Simply this: hunting had ceased to be what you call 'a sporting proposition.' It had become too easy. I always got my quarry. Always. There is no greater bore than perfection."The general lit a fresh cigarette."No animal had a chance with me any more. That is no boast; it is a mathematical certainty. The animal had nothing but his legs and his instinct. Instinct is no match for reason. When I thought of this it was a tragic moment for me, I can tell you."Rainsford leaned across the table, absorbed in what his host was saying."It came to me as an inspiration what I must do," the general went on."And that was?"The general smiled the quiet smile of one who has faced an obstacle and surmounted it with success. "I had to invent a new animal to hunt," he said."A new animal? You're joking.""Not at all," said the general. "I never joke about hunting. I needed a new animal. I found one. So I bought this island built this house, and here I do my hunting. The island is perfect for my purposes--there are jungles with a maze of traits in them, hills, swamps--""But the animal, General Zaroff?""Oh," said the general, "it supplies me with the most exciting hunting in the world. No other hunting compares with it for an instant. Every day I hunt, and I never grow bored now, for I have a quarry with which I can match my wits."Rainsford's bewilderment showed in his face."I wanted the ideal animal to hunt," explained the general. "So I said, 'What are the attributes of an ideal quarry?' And the answer was, of course, 'It must have courage, cunning, and, above all, it must be able to reason."'"But no animal can reason," objected Rainsford."My dear fellow," said the general, "there is one that can.""But you can't mean--" gasped Rainsford."And why not?""I can't believe you are serious, General Zaroff. This is a grisly joke.""Why should I not be serious? I am speaking of hunting.""Hunting? Great Guns, General Zaroff, what you speak of is murder."The general laughed with entire good nature. He regarded Rainsford quizzically. "I refuse to believe that so modern and civilized a young man as you seem to be harbors romantic ideas about the value of human life. Surely your experiences in the war--""Did not make me condone cold-blooded murder," finished Rainsford stiffly.Laughter shook the general. "How extraordinarily droll you are!" he said. "One does not expect nowadays to find a young man of the educated class, even in America, with such a naïve, and, if I may say so, mid-Victorian point of view. It's like finding a snuffbox in a limousine. Ah, well, doubtless you had Puritan ancestors. So many Americans appear to have had. I'll wager you'll forget your notions when you go hunting with me. You've a genuine new thrill in store for you, Mr. Rainsford.""Thank you, I'm a hunter, not a murderer.""Dear me," said the general, quite unruffled, "again that unpleasant word. But I think I can show you that your scruples are quite ill founded.""Yes?""Life is for the strong, to be lived by the strong, and, if needs be, taken by the strong. The weak of the world were put here to give the strong pleasure. I am strong. Why should I not use my gift? If I wish to hunt, why should I not? I hunt the scum of the earth: sailors from tramp ships--lassars, blacks, Chinese, whites, mongrels--a thoroughbred horse or hound is worth more than a score of them.""But they are men," said Rainsford hotly."Precisely," said the general. "That is why I use them. It gives me pleasure. They can reason, after a fashion. So they are dangerous.""But where do you get them?"The general's left eyelid fluttered down in a wink. "This island is called Ship Trap," he answered. "Sometimes an angry god of the high seas sends them to me. Sometimes, when Providence is not so kind, I help Providence a bit. Come to the window with me."Rainsford went to the window and looked out toward the sea."Watch! Out there!" exclaimed the general, pointing into the night. Rainsford's eyes saw only blackness, and then, as the general pressed a button, far out to sea Rainsford saw the flash of lights.The general chuckled. "They indicate a channel," he said, "where there's none; giant rocks with razor edges crouch like a sea monster with wide-open jaws. They can crush a ship as easily as I crush this nut." He dropped a walnut on the hardwood floor and brought his heel grinding down on it. "Oh, yes," he said, casually, as if in answer to a question, "I have electricity. We try to be civilized here.""Civilized? And you shoot down men?"A trace of anger was in the general's black eyes, but it was there for but a second; and he said, in his most pleasant manner, "Dear me, what a righteous young man you are! I assure you I do not do the thing you suggest. That would be barbarous. I treat these visitors with every consideration. They get plenty of good food and exercise. They get into splendid physical condition. You shall see for yourself tomorrow.""What do you mean?""We'll visit my training school," smiled the general. "It's in the cellar. I have about a dozen pupils down there now. They're from the Spanish bark San Lucar that had the bad luck to go on the rocks out there. A very inferior lot, I regret to say. Poor specimens and more accustomed to the deck than to the jungle." He raised his hand, and Ivan, who served as waiter, brought thick Turkish coffee. Rainsford, with an effort, held his tongue in check."It's a game, you see," pursued the general blandly. "I suggest to one of them that we go hunting. I give him a supply of food and an excellent hunting knife. I give him three hours' start. I am to follow, armed only with a pistol of the smallest caliber and range. If my quarry eludes me for three whole days, he wins the game. If I find him "--the general smiled--" he loses.""Suppose he refuses to be hunted?""Oh," said the general, "I give him his option, of course. He need not play that game if he doesn't wish to. If he does not wish to hunt, I turn him over to Ivan. Ivan once had the honor of serving as official knouter to the Great White Czar, and he has his own ideas of sport. Invariably, Mr. Rainsford, invariably they choose the hunt.""And if they win?"The smile on the general's face widened. "To date I have not lost," he said. Then he added, hastily: "I don't wish you to think me a braggart, Mr. Rainsford. Many of them afford only the most elementary sort of problem. Occasionally I strike a tartar. One almost did win. I eventually had to use the dogs.""The dogs?""This way, please. I'll show you."The general steered Rainsford to a window. The lights from the windows sent a flickering illumination that made grotesque patterns on the courtyard below, and Rainsford could see moving about there a dozen or so huge black shapes; as they turned toward him, their eyes glittered greenly."A rather good lot, I think," observed the general. "They are let out at seven every night. If anyone should try to get into my house--or out of it--something extremely regrettable would occur to him." He hummed a snatch of song from the Folies Bergere."And now," said the general, "I want to show you my new collection of heads. Will you come with me to the library?""I hope," said Rainsford, "that you will excuse me tonight, General Zaroff. I'm really not feeling well.""Ah, indeed?" the general inquired solicitously. "Well, I suppose that's only natural, after your long swim. You need a good, restful night's sleep. Tomorrow you'll feel like a new man, I'll wager. Then we'll hunt, eh? I've one rather promising prospect--" Rainsford was hurrying from the room."Sorry you can't go with me tonight," called the general. "I expect rather fair sport--a big, strong, black. He looks resourceful--Well, good night, Mr. Rainsford; I hope you have a good night's rest."The bed was good, and the pajamas of the softest silk, and he was tired in every fiber of his being, but nevertheless Rainsford could not quiet his brain with the opiate of sleep. He lay, eyes wide open. Once he thought he heard stealthy steps in the corridor outside his room. He sought to throw open the door; it would not open. He went to the window and looked out. His room was high up in one of the towers. The lights of the chateau were out now, and it was dark and silent; but there was a fragment of sallow moon, and by its wan light he could see, dimly, the courtyard. There, weaving in and out in the pattern of shadow, were black, noiseless forms; the hounds heard him at the window and looked up, expectantly, with their green eyes. Rainsford went back to the bed and lay down. By many methods he tried to put himself to sleep. He had achieved a doze when, just as morning began to come, he heard, far off in the jungle, the faint report of a pistol.General Zaroff did not appear until luncheon. He was dressed faultlessly in the tweeds of a country squire. He was solicitous about the state of Rainsford's health."As for me," sighed the general, "I do not feel so well. I am worried, Mr. Rainsford. Last night I detected traces of my old complaint."To Rainsford's questioning glance the general said, "Ennui. Boredom."Then, taking a second helping of crâpes Suzette, the general explained: "The hunting was not good last night. The fellow lost his head. He made a straight trail that offered no problems at all. That's the trouble with these sailors; they have dull brains to begin with, and they do not know how to get about in the woods. They do excessively stupid and obvious things. It's most annoying. Will you have another glass of Chablis, Mr. Rainsford?""General," said Rainsford firmly, "I wish to leave this island at once."The general raised his thickets of eyebrows; he seemed hurt. "But, my dear fellow," the general protested, "you've only just come. You've had no hunting--""I wish to go today," said Rainsford. He saw the dead black eyes of the general on him, studying him. General Zaroff's face suddenly brightened.He filled Rainsford's glass with venerable Chablis from a dusty bottle."Tonight," said the general, "we will hunt--you and I."Rainsford shook his head. "No, general," he said. "I will not hunt."The general shrugged his shoulders and delicately ate a hothouse grape. "As you wish, my friend," he said. "The choice rests entirely with you. But may I not venture to suggest that you will find my idea of sport more diverting than Ivan's?"He nodded toward the corner to where the giant stood, scowling, his thick arms crossed on his hogshead of chest."You don't mean--" cried Rainsford."My dear fellow," said the general, "have I not told you I always mean what I say about hunting? This is really an inspiration. I drink to a foeman worthy of my steel--at last." The general raised his glass, but Rainsford sat staring at him."You'll find this game worth playing," the general said enthusiastically." Your brain against mine. Your woodcraft against mine. Your strength and stamina against mine. Outdoor chess! And the stake is not without value, eh?""And if I win--" began Rainsford huskily."I'll cheerfully acknowledge myself defeat if I do not find you by midnight of the third day," said General Zaroff. "My sloop will place you on the mainland near a town." The general read what Rainsford was thinking."Oh, you can trust me," said the Cossack. "I will give you my word as a gentleman and a sportsman. Of course you, in turn, must agree to say nothing of your visit here.""I'll agree to nothing of the kind," said Rainsford."Oh," said the general, "in that case--But why discuss that now? Three days hence we can discuss it over a bottle of Veuve Cliquot, unless--"The general sipped his wine.Then a businesslike air animated him. "Ivan," he said to Rainsford, "will supply you with hunting clothes, food, a knife. I suggest you wear moccasins; they leave a poorer trail. I suggest, too, that you avoid the big swamp in the southeast corner of the island. We call it Death Swamp. There's quicksand there. One foolish fellow tried it. The deplorable part of it was that Lazarus followed him. You can imagine my feelings, Mr. Rainsford. I loved Lazarus; he was the finest hound in my pack. Well, I must beg you to excuse me now. I always' take a siesta after lunch. You'll hardly have time for a nap, I fear. You'll want to start, no doubt. I shall not follow till dusk. Hunting at night is so much more exciting than by day, don't you think? Au revoir, Mr. Rainsford, au revoir." General Zaroff, with a deep, courtly bow, strolled from the room.From another door came Ivan. Under one arm he carried khaki hunting clothes, a haversack of food, a leather sheath containing a long-bladed hunting knife; his right hand rested on a cocked revolver thrust in the crimson sash about his waist.Rainsford had fought his way through the bush for two hours. "I must keep my nerve. I must keep my nerve," he said through tight teeth.He had not been entirely clearheaded when the chateau gates snapped shut behind him. His whole idea at first was to put distance between himself and General Zaroff; and, to this end, he had plunged along, spurred on by the sharp rowers of something very like panic. Now he had got a grip on himself, had stopped, and was taking stock of himself and the situation. He saw that straight flight was futile; inevitably it would bring him face to face with the sea. He was in a picture with a frame of water, and his operations, clearly, must take place within that frame."I'll give him a trail to follow," muttered Rainsford, and he struck off from the rude path he had been following into the trackless wilderness. He executed a series of intricate loops; he doubled on his trail again and again, recalling all the lore of the fox hunt, and all the dodges of the fox. Night found him leg-weary, with hands and face lashed by the branches, on a thickly wooded ridge. He knew it would be insane to blunder on through the dark, even if he had the strength. His need for rest was imperative and he thought, "I have played the fox, now I must play the cat of the fable." A big tree with a thick trunk and outspread branches was near by, and, taking care to leave not the slightest mark, he climbed up into the crotch, and, stretching out on one of the broad limbs, after a fashion, rested. Rest brought him new confidence and almost a feeling of security. Even so zealous a hunter as General Zaroff could not trace him there, he told himself; only the devil himself could follow that complicated trail through the jungle after dark. But perhaps the general was a devil--An apprehensive night crawled slowly by like a wounded snake and sleep did not visit Rainsford, although the silence of a dead world was on the jungle. Toward morning when a dingy gray was varnishing the sky, the cry of some startled bird focused Rainsford's attention in that direction. Something was coming through the bush, coming slowly, carefully, coming by the same winding way Rainsford had come. He flattened himself down on the limb and, through a screen of leaves almost as thick as tapestry, he watched. . . . That which was approaching was a man.It was General Zaroff. He made his way along with his eyes fixed in utmost concentration on the ground before him. He paused, almost beneath the tree, dropped to his knees and studied the ground. Rainsford's impulse was to hurl himself down like a panther, but he saw that the general's right hand held something metallic--a small automatic pistol.The hunter shook his head several times, as if he were puzzled. Then he straightened up and took from his case one of his black cigarettes; its pungent incenselike smoke floated up to Rainsford's nostrils.Rainsford held his breath. The general's eyes had left the ground and were traveling inch by inch up the tree. Rainsford froze there, every muscle tensed for a spring. But the sharp eyes of the hunter stopped before they reached the limb where Rainsford lay; a smile spread over his brown face. Very deliberately he blew a smoke ring into the air; then he turned his back on the tree and walked carelessly away, back along the trail he had come. The swish of the underbrush against his hunting boots grew fainter and fainter.The pent-up air burst hotly from Rainsford's lungs. His first thought made him feel sick and numb. The general could follow a trail through the woods at night; he could follow an extremely difficult trail; he must have uncanny powers; only by the merest chance had the Cossack failed to see his quarry.Rainsford's second thought was even more terrible. It sent a shudder of cold horror through his whole being. Why had the general smiled? Why had he turned back?Rainsford did not want to believe what his reason told him was true, but the truth was as evident as the sun that had by now pushed through the morning mists. The general was playing with him! The general was saving him for another day's sport! The Cossack was the cat; he was the mouse. Then it was that Rainsford knew the full meaning of terror."I will not lose my nerve. I will not."He slid down from the tree, and struck off again into the woods. His face was set and he forced the machinery of his mind to function. Three hundred yards from his hiding place he stopped where a huge dead tree leaned precariously on a smaller, living one. Throwing off his sack of food, Rainsford took his knife from its sheath and began to work with all his energy.The job was finished at last, and he threw himself down behind a fallen log a hundred feet away. He did not have to wait long. The cat was coming again to play with the mouse.Following the trail with the sureness of a bloodhound came General Zaroff. Nothing escaped those searching black eyes, no crushed blade of grass, no bent twig, no mark, no matter how faint, in the moss. So intent was the Cossack on his stalking that he was upon the thing Rainsford had made before he saw it. His foot touched the protruding bough that was the trigger. Even as he touched it, the general sensed his danger and leaped back with the agility of an ape. But he was not quite quick enough; the dead tree, delicately adjusted to rest on the cut living one, crashed down and struck the general a glancing blow on the shoulder as it fell; but for his alertness, he must have been smashed beneath it. He staggered, but he did not fall; nor did he drop his revolver. He stood there, rubbing his injured shoulder, and Rainsford, with fear again gripping his heart, heard the general's mocking laugh ring through the jungle."Rainsford," called the general, "if you are within sound of my voice, as I suppose you are, let me congratulate you. Not many men know how to make a Malay mancatcher. Luckily for me I, too, have hunted in Malacca. You are proving interesting, Mr. Rainsford. I am going now to have my wound dressed; it's only a slight one. But I shall be back. I shall be back."When the general, nursing his bruised shoulder, had gone, Rainsford took up his flight again. It was flight now, a desperate, hopeless flight, that carried him on for some hours. Dusk came, then darkness, and still he pressed on. The ground grew softer under his moccasins; the vegetation grew ranker, denser; insects bit him savagely.Then, as he stepped forward, his foot sank into the ooze. He tried to wrench it back, but the muck sucked viciously at his foot as if it were a giant leech. With a violent effort, he tore his feet loose. He knew where he was now. Death Swamp and its quicksand.His hands were tight closed as if his nerve were something tangible that someone in the darkness was trying to tear from his grip. The softness of the earth had given him an idea. He stepped back from the quicksand a dozen feet or so and, like some huge prehistoric beaver, he began to dig.Rainsford had dug himself in in France when a second's delay meant death. That had been a placid pastime compared to his digging now. The pit grew deeper; when it was above his shoulders, he climbed out and from some hard saplings cut stakes and sharpened them to a fine point. These stakes he planted in the bottom of the pit with the points sticking up. With flying fingers he wove a rough carpet of weeds and branches and with it he covered the mouth of the pit. Then, wet with sweat and aching with tiredness, he crouched behind the stump of a lightning-charred tree.He knew his pursuer was coming; he heard the padding sound of feet on the soft earth, and the night breeze brought him the perfume of the general's cigarette. It seemed to Rainsford that the general was coming with unusual swiftness; he was not feeling his way along, foot by foot. Rainsford, crouching there, could not see the general, nor could he see the pit. He lived a year in a minute. Then he felt an impulse to cry aloud with joy, for he heard the sharp crackle of the breaking branches as the cover of the pit gave way; he heard the sharp scream of pain as the pointed stakes found their mark. He leaped up from his place of concealment. Then he cowered back. Three feet from the pit a man was standing, with an electric torch in his hand."You've done well, Rainsford," the voice of the general called. "Your Burmese tiger pit has claimed one of my best dogs. Again you score. I think, Mr. Rainsford, I'll see what you can do against my whole pack. I'm going home for a rest now. Thank you for a most amusing evening."At daybreak Rainsford, lying near the swamp, was awakened by a sound that made him know that he had new things to learn about fear. It was a distant sound, faint and wavering, but he knew it. It was the baying of a pack of hounds.Rainsford knew he could do one of two things. He could stay where he was and wait. That was suicide. He could flee. That was postponing the inevitable. For a moment he stood there, thinking. An idea that held a wild chance came to him, and, tightening his belt, he headed away from the swamp.The baying of the hounds drew nearer, then still nearer, nearer, ever nearer. On a ridge Rainsford climbed a tree. Down a watercourse, not a quarter of a mile away, he could see the bush moving. Straining his eyes, he saw the lean figure of General Zaroff; just ahead of him Rainsford made out another figure whose wide shoulders surged through the tall jungle weeds; it was the giant Ivan, and he seemed pulled forward by some unseen force; Rainsford knew that Ivan must be holding the pack in leash.They would be on him any minute now. His mind worked frantically. He thought of a native trick he had learned in Uganda. He slid down the tree. He caught hold of a springy young sapling and to it he fastened his hunting knife, with the blade pointing down the trail; with a bit of wild grapevine he tied back the sapling. Then he ran for his life. The hounds raised their voices as they hit the fresh scent. Rainsford knew now how an animal at bay feels.He had to stop to get his breath. The baying of the hounds stopped abruptly, and Rainsford's heart stopped too. They must have reached the knife.He shinned excitedly up a tree and looked back. His pursuers had stopped. But the hope that was in Rainsford's brain when he climbed died, for he saw in the shallow valley that General Zaroff was still on his feet. But Ivan was not. The knife, driven by the recoil of the springing tree, had not wholly failed.Rainsford had hardly tumbled to the ground when the pack took up the cry again."Nerve, nerve, nerve!" he panted, as he dashed along. A blue gap showed between the trees dead ahead. Ever nearer drew the hounds. Rainsford forced himself on toward that gap. He reached it. It was the shore of the sea. Across a cove he could see the gloomy gray stone of the chateau. Twenty feet below him the sea rumbled and hissed. Rainsford hesitated. He heard the hounds. Then he leaped far out into the sea. . . .When the general and his pack reached the place by the sea, the Cossack stopped. For some minutes he stood regarding the blue-green expanse of water. He shrugged his shoulders. Then he sat down, took a drink of brandy from a silver flask, lit a cigarette, and hummed a bit from Madame Butterfly.General Zaroff had an exceedingly good dinner in his great paneled dining hall that evening. With it he had a bottle of Pol Roger and half a bottle of Chambertin. Two slight annoyances kept him from perfect enjoyment. One was the thought that it would be difficult to replace Ivan; the other was that his quarry had escaped him; of course, the American hadn't played the game--so thought the general as he tasted his after-dinner liqueur. In his library he read, to soothe himself, from the works of Marcus Aurelius. At ten he went up to his bedroom. He was deliciously tired, he said to himself, as he locked himself in. There was a little moonlight, so, before turning on his light, he went to the window and looked down at the courtyard. He could see the great hounds, and he called, "Better luck another time," to them. Then he switched on the light.A man, who had been hiding in the curtains of the bed, was standing there."Rainsford!" screamed the general. "How in God's name did you get here?""Swam," said Rainsford. "I found it quicker than walking through the jungle."The general sucked in his breath and smiled. "I congratulate you," he said. "You have won the game."Rainsford did not smile. "I am still a beast at bay," he said, in a low, hoarse voice. "Get ready, General Zaroff."The general made one of his deepest bows. "I see," he said. "Splendid! One of us is to furnish a repast for the hounds. The other will sleep in this very excellent bed. On guard, Rainsford.". . .He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided.

Wined Up Weekly
The Week in Wine - 14 October 2019

Wined Up Weekly

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2019 15:46


Changes in Spain: Ribera del Duero approves whéte wine in the DO; first Rioja single-vineyard wine released - News from Champagne: Bollinger announces James Bond themed wines; LVMH drinks arm records quarterly profits; Pol Roger opens wine from the 1890s - Festive themed crisps released in the UK - Wine of the Week: Ameztoi sparkling rose

Histoires d'ici
La maison de champagne Pol-Roger

Histoires d'ici

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2019 12:00


Champagnepodden
Avsnitt 43 - Pol Roger

Champagnepodden

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2018 41:44


Intervju med Laurent Harcourt president på Pol Roger.Inspelad i vinkällaren på Grand Hotel december 2018. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Champagnepodden
Avsnitt 43 - Pol Roger

Champagnepodden

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2018 41:44


Intervju med Laurent Harcourt president på Pol Roger.Inspelad i vinkällaren på Grand Hotel december 2018. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Papa Vino
6. Champagne. Behövs det sägas mer?

Papa Vino

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2018 50:24


I det här avsnittet lär vi oss om champagne och prövar en Pol Roger brut Reserve!

Champagnepodden
Avsnitt 27 - Laurent D Harcourt VD Pol Roger

Champagnepodden

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2017 62:28


Intervju med Laurent D Harcourt VD Pol Roger i vinkällaren på Grand HotelI podden dricker vi Pol Roger BDB 09Pol Roger Winston Churchill 04 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Champagnepodden
Avsnitt 27 - Laurent D Harcourt VD Pol Roger

Champagnepodden

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2017 62:28


Intervju med Laurent D Harcourt VD Pol Roger i vinkällaren på Grand HotelI podden dricker vi Pol Roger BDB 09Pol Roger Winston Churchill 04 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Champagnepodden
Avsnitt 25 - Frågeavsnitt

Champagnepodden

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2017 40:34


FrågeavsnittMartin och Jessica svarar på lyssnarfrågor.I podden dricker vi:Pol Roger blanc de blancs 2009Marguet roseRoederer Rose See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Champagnepodden
Avsnitt 25 - Frågeavsnitt

Champagnepodden

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2017 40:34


FrågeavsnittMartin och Jessica svarar på lyssnarfrågor.I podden dricker vi:Pol Roger blanc de blancs 2009Marguet roseRoederer Rose See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

SkitJakt - En Podcast om Jakt
Eftersök, Gissa Djuret och Bågjakt

SkitJakt - En Podcast om Jakt

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2017 65:36


Besök i studion av erfarne eftersöksjägaren Jakob. Eftersök, misslyckandets skam, hundar och utrustning är dagens tema. Vi "Gissar Djuret" när Erik har med sig ett fat fyllt med godsaker. Inlagd älgbiff, picklad rödlök, god ost och annat. Dessutom bjuds på finskumpa till köttet från Pol Roger. Jakob har med sig en favorit bland hundlinor, Niggeloh's eftersökslina.

Champagnepodden
Avsnitt 10 - Pol Roger

Champagnepodden

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2017 60:44


Denna vecka jag jag nere i Epernay och intervjuar Laurent D Harcourt President på Pol Roger. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Champagnepodden
Avsnitt 10 - Pol Roger

Champagnepodden

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2017 60:44


Denna vecka jag jag nere i Epernay och intervjuar Laurent D Harcourt President på Pol Roger. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lush Life
Virginie Taittinger, Champagne VIRGINIE T., Sillery

Lush Life

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2016 17:29


“Remember, gentlemen, it’s not just France we are fighting for, it’s Champagne!” was Winston Churchill’s cri de guerre.  Only gentlemen…what about the ladies? Didn’t he know that, throughout history, women were responsible for making some of the great Champagne houses of France famous? Virginie Taittinger, our guest today, is one of those women! Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin gave us Veuve Clicquot, Louise Pommery invented Brut, and Camille Olry-Roederer understood that celebrity and business go hand-in-hand!  Now, Virginie Taittinger has joined the sorority. Her bloodline sparkles. It’s no wonder, as her mother is a Piper-Heidsieck and her father ran Taittinger for 45 years. Trained by the best, Virginie is out on her own, following in those celebrated footsteps, doing what she was born to do - bottling bubbly. After six years aging, it’s time to pop the cork of Virginie Taittinger’s first special cuvée, Champagne Virginie T, a combination of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Not only is her champagne delicious, but the packaging is divine. The red-hot box transforms into an ice bucket. Pop the bottle into the bucket with ice and, when the label turns red, it’s ready to drink! We know that Churchill ‘s drink of choice was his Pol Roger. Maybe if Champagne Virginie T, had been around then, he might have switched camps. [content_boxes class="" id="cheat-sheet"] Pop the cork at home with a bottle of your own - Find it in our Liquor Cabinet! [/content_boxes] Pu-pu platters, flaming cocktails and, of course, the original Mai-Tai should evoke just one name: Trader Vic’s, the home of the Tiki Cocktail!  Come back next week to find out how one man named Odysseus found his home, not in Greece, but at Trader Vic’s in the London Hilton Park Lane. Thanks for listening to Best Sips Worldwide, a spin-off of Best Bits Worldwide. For more information and links to everything that piqued your interest on the podcast, plus a bit more, please visit Best Bits Worldwide.com. Follow me on Twitter at @BestBitsWorld.  My theme music is by Steven Shapiro and used with permission. Best Sips is produced by Evo Terra. Always remember the wise words of Oscar Wilde, “All things in moderation, including moderation” and never drink and drive! (ok, I said that last part.)  

WineGuyMike
This Week on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© Champagne and Sparkling Wines, “All You Need To Know”

WineGuyMike

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2013 7:52


This week WineGuyMike™ writes all about all things bubbly for your New Year Celebration and understanding the differences between Champagne, Sparkling Wine, Cava, Prosecco, and Spumante.  In this post I am also suggesting sparkling wines in a variety of price ranges that offer the consumer value. What is the difference between Champagne and Sparkling wine?  Sparkling wines and champagne are still wines that have been infused with carbonation. True Champagne is made in France will be noted by the capital letter “C”on the label.  Other sparkling wines called Champagne will by designated as “champagne”, notice no capitalization. Three grapes are used in Champagne, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay.  It’s white because only the juice of the grapes is used.The four methods of Sparkling wine production:1. Carbon Dioxide Injection – soft drinks and inexpensive sparkling wines are produced using this method.  It produces large bubbles that dissipate quickly.2. Charmat Process – wine undergoes a second fermentation in large bulk tanks and is bottled under pressure.  Prosecco and Asti are produced utilizing this method, smaller longer lasting bubbles result from this method.  Many Sparkling wines are made using this method.3. Méthode Champenoise – this process takes place in the bottle and requires hands on attention.  During the second fermentation the carbon dioxide stays in the bottle and this is where the bubbles come from.4. Transfer Method – the cuvee is bottled for the second fermentation which adds complexity.  But the wine is then removed and stored in large tanks after it has spent the appropriate amount of time on yeast.Champagne:The Champagne region of France not only produces some of the finest sparkling wines in the world, but some of the finest wines in the world too.  Typically there are three grapes used in the blend for sparkling wines; Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.  Different vintages are used to create the blend or better known as the “Cuvee”.Champagne is expensive due to the traditional method of how it is made, Methode Champenoise and techniques known as second fermentation.  This process takes place in the bottle and requires hands on attention.Pink Champagne or sparkling Rose is strained through the Pinot Noir grape skins, truly a delight.  Methode Champenoise is the true French fermentation process.  The wine is fermented twice, once in an oak barrel, and the second time the wine developes carbonation in the bottle while aging a minimum of one year.Blanc de Blancs is true French Champagne, it is produced entirely from the Chardonnay grape.  Blanc de Blancs fermented using the Methode Champenoise process, producing white Champagne.Designations of quality:Prestige cuveeThis Champagne is the highest priced and is available only in small quantities.  It is designated “Prestige” because the grapes come from the best grapes from the highest rated villages, it is made from the first pressing of the grapes, produced only as a vintage, and will have been aged longer than vintage and non-vintage Champagnes.Vintage Champagne                                         Some select years produce an outstanding grape harvest.  The Vintage Champagnes are aged for at least three years.  Here are an example of a few companies who produce these Vintage Champagnes; Veuve Clicquot, Perrier-Jouet, Moet & Chandon, and Taittinger.Remember a Vintage Champagne will be identified by an actual year marked on the label, but expect to pay a premium for this.Non-Vintage ChampagneThe majority of Sparkling wine on the shelf of a store is non-vintage.  These are a blend of wines aged for two years.How to Select your Champagne:■Brut is Dry■Extra Dry is Semidry■Sec is Semisweet■Demi-sec is SweetQuality Champagne Cellars:Ayala, Billecart-Salmon, J. Bollinger, Canard-Duchene, Deutz, Charles Heidsieck, Heid sieck Monopole, Henriot, Krug, Lanson, Lauret Perrier, Mercier, Moet & Chandon, Mumm Perrier-Jouet, Joseph Perrier, Piper Heidsieck, Pol Roger, Pommery, Louis Roederer, Ruinart, Salmon, Taittinger, Veuve ClicquotAll things are not at equal when it comes to sparkling wines and Champagne.  So what makes all of these types of sparkling wines different?  The answer is how they are made, the type of grapes, and the yeasts that are used in fermentation and left behind in the bottle to age with the sparkling wines.There are 2-3 elements of wine that create aroma and flavor.  The first element is the fruit, and the second is the yeast used to ferment the wine.  Fruit and yeast combine during fermentation to produce aroma and flavor or sense of taste.  The third influence upon the wine in your glass may be from an oak influence during the wines aging process.Other sparkling Wine Regions:Loire Valley of France produces Crémant, while the Asti region of Italy produces Asti Spumanti, and Prosecco comes from the Veneto region.  The Catalonia region of Spain produces the world’s most popular sparkling wine, Cava.  Quality sparkling wines made in Italy are made by the Metodo Classico process or what the French refer to as Methode Champenoise.Prosecco is an Italian wine, generally a dry sparkling wine, usually made from grape varietyGlera, which is also known as Prosecco.  The Veneto region of Italy is where Glera/ Prosecco is grown and produced.Prosecco is mainly produced as a sparkling wine in either the fully sparkling (spumante) or lightly sparkling (frizzante, gentile) styles.  Prosecco spumante, which has undergone a full secondary fermentation, is the more expensive style.  The various sparkling wines may contain some Pinot Bianco or Pinot Grigio wine.  Depending on their sweetness, Proseccos are labeled “brut”, “extra dry”, or “dry”, with the brut being the driest.Unlike Champagne, Prosecco does not ferment in the bottle consequently the wine goes off or gets old quickly and should be drunk as young as possible, preferably within one year.Prosecco is Italy’s answer to refreshing, well-made, sparkling wine that is low in alcohol, about 11 to 12 percent by volume.  Created from predominately Prosecco grapes in the northern Veneto region of Italy in the foothills of the Alps.  Prosecco is light, affordable, and fun.  This Sparkling wine is aromatic and crisp, with nuances of yellow apple, citrus, pear, white peach, and apricot.  Today’s Proseccos tend to be  dry and very bubbly and typically will present itself as light, fresh, with an initial intense bouquet/aroma, but simple and straight forward compared to Champagne.Prosecco is made using the Charmat method rather than the Champagne method, the French method of making sparkling wine.  The Charmat method is a second fermentation in pressurized tanks rather than in individual bottles.  The shorter, tank fermentation is preferable for Prosecco because it preserves the freshness and the flavor of the grapes.Asti Spumante is a sweet sparkling wine.  It is produced in the province of Asti and made from the Moscato grape.  Spumante is a fruit forward sparkling wine that is grapy, and has a low alcohol content usually around 8%.  Moscato d’Asti is a sparkling wine that is frizzante in style and for my palette I find these wines to be more refined than the Asti Spumante.Cava originated in the Catalonia region at the in the late 19th century.  Originally the wine was known as Champaña until Spanish producers officially adopted the term “Cava” (cellar) in 1970.  Cava wines are fermented and aged in the bottle in underground cellars.   Today 95% of Spain’s total Cava production is from Catalonia.Cava is produced in different styles ranging from dry to sweet; Brut Nature, Brut (extra dry),Seco (dry), Semiseco (medium) and Dulce (sweet).  Under Spanish Denominación de Origen laws, Cava can be produced in six wine regions and must be made according to the Traditional Method with second fermentation in the bottle.  The grapes used to produce Cava are Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel·lo, Chardonnay, Pinot noir, and Malvasia.  The Chardonnay grape is a late comer to the scene despite being a traditional grape used to produce Champagne.  It was not introduced in the production of Cava until the 1980s.In order for the wines to be called ‘Cava’, they must be made in the traditional Méthode Champenoise.  Wines made via the low-cost Charmat process may only be called ‘Spanish sparkling wine’.   A rosé style of Cava is also produced by adding in small amounts of red wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha or Monastrell to the wine.Cava made by the Champagne method, is a very acceptable alternative to French champagne.  Cava is usually made by the Coupage method, whereby must, a.k.a.(grape juice) from different grape varieties is subjected to the first fermentation which is blended until it  is consistent with the wine that the winemaker wants to produce .  After the Coupage, the wine is put into bottles and yeast and sugar added.  It is then cellared for the second fermentation and aging.Crémant is produced in the Loire Valley of France and is the largest producer of sparkling wines outside of the Champagne region.  Crémant has to be aged for at least one year and it is handpicked.  The producers are also limited as to how much can be harvested, this all according to the French A.O.C.There are seven French appellations that carry the Crémant designation in their name:1.Crémant d’Alsace2.Crémant de Bordeaux3.Crémant de Bourgogne4.Crémant de Die5.Crémant du Jura6.Crémant de Limoux7.Crémant de LoireCrémant de Loire’s are a blend of the Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc.  In Burgundy, Crémant de Bourgogne, must be composed of at least thirty percent Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc or Pinot Gris while Aligoté is often used to complement the blend.  The Languedoc region in the south of France produces Crémant de Limoux.  This Sparkling wine is produced from the indigenous grape Mauzac, with Chenin blanc, and Chardonnay rounding out the wine in small amounts.The Crémant Sparkling Wines are pressurized less than Champagne and therefore have a larger looser bubble as a result.California Sparkling Wines:Sparkling wines from California use a few grape varietals such as Berger and Chenin Blanc to blend with the traditional Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes.Producers to look for in California; Hacienda, Domain Lauier, Roederer Estate, Domaine Carneros, Domaine Chandon, Codorniu-Napa, Iron Horse, Jordan, Mumm-Cuvee Napa, and Schramsberg.Remember the name “Champagne” can only be used in Europe on bottles that actually are produced in the Champagne region of France.As a consumer you now are empowered by the information WineGuyMike™ has shared with you in this week’s blog post.  I would like to wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year.From my table to yours,