Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Wine Concepts Fire & Ice Champagne Festival

After a nap, Friday night saw us enjoying life at The Vineyard Hotel, where we enjoyed Wine Concepts’ annual salute to French Champagne. It was a busy and very social evening, with a chance to taste 18 Marques (brands) and at least two different champagnes on each stand. Many of the top names were there to enjoy. Lots of prizes were awarded to ticket holders, the band played great music and you could fantasise about driving and buying the two classic cars in the room. And The Vineyard supplied canapés throughout the evening
Managing Director of Wine Concepts, Mike Bampfield Duggan, reading out the prizes and the winning numbers
Veuve Clicquot always make a glowing show with their iconic yellow
Cocoafair had huge blocks of chocolate to taste
A classic V12 E-type Jaguar that had several of us drooling
Or a smaller, but equally enviable, MGB V8
Michelle Stewart pouring some Taittinger Rosé
Ruinart is not yet very well known in South Africa but is very good
Newly married and blissfully happy Mr & Mrs Dave Nel
Small cups of shrimp risotto topped with pea shoots
One of our favourite Champagnes; Morgan Delacloche pours a taste of Lanson Black Label
Here with Karin Visser and the Lanson rosé
Three to try at Nicolas Feuillatte. The one which wowed was the 2004 Palmes D'Or - it's the bottle with the dimples. Only R1560 a bottle. But did you know that Champagne improves with age? It so does
Sarah Revell with Renée Bampfield Duggan on the Ayala stand
Hey good looking! Tarryn Thomas with Louis Roederer and Ian Haggie with Benoit Lahaye
Or try some Jacquart in its summery “clothing”
Try the big bottle of Drappier? Roland and Jessica Peens of The Wine Cellar
Maryna Strachan of Wine Times enjoying her Champagne
Renée and Mike Bampfield Duggan at the end of a very successful Champagne Festival
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2015

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