Magnum bottles seem to occupy a strange place in the minds of wine lovers. They are harder to get, for one thing, and sometimes they suffer from a reputation as cheap, ostentatious and unnecessary. But, in some cases when it comes to wine, bigger sometimes really is better.
We all know that when it comes to wines, champagne always, somehow, manages to stand out. There are many reasons for this; it’s captured people’s imaginations in ways that few other wines have and become synonymous with celebration and good times.
But it all starts, of course, with how the wine is made. It’s a relatively well known that wines can only bear the mantle of champagne if they come from the Champagne region, but there is also a very strict, (and fascinating), method that goes in to making it.
One of Shanghai dining’s biggest challenges is finding foreign food that matches what you remember from home. Despite the amount of pizza and pasta you can find here, this applies to Italian food too. Which is why we wanted to talk to a local chef who’s bringing the cuisine of Italy, with a palatable homegrown flair, to Shanghai’s more discerning diners.
This Saturday is July 4th, aka Independence Day, aka America’s b-day. It’s the perfect excuse to celebrate by indulging in some cuisine from the U.S. of A. Whatever you think about their food, you can’t deny that it’s hearty, heavy and – often – pretty delicious. Check below for a list of some of America’s finest contributions to the culinary world; and a few ideas for the wines that we think will pair with them best.
Though you think you might know exactly how to open a bottle of Champagne, it turns out that you’ve probably not got it quite as right as you think.
Champagne is rightly associated with celebration, and if the occasion calls for it then we often like to pop bottles as dramatically as possible. But really, opening champagne the boring way is actually the preferred method. In fact, it’s better to slowly twist the cork out rather than letting it fly; if you do it right, you’ll hear a soft sigh rather than a loud pop.
If you’re looking for some pairings for when the sun isn’t out, check out our list of perfect rainy day food pairings here.
