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One of wine’s greatest moments?
‘…and then we’ll open a 1945 Graham’s I’ve been sat on a little while, what do you think?’.
Harry Ballmann
Mar 225 min read
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Somm to Somm: An interview with Restaurant Pine’s incredible Vanessa Stolz:
I get to know Vanessa Stolz, sommelier and front of house at 1 Michelin Star Restaurant Pine in Northumberland.
Harry Ballmann
Apr 15, 20245 min read
154 views
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Organics in England with Kristin Syltevik of Oxney Organic Estate
When it comes to visiting vineyards across Britain, you'll often find they're not always the most accessible places to visit. Most of the...
Harry Ballmann
Nov 8, 20236 min read
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Wine and the rest III: Food for thought, and back to the floor.
No Perello olives here… I’m very bad at sitting still. Beach holidays aren’t something I even entertain, I get bored shitless. In a...
Harry Ballmann
Oct 27, 20232 min read
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Wine and the Rest II: Seña, Summer (?) and mansplaining
*groans at the thought of the contents based on the aforementioned title* There are phenomenal people in the wine world, perhaps too many...
Harry Ballmann
Sep 10, 20233 min read
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Wine, and the Rest I: August 2023
Notes on Wine 1: August 2023
The first of Harry's written thoughts on the world of wine, Cépage, and everything in between.
Harry Ballmann
Aug 6, 20232 min read
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Thoughts from Champagne: lessons learnt, wines tasted, cultural discoveries. 2023.
Swathes of tourists disembarking into the humidity of the Champagne-Ardenne train station signalled what I thought was going to be a week...
Harry Ballmann
Jul 13, 202325 min read
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Thousands of Years of Drinking Together
I would be willing to argue that there is no drink more social and more ritualistic than wine. It is a cornerstone of society, past and...
Harry Ballmann
Feb 9, 20233 min read
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A chat with Masterchef Pro finalist, Yann Florio
At Cépage, we've worked with Yann a number of times, conjuring decadent, world-class wine and food pairings for private clients which...
Harry BALLMANN
Oct 4, 20223 min read
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Decanting Sparkling Wine
The approach of Cépage when it comes to wine appreciation is very much rooted in personal discovery and freedom. It has never been to...
Harry BALLMANN
Jul 27, 20223 min read
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The wine books I drink by
I spend a lot of time with my head in wine books. I rarely read for fun per se, but I possess a constant thirst, an ever present...
Harry BALLMANN
Jul 7, 20224 min read
209 views
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"In Vino Veritas" - Becoming acquainted with a future English wine icon, Hundred Hills
After a splendid afternoon wandering around the vineyard of Hundred Hills, situated deep in the Stonor Valley, Henley-on-Thames, I became...
Harry BALLMANN
May 5, 20227 min read
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Does the future sparkle for English wine?
Sommelier Donald Edwards of 1 Michelin Star La Trompette hosts a BYO (Bring Your Own) Lunch club. The theme of the inaugural luncheon was...
Harry BALLMANN
Apr 19, 20224 min read
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An interview with Fabien Daviaux of Champagne Chavost
As you probably know, we love Champagne Chavost at Cépage, and we're happy to shout about it. They don't make very much, so we're lucky...
Harry BALLMANN
Mar 9, 20223 min read
125 views
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London Corkers
Where can I bring my best bottles in the capital? There really are two sides of the same coin when it comes to corkage. It’s often about...
Harry BALLMANN
Jan 7, 20224 min read
287 views
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