The week in pictures

Veuve Clicquot’s London-based brand ambassador, Arthur de Lencquesaing, is poured Veuve Yellow Label Brut NV from magnum at the two Michelin-starred L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Covent Garden, where the fizz has recently become the official house pour. De Lencquesaing was keen to show db Veuve’s new prestige glasses, designed by a French glassmaker, that can hold up to 70cl of Champagne.

The event saw each dish devised especially to pair with a different Champagne in the Veuve portfolio. Among the most triumphant was the pairing of its Yellow Label Brut NV with caviar covered lobster jelly and cauliflower dotted with chlorophyll – an increasingly popular ingredient among the capital’s more daring chefs.

Sam Smallman from Rococo Chocolates and beer guru Rupert Ponsonby combined to offer an evening of beer and chocolate pairings. As well as this Duvel and white cardamon matching the evening served up Hogs Back traditional English ale and milk chocolate with salted caramelised almonds and rosemary, Innis & Gunn original ale with sea salted caramel ganache and Mr Trotter chestnut ale with Grenada dark chocolate.

As Bordeaux crus classés prices climb ever higher, representatives from across the UK trade shared their views on the commercial opportunity for Cru Bourgeois.

From left to right: Hal Wilson, MD of Cambridge Wine Merchants; Dirceu Vianna Junior MW; director of Coe Vintners; wine writer Stephen Brook; Laura Jewell MW, wine category development manager for Tesco; Francois Nony, vice-president of the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Medoc.

German wine labels may be a modern marketeer’s headache, but for shelf standout it’s hard to beat this one on show at a VDP Rheingau tasting in London this week.

The British royal coat of arms and renamed vineyard first appeared in 1850 following a visit by Queen Victoria and her husband Albert.

Hendrick’s Gin has created these suitably quirky tea cups. Not for drinking tea from of course – the brand’s  recommended “Midnight Tea Party” tipple is 40ml Hendrick’s Gin stirred with 1 teaspoon of strawberry jam and 2cm of diced cucumber then topped up with tonic water. Lewis Carroll would be proud.

Nino Franco’s harvest of Glera grapes gets underway in its Grave di Stecca Vineyard, Valdobbiadene.

Image credit: Sir Colin Hampden White

Danill Vashchilov celebrates the first birthday of his wine bar Victualler in Wapping. Specialising in organic, biodynamic and natural wines, the bar is thriving in a position where past entities have failed.

Image credit: Sir Colin Hampden White

Gavin Monery and Adam Green at London Cru opened their doors last week for people to have a peek at the first winery in London. Importing grapes from France and vinifying them in London, the team aims to produce wines which have great quality and come from all over Europe. Gavin Monery, has been making wine in his native Australia since 2000 and has made wine at Cullen Wines, Moss Wood and Jean-Louis Chave.

Image credit: Sir Colin Hampden White

Christian Seely, managing director at AXA Millesimes gave a fabulous tasting of Quinta do Noval and Quinta do Noval Nacional at Lutyens restaurant in London on Monday. Vintages were shown of each Port going back to 1994, the first vintage produced under Seely’s stewardship, including a “secret” Nacional ’04.

Image credit: Sir Colin Hampden White

Château Bone was among those showing its wines at the SITT tasting this week. Château Bone is the Jaubert family estate in the Côtes be Bourg and Christopher their son is based in London, where he has set up a new import business. His mother, Elisabeth, took a day out of her job as Ambassadrice at Petrus to come and help on the stand. Château Bone might be a world away from Petrus at only about £10 a bottle, but it certainly shows great quality.

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal officially opens a brand new bottling hall at Chivas Brothers in Paisley, which was opened to facilitate the hand-packaging of the company’s highest-value products, including those in the Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, The Glenlivet, Beefeater and Ballantine’s ranges, as well as some limited edition single malts.

Olmeca Tequila hosted a VIP party weekend, The Ibiza Night Assembly, at Pure Pacha in Ibiza featuring a special set from top French DJ, Martin Solveig.

As well as Saturday night’s special event at Pacha, the Olmeca Tequila weekend provided entertainment for 300 people at a luxury beach club and a number of hotels on the island.