The week in pictures

Neil Beckett, editor of World of Fine Wine, enjoys a regal moment as Piper Heidsieck CEO Cecile Bonnefond shows what the brand’s Japanese customers like to do with the golden resin decoration that adorns the base of its prestige cuvée, Rare. The evening saw cellar master Régis Camus confirm that there would be no Rare 2004, despite the quality of the vintage, as he had chosen instead to bolster the house’s reserve wine stocks.

Cognac houses large and small we’re on show at a London tasting hosted by the Bureau Interprofessionnel du Cognac this week. Among the issues discussed was the role of terroir as a tool for promoting the category.

The ever glamourous Eva Green officially launched the 2015 Campari Calendar, of which the Bond girl is the star, at London’s Shoreditch Studios which was transformed into a modern speakeasy for the event. The 2015 calendar is the 16th edition in the collection and is dedicated to celebrating Campari’s history and best-loved classic cocktails including the classic Negroni, created by Count Camillo Negroni in 1919, to the modern Campari Orange Passion – a contemporary spin on the classic Campari Orange.

Penfolds chief winemaker, Peter Gago, jumped on a plane to Dubai this week to celebrate the launch of the entire collection of Penfolds Grange, spanning from 1951 to 2010, going on sale at Le Clos at Dubai International Airport. He’s pictured here toasting with head of fine wine for the store, Oliver Dixon.

db had the pleasure of meeting ebullient and irreverent Austrian-born, US-based chef Wolfgang Puck at his London outpost, CUT at 45 Park Lane, this week, where he guided us through a tutored tasting of his five-strong wine range including jewel in the crown “Puck”, a California Cabernet made in collaboration with Schrader Cellars.

Canadian-born, Chile based winemaker Derek Mossman-Knapp of the Garage Wine Co popped into db towers this week to showcase his wines, which include Old-Vine Pale (far right), a Carignan blend made from old vines in Maule designed to be served chilled.

Primo Franco hosted a vertical tasting of his own Primo Franco Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG at the Nino Franco Winery in Valdobbiadene in Italy to mark the wine’s 30th anniversary. The eight wines on show ranged from a 1983 to 2013 vintage.

Members of the Society of Vintners at the Rioja Vega winery with Pablo Pavez (centre), the Chilean winemaker for Finca Albret and Rioja Vega.

Members of the Society of Vintners, made up of 28 independent wine buyers, travelled to Rioja last month to discover how state-of-the-art technology is transforming wine production in Rioja. During their stay the group visited El Coto on the outskirts of Logroño – the capital of Rioja – to see Garnacha grapes picked by mechanical pickers and enjoyed a tour of the winery of Albret in Navarra.

On top of an impressive wine line up ranging from England’s Wiston Estate to Burgundy’s Clos de Tart, visitors to the Corney & Barrow portfolio tasting could soak up this superb London vista from the top of Millbank Tower.

From Millbank, db hurried across town to St Bart’s Brewery, a recent addition to the growing pub portfolio of English wine producer Hush Heath Estate – and a welcome drinking hole for staff at the nearby St Bartholomew’s hospital.

Upstairs at St Bart’s Brewery we discovered a bar dedicated to English wines and spirits, including this new 1503 sparkling range from Hush Heath, which is designed to offer a more approachable style and price point than its top end Balfour label. 

Chivas Regal launched its first new expression in seven years at the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes last week. The Chivas Regal Extra will launch March 2015 in the Travel Retail sector. An exclusive launch event was hosted in Cannes where guests were treated to a live session by the Noisettes.

While world pastry champion Jérôme de Oliveira expertly prepared sweet treats for the crowd, including this flaming creation.

db’s deputy editor, Lucy Shaw, drew the short straw this week and had the terrible task of rum tasting in Barbados.

Staying at The Coral Reef Club, before any neat rum was tasted, there were Piña Coladas aplenty to be had…

Residents of the tiny island of Bequia seem to be fans of Heineken, with the brand gracing many a bar front.

At St Nicolas Abbey distillery in Barbados, which won Best Distiller at Rumfest 2012, we were lucky enough to try both its 10 Year Old and 15 Year Old offerings, both of which boasted notes of vanilla, toffee, caramel and toasted almonds. The distillery is nestled in a Jacobean house dating back to 1658.

And finally… we were rather taken with the distillery’s mascot – salmon pink cockatoo Lance, who kept saying hello and impressing us with his pastel-coloured plumage.