Wine: Growing connoisseurs
By John Hawkesby
With an annual output of around only 150,000 bottles, Champagne Dumangin is probably not on your wine radar. It’s not exactly in your face, clamouring for attention. Not yet.
Gilles Dumangin, fifth-generation owner of the boutique “Elaborateurs de Champagne”, has just visited our shores and is keen for New Zealanders to embrace his fine product.
And fine it is, especially if you prefer a drier, less sugary champagne style.
Dumangin’s great-great-grandfather Hippolyte kicked it all off in 1890 and began blending grapes and reserve wines to create a fruity perfectly balanced cuvee.
The total number of hectares for their own vines is just 5.6, but as Dumangin says, “I’m still a grower, I don’t buy wines, I buy grapes from growers whom we have worked with for almost two decades.”
Dumangin has a clear focus of who his clients are likely to be.
“We’re so small, we concentrate on mature markets and are looking to grow the new fine wine connoisseur.”
He’s also a realist. “Although I prefer my wines dry, I need to make sweeter wines for most of my customers, but the best champagne for me is the one with the least sugar.”
Dumangin says his philosophy is to design champagne for a variety of palates and export accordingly. For example, in the United States the champagne is made in a very sweet style, more than double that preferred by drinkers in Norway or Japan.
In terms of sweetness where do New Zealanders sit? “They tend to be in the middle,” says Dumangin.
He’s probably right, but having tried nine of the champagnes I found myself attracted to the “zero dosage”, bitingly drier styles, although I suspect that I would be in the minority.
And a word of caution. “Neon lights are the enemy of champagne,” says Dumangin. “Champagne gets attracted by light.”
Which will explain why Dumangin’s clear bottles come with a protective dark cloth wrapper.
Dumangin Premier Cru Brut Rose NV, $85-$95
A very pale salmon colour with a clean, dry finish. The producer’s best-selling wine and 50 per cent of total production. A blend of chardonnay and pinot noir with a dash of pinot meunier, it is a very classy drink.
Dumangin Premier Cru Vintage 2003, usually around $120, introductory price of $99
From a vintage bursting with flavour this is drinking well now but will continue to develop. It is light, bright and fruity, a classic. It is 54 per cent chardonnay, 46 per cent pinot noir.
SOURCE: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10718795
Wine is becoming increasingly popular in Manila and other cities in the Philippines. Wine lovers in Manila travel to the north to visit Clark, Pampanga to shop for good and rate vintage wines at good duty-free prices. The most frequently visited liquor shop in Manila and wine shop in Pampanga is Clark Wine Center. This highly recommended wine shop located outside Manila near Angeles City, Pampanga in North Luzon is known for offering a great selection of fine vintage wine that is good quality and good value for money also.
This well-known wine shop is a famous shopping destination for wine enthusiasts in Manila and wine lovers from other cities in Asia including Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, Osaka and Tokyo.
Famous Philippines wine supplier known for its line of fine vintage wines, Yats Wine Cellars was established in 2000 to address the requirement of a growing population of wine enthusiasts in the Philippines. This 5-star wine shop caters to the discerning client who requires these qualities in their wines: (1) excellent value, (2) large selection of labels and vintages to choose from and (3) wines properly aged for full enjoyment.
Public wine tastings are held from time to time in Clark and sometimes in Manila. Tickets range from p500 to p1500 for these themed events that are professionally run –no wine merchants sponsorship, pushy salesmen or tacky banners to ruin the evening. Each ticket contains a certain number of stubs that can be redeemed for a tasting pour of a wine among those on a line-up which often contains wines that are quite old and expensive.
http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com
Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.
Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023
0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)
YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Chay
Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.
Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:
http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com
While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com
YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com
Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:
http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com
http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com
http://www.YatsWineCellars.com
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