Saturday 4th September - Jermyn Street London.

On Saturday the 4th September you need to be in Jermyn street London to share this view and so much more!!

The Art of being British is a new event happening on Jermyn Street on saturday 4 September, between 12pm and 5pm. Supported by the Crown Estate, the event is designed to raise the profile of the Jermyn Street and St James's area, by focussing on the quintessentially British heritage of this part of London and highlighting it as a specialist shopping destination for bespoke clothing, wine, food speciality produce.

For the day Jermyn Street will become a traffic-free zone, with a display of vintage cars and a catwalk fashion show.

It is going to be a fantastic event, with loads of the retailers and restaurants doing some great things. Participants include Fortnum & Mason, who will host a tea making demonstration and then a high tea, Church's, who will be having bespoke shoemaking demonstrations out on the street, Paxton & Whitfield who will have cheesemakers on the street in front of their store, and be selling take-away cheese platters.

The Cavendish Hotel will be offering a complimentary hog roast, with proceeds going to the St James's Church and Links of London will raffle off some of their sterling silver pieces, whilst serving homemade lemonade and tea cakes.

The Ritz will have one of their chefs out on the street, giving cooking demonstrations, and Franco's will offer a value added champagne tea.

Other participants include Wilton's, Green's, Favourbrook, St James' Hotel & Club, TM Lewin, Thomas Pink, Alfred Dunhill, and Hackett.

Davidoff's contribution to the day will be to have the latest roller in the store:

Hamlet Jaime Paredes is classified as a 9th grade roller – the highest achievable grade and is able to roll every vitola (size and shape) within the Habanos SA portfolio.  His career a torcedor  began nearly twenty years ago at the legendary Partagas Factory in the heart of Havana.  During his time there he rose to the position of Second Chief of the Rolling Room before moving on to a high profile role in various Tobacconists in Havana.
In 2000 he was selected to conduct promotional tours around the world for Habanos SA and since this time he has visited Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Australia, Japan, China, Macau, South Korea, Indonesia, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Canada.
When he is not travelling he is based in the world famous Romeo y Julieta factory in Havana.

Entire Churchill archive to be published on line.

The BBC is reporting today that the entire archive will be available on line in 2012.

The archive includes over 1,000,000 pages of documents and private letters from the archive of the greatest Englishman of the 20th Century.

See the full story at the BBC Web site

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-10800829

There is Gold in the Cigar stores of London if you ask the right people.

If you visit London Cigar stores as we do on the Cuban Cigar Walk London, you will meet some of the most charming and knowledgeable people in the cigar business. Put yourself in their hands and revel in the delights you can discover.

When I recently visited small but wonderfully stocked cigar store in Selfridges on Oxford Street I met Magali who runs the store. Magali comes from Cuba and a trip to see her is always a pleasure because she knows so much about cigars.

  

We talked cigars for a while, and I always learn so much because Magali, like so many of her colleagues, is so giving of her wealth of knowledge and experience.

After a while we moved on to discussing Trinidad cigars which I had been introduced to by Edward Sahakian of Davidoff in Jermyn Street. 

Magali said that if I enjoyed the Trinidad Reyes I should really I search out the original gold banded ‘Fundadores’ made at the famous El Laguito factory. She said that in her opinion the taste and the blend were fantastic and that this was a cigar worth searching out if there were still some around. 

The old gold band with it's simple type can easily be differentiated from the current 'triple T' band design (see below)  

I headed off and after a hunting around a few stores I found my way to JJ Fox in St James’s street where I found in the walk in humidor a box of Fundadores that they were selling as singles. 

This is one of the great delights of London cigar stores, you can find some wonderful rare, aged cigars which you can sample rather than having to invest a weeks wages to buy a whole box only to find that they are not to your taste.

I was told by Jean at Fox that ‘those have got some real age on them because they aren’t a popular size, no one smokes them these days’. The bottom of the box had a date code for 1998 and the band and the code confirmed that they were from the El Laguito factory. I had struck gold, twelve year old gold!

A friend and I bought one each and retired upstairs to the sampling lounge to give them a proper sampling and what a great hour and a half that was.

To start with they smell just sensational and if you compare them with their younger brothers and sisters they are a good shade darker.

They are a truly wonderful cigar.  I was counselled to take my time and smoke slowly. The narrow ring gauge means the cigar can get over heated if you drawer like a much larger cigar. The first third was very light but as I moved into the second half it started to get more spicy and complex. This is by no means a strong cigar but it has all the subtlety and delights of the smaller Reyes but if you have the time it is so much more rewarding.

Having tracked down the cigar and enjoyed it so much I went back to some notes which Simon Chase of Hunters & and Frankau had sent me after a Trinidad tasting at Boisdale.  With his permissions I have included them here (shown in italics)   

Trinidad is named after the beautiful,  16^th Century city of La Santísima Trinidad, which lies on Cuba’s south coast and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The History of Trinidad

The Early days

Trinidad cigars were first released to the public at the beginning of 1998 in one size only, the Fundadores or Founders (7 ½”/192mm x 40 ring gauge). However, long before that Trinidad had earned a worldwide reputation amongst aficionados as Havana’s mystery cigar.

Production started in 1969 at El Laguito, the Cohiba factory, but only very small quantities were made exclusively for the Cuban Council of State, which gave them as gifts to foreign diplomats and visiting dignitaries.

These cigars, known unofficially as Trinidad ‘Diplomats’, were thinner than the Fundadores, in fact they were standard Laguito No. 1s like the Cohiba Lancero, but contained a very different, fuller flavoured, tobacco blend.  They remained completely unknown outside diplomatic circles until September 1992 when their existence was revealed in the first issue of the American magazine, Cigar Aficionado.

From then on Trinidads became the Holy Grail of cigar enthusiasts, if only because they were virtually impossible to obtain.  A few were tasted and some were auctioned for the Cuban Health Service in boxes signed by Fidel Castro at Cigar Aficionado’s Dinners of the Century in Paris in 1994 and London in 1995.  Then, in 1997, some of the diplomats, who had been privileged to receive them, tested their price at auction.  They were well rewarded when boxes of 25 Trinidad Diplomats sold first for £7,000 each and then, later in the year, for £10,000 each – that’s £400 per cigar!

Soon afterwards the Cuban industry decided that, if people would pay so much for Trinidads, the time was ripe to launch the cigar to the public.  A team was assembled at El Laguito under the factory’s Director, Emilia Tamayo, to prepare Trinidad for the market.  Its work was completed in November 1997 and the brand was launched in Havana in February 1998.

The Master Blender and his Blend

The key member of Tamayo’s team was Raúl Valladares, who is a Master Blender of tobacco.  In fact he is known as the ‘Maestro de Maestros’ (Master of Masters) in the Cuban cigar industry.

Raúl took the original essence of the Trinidad Diplomat and softened it to produce a blend that concentrated on the aromatic fragrance of Cuban tobacco with a distinct medium flavour.  Above all it has an approachable taste designed to please both the novice and seasoned smoker alike.

The Launch of Three New Sizes

At the end of 2003 three new sizes with a newly designed band were launched at a dinner hosted by Hunters & Frankau and Habanos SA at the London Hilton.  These were: the Robusto Extra (6 1/8”/155mm x 50 ring gauge), the Coloniales (5 ¼”/132mm x 44 ring gauge) and the Reyes (4 3/8”/110mm x 40 ring gauge).  All these sizes, like the Fundadores, are unique to Trinidad and cannot be found as standard sizes in any other Havana brand.

Raúl Valladares attended the dinner to ensure that the same blend he had created for the Fundadores was faithfully matched in all the sizes.  He was satisfied with the result.

The Move to Pinar del Rio

By the end of 2004 demand for Trinidad had outstripped the production capacity at El Laguito.  It was decided that the manufacture of all the brand’s sizes should be transferred to the Francisco Donatien factory in the heart of Pinar del Rio City.

It is here that Trinidad is made today within a few miles of the famous Vuelta Abajo plantations where all its tobaccos are grown.

Brand Notes - The Distinctive Pigtail

All sizes of Trinidad are distinguished by a twist of the wrapper on the cap, as is found on the Cohiba Lanceros and Coronas Especial as well as the Montecristo Especial and Especial No. 2.  However, Trinidad is the only Havana brand where all sizes have this distinctive pigtail.

So having learned so much about these great cigars and having smoked one it was about time to get a few for my humidor. Luckily a Facebook and Cigar Forum chum from Dublin also shares my passion for these great cigars and he managed to not only find a full box of 24 from 1998 but also a third person to split the box. 

Since then I have seen that two boxes were sold in the C.gars auction at a very good price (for the buyer). These great cigars are out there and if you go to the right stores and ask the right questions there is something old and magical waiting for you to try. You too can strike gold!

I must again thank Simon Chase of Hunters & Frankau for allowing me to use his notes on the history of Trinidad and also to Yiorgos Manesis for the wonderful pictures of our box before it was ‘split’

Rare Meerschaum pipes in London antiques market

Until recently I had not fully appreciated just how many people treasured and collected old pipes. 

Then I met Michael Clements who runs a regular stall on one of London's best known antique markets and he explained to me how old pipes are so prized by collectors and in particular the fantastic carved Meerschaum pipes made from the rare fine clay. 

The highest quality Meerschaum (from the German - sea spray) is only found in sufficient quantities in two places in the world. 

Craftsmen have long prized this fantastic material and carved the most incredible and ornate pipes.

Over many years, as the pipes are smoked they take on a beautiful colour as the tars from the tobacco infuse the fine clay. For this reason older pipes are much prized by collectors. 

Michael explained to me that in many cases the pipes are waxed when they have been finished so that different parts of the pipe colour at different rates.

This can be clearly seen on this magnificent  example where the hat and clothes of this figure have been waxed and the face has coloured as the pipe has been smoked to create the most wonderful contrast.

Many of the very finest examples of Meerschaum pipes come in their own beautiful shaped wooden boxes, covered in leather and lined with velvet to ensure these masterpieces have a long life.

The craftsmen who made these pipes produced many weird and wonderful creations and I like to think that if Keith Richards were ever in the market for a pipe he would beat a path to Michael's door for this particularly wonderful example. 

Michael is one of London's foremost pipe experts and his stall includes many old and collectable pipes. 

His stall is only open on a Saturday but if you would like more details on his regular stall please contact Nic Wing via this blog

Opening of another wonderful new smoking spot in London -The Terrace Garden, at the Langham, London

I was lucky to be invited to attend the opening evening of  what could well be one of my favourite London summer haunts. 

The compact and surprisingly peaceful Terrace Garden at the Langham in Portland place. The hotel is right opposite the BBC and a very short walk from Oxford Circus and the hustle and bustle of Regents street and Oxford street.

This great old Hotel is coming to the end of a major refurbishment and one of the final pieces in the jigsaw is the stunning flower lined terrace at basement level. As you head out to the terrace you will pass the compact Champagne bar and cocktail bar on the left.

Either inside or out this is going to be a great place to relax and take the weight off your feet after a prolonged shopping trip in the west end or after walking the Cuban Cigar Walk London.

It will also become one of London's favourite spots for a fine Cuban cigar and to top it all it's the ideal  destination for all major sporting events. Thinking about it I may well just move in!

Outside on the Terrace there are  rattan tables and chairs which nestle under huge umbrellas to shade you from the sun or possible a light English summer shower. 

The whole area is surrounded by greenery; shrubs, trees and planters giving it an almost colonial feel and a great place to take time over a cigar from the well stocked humidor.

Inside and the Champagne bar is replete with an excellent selection of Laurent Perrier Champagne. It also serves a wide range of cocktails and that cooling and moreish staple of every British summer event;  a jug of Pimms.

To top all of that it has large comfortable leather chesterfield chairs and settees surrounding a large plasma screen television which will show major sporting events while you make yourself comfortable.

I can’t think of a more civilised spot to watch the World Cup and they serve a fantastic meze platter which will keep you happy until full time.

The Hotel and cigar team have done some research to bring you a recommended quick half time cigar and something more substantial to smoke with a glass champagne to celebrate that all important victory. 

The sales team at Hunter & Frankau (the UK's importer of Cuban Cigars) have recently undertaken a rigorous few days of champagne and cigar tasting in order to provide us champagne and cigar lovers with the perfect match.

The results of their labours reveal that for a short break between sets or at half time the perfect cigar is a tubed H.Upmann Junior which you can just get through during half time if you put your mind to it. It combines beautifully with Laurent Perrier NV Champagne.

Assuming your team or favourite achieves a famous victory and you are heading out to the terrace for a celebration and with a little more time the recommended combinations are a Romeo y Julieta short Churchill with Laurent Perrier Rose champagne or a Cohiba Siglo VI with Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle champagne.    

To celebrate the opening of The Terrace Garden The Langham, are giving you the chance to win an evening on The Terrace but you will need to be quick as the competition closes on Friday 18th June. 

Cigar store Indian returns home after a 'holiday'

JJ Fox at the bottom of St James's street in London has a wonderful history and in it's long history has supplied to cigars to such famous figures as Sir Winston Churchill and Oscar Wilde. 

I recently visited the store and as I wandered in to the Humidor and spied a new friend standing on the left (see picture) 

The history of Cigar Store Indian's is a British tradition which goes back to the 17th Century. Cigar stores placed small wooden models of Indians or 'Virginie Men' on the counter tops which were supplied by the tobacco companies. The statues grew in size to be almost life size and were often placed outside the Cigar stores. 

I asked about his history and heard an amazing story. 

For many years the Indian had stood outside the store. Then on a Winters evening some 2 years ago someone rushed into the store to report that a drunken group had 'kidnapped' the Indian and were heading off with it.

A search of the area revealed nothing and the staff of the store resigned themselves to his loss.

Then about 2 months ago the store got a call from a customer who had been into a pub in Surrey and thought he recognised their Indian standing in the bar.

Bill who works in the store and who lives near-by dropped over to the pub one evening with a copy of a picture showing the figure standing outside the store.

It turns out that the Surrey Landlord had received a call from a friend who refurbished pubs. He was preparing to clear out an old Mayfair pub and wondered if there might be anything of interest before it all went in a skip. The only thing that took his fancy was the figure and he returned to Surrey where he took pride of place in the Bar.

Having established the statues bona fides the Landlord agreed to hand him back to JJ Fox and they arranged with a customer to collect it in his delivery van. 

So after his 2 year 'holiday' he is back in his rightful position.

So the question for our American friends is does anyone know where he originally came from?

On his base is painted the legend:

                  Stuckell's Cigar Store

                  Old honesty 5c Cigars 

Does anyone know where Stuckell's store was or is?

Is it still open or when did it close?

Now he is back in his London home it would be really great to know a little more about his origins and his original home State side.


JJ Fox and Robert Lewis is one of the four great Cigar stores on the route of the Cuban Cigar Walk London.

Spring at last?

I am delighted to report the first sighting of the first outside cigar of the Spring at the fantastic Bourdon House, the new home of Dunhill in London yesterday.

I sat beneath the brazier with my jacket off and no jumper and enjoyed the fantastic and almost forgotten experience of an out door cigar.

A Trinidad Reyes combined with a beautiful Cappuccino and as ever the most wonderful company.

Cigar smokers are almost exclusively great company and yesterday was no exception. I chatted for half an hour about classic cars and cigars with a guy who I only met because I sat down at his table.

If you are in London and it's warm there is no more charming spot for an out door cigar.

Hold on a few days and the staff may even be out of their body warmers!

Design your Own Cigar

I have just come across a wonderful 'backwater' of the La Casa del Habanos web site which allows you to design your own Cuban Cigar.

So here's mine, 220mm long, 40 ring gauge, straight with a traditional tail, colorado colour, medium strength and a classic band.

If you want to design your own cigar give it a try at http://www.lacasadelhabano.cu/site/content/view/32/63/lang,english/

Your suggestions will be gathered together and used as part of the process to decide on new cigars so who knows, in a few years you could be buying your design in one of the great cigar stores on The Cuban Cigar Walk London .

Brandy & Cigars in London. Sir Winston Churchill & Armenian Brandy on the Cuban Cigar Walk London.

Sir Winston’s Libations – Part 2 – Armenian Brandy

Walking around Mayfair and St James in London is one of the great pleasures of a visit to London. The Cuban Cigar Walk London visits four of the finest cigar stores in London and the Audio Guide also includes many stories of British Cigar history.

But no Cigar walk in London would be complete without including Sir Winston Churchill, the Greatest Englishman of the last Century, who bought his cigars from two of the stores on our walk (Alfred Dunhill and JJ Fox).

Churchill once said: “When I was younger I made it a rule never to take strong drink before lunch. It is now my rule never to do so before breakfast.”

In addition to Pol Roger Champagne Sir Winston was also partial to a glass of Brandy and it came from an improbable source.

Lunch and dinner at Chartwell was always accompanied by Champagne. Sir Winston was also fond of Port, claret, Scotch and brandy. As I mentioned in part one Pol Roger was his favourite Champagne house. Johnnie Walker Red Label was his favourite Scotch, and then there was brandy.

South African Prime Minister Jan Christian Smuts once brought him a bottle of South African brandy. Churchill sipped it and said, "My dear Smuts, it is excellent." And then added, "but it is not brandy."

“ I saw my father many times the better for drink – but never the worse’” Lady Soames

At the end of the second World War Sir Winston was at the Yalta Conference with the other Allied leaders and it was there that Joseph Stalin introduced him to ten-year-old Dvin Armenian Brandy and this 52% proof spirit quickly became the favourite brandy of the British wartime leader.

Stalin anticipated that the pungent, chewy Dvin would make a good match for Churchill's prolific cigar habit.

Among those who have sampled it I have read reports that “Dvin is unusually light due to its complex bouquet of vanilla tones, harmonious aroma of woody flavours with a strong hint of vanilla, suggestions of dried fruits and hazelnuts, and its fruity-caramel taste”

It is reputed that Churchill enjoyed Armenian Brandy so much that he asked for several cases of it to be sent to him each year. It is calculated that up to 400 bottles of Dvin were shipped to Sir Winston every year.

During my research for this article I came across a lovely article from Cigar Clan which combines tasting Armenian Brandy with three Cuban cigars; Punch Corona, Hoyo de Monterrey Churchill and a Montecristo No2 Torpedo. 

At this point I have to acknowledge the generous help of Edward Sahakian the owner of the Davidoff cigar store in St James’s street in London. 

Edward, himself an Armenian, brought this story to my attention and has provided some great photographs and a video from his own personal travels.

The history of Brandy making in Armania goes back to 1877 when a local Merchant and Philanthropist Nerses Tairyants started to produce wine and ten years later he expanded his production to include Brandy.

In 1898 Nerses Tairyants leased the factory and in 1901 became confident enough of his product to send samples to an exhibition in Paris. But he didn’t reveal the origin of his Brandy and the French tasters unanimously gave the Brandy a Grand Prize. In addition when the judges found out the Brandy was from Armenia they gave the distillery permission to use the name Cognac rather than Brandy.

Following a period of exhaustive testing Shustov’s brandy was honoured by becoming a supplier to the Russian Court.

There are a number of stories about the period of supply of Brandy to Sir Winston Churchill. It is reported that on one occasion Sir Winston noted a change in the quality of the Brandy and this was reported to Stalin. It turned out that the chief blender in the distillery, Margar Sedrakyan, had been exiled. 

On learning this Stalin had him reinstated so that Churchill could continue to receive brandy of a suitable quality. In fact, in recognition of his work Margar later received a medal as a ‘Hero of Socialist Work’

Today the Distillery produces 3 Brandies:

Noy Araspel 3 & 5 years old  

Noy Classic 7, 10, 15 and 20 years old

Noy Tirakal, 25 year old

“Brandy Noy Tirakal is a unique brandy which is reputed to be superb when drunk with dessert, fruits, tea, coffee and cigars!

One barrel at the distillery however is not for sale. Churchill's personal supply of Dvin still rests dark and cool where it has been for many decades. It is only rarely disturbed by the occasional privileged visitor.

Today tours of the EREVAN ARARAT distillery are available and visit the Distillery, Cooperage, Museum, and the catacombs which have been preserved as wine cellars from the  times of Farad Pasha.

The tour finishes with an opportunity to taste some of the distilleries product.

Edward Sahakian the owner of the Davidoff Cigar store in London visited the distillery and took this short video which contains a nice Churchill story.

As ever there are a wealth of Churchill quotes on the subject of ‘strong drink’ 

Field Marshal Montgomery told Churchill: “I neither drink nor smoke and am a hundred per cent fit” Churchill responded: “ I drink and smoke and I am two hundred per cent fit.”

Churchill was lunching with the King of Saudi Arabia who informed the Prime Minister that his religion forbade drinking and smoking. Churchill responded: “I must point out that my rule of life prescribes as an absolutely sacred rite smoking cigars, and also the drinking of alcohol before, after, and if need be, during all meals and in the intervals between them.”

However, we all have our favourite Churchill quote and this is mine, often quoted but none the worse for repeating once more

Labour Party M.P. Bessie Braddock once had the misfortune of accusing Churchill of drunkenness in public. "You're drunk!" she scolded. "Yes," he retorted, "and you are ugly, but tomorrow I shall be sober."

Champagne & Cigars in London - Sir Winston Churchill & Pol Roger on the Cuban Cigar Walk London

Sir Winston’s Libations – Part 1 – Pol Roger Champagne

On the Cuban Cigar Walk London we have taken great care to select the finest Cigar stores and combined our visits with wonderful history on sites on the route in Mayfair and St James’s together with a wealth of information on the history of Cuban Cigars in Britain.

We also include details of Sir Winston Churchill, the Greatest Englishman of the last Century, who bought his cigars from two of the stores on our walk (Alfred Dunhill and JJ Fox). But Sir Winston Churchill loved the good things in life and that included Pol Roger Champagne.

The Cuban Cigar Walk London passes Berry Brothers and Rudd in St James's street, the oldest wine merchants in central London. The business was established in 1698 by the Widow Bourne and the store has changed very little since that time.

 The shop front, which was built in the 1730s, is one of the few surviving 18th century shop fronts in London.

The stores wine cellars stretch beneath St. James's Street and Pall Mall. In 1852 the cellars had to be shored up for the Duke of Wellington's funeral due to the enormous weight of the funeral carriage.

In 1908 Sir Winston Churchill, at the time in the Cabinet as President of the Board of Trade, was a customer of Berry Brothers and records, including his earliest invoice show that at that time he was buying the 1895 Pol Roger vintage.

The  Champagne House of Pol Roger was established in the Epernay in 1849. Today it is one of very few family-owned independent Champagne houses. It has “a respect for nature, a devotion to quality and a certain joie de vivre”.

Pol Roger owns 87 hectares of vineyards on prime sites in the Vallée d'Epernay and the Côte des Blancs. Its cellars, extending to 7 km, lie on three levels in the chalk below the streets of Epernay and are among the deepest and coolest cellars in the region: contributing to the slow maturation and creation of fine, persistent bubbles which are the hallmark of all Pol Roger champagnes.

Sir Winston famously said  “A single glass of champagne imparts a feeling of exhilaration. The nerves are braced, the imagination is agreeably stirred, the wits become more nimble.”

In 1944 his long friendship with Odette Pol Roger the grand dame of the famous champagne house began. Sir Winston first met her at the British Embassy in November 1944. Churchill became Pol Roger's best, and certainly most influential, customer. Odette sent him a case of his favourite vintage (the 1928) for his birthday every year while stocks lasted.

Odette had a “merry smile, ebullient charm and love of parties, she had no trouble in fulfilling the task she set for herself - "to encourage people to enjoy champagne" - and she soon came to seem the sparkling embodiment of Pol Roger.” Reported the Daily Telegraph in her obituary.

When Sir Winston died in January 1965, as a tribute to their most loyal client, through whose cellar it is estimated more than 500 cases of Pol Roger had passed in the last ten years of his life, a black border was added to the labels of all bottles of 'White Foil' sold in the United Kingdom.

My favourite story about Odette Pol Roger is taken from her obituary published in the Daily Telegraph in December 2000.

She spent summers at her chateau in Normandy on the Andelle, one of the best trout rivers in France, to which she often invited friends from Britain. There was little that could distract her from the chance of a fine catch. "The other night," she told The Daily Telegraph in 1970, "I was in Paris, dining at the Embassy with Christopher Soames, and afterwards I got into my car and drove to Normandy.

"As the sun was coming up I was thinking of getting a bit of sleep when I looked down from my bedroom window and saw a huge trout in the stream which runs through the property. So I grabbed my rod and rushed down and caught him - still in my dinner gown. Well! Life must be enjoyed, no?"

I am a fly fisherman and after I read this article I made my way to Normandy and fished on the Andelle on a beat very close to the chateau and it is one of the most beautiful chalk streams in the world. For more details the Gourmet Fly Web site has full information and some wonderful pictures. 

In 1984, The Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill was launched made from a secret blend, and only produced in exceptional years, is a Champagne of exquisite finesse and balance and one that rivals the very best of the region. The grapes are all from Grand Cru vineyards which were under vine during Churchill's lifetime and it is only ever made in the very best vintages. It is made in a style which Churchill himself favoured: robust, mature and long-lived.

There are many great Churchill quotes and many associated with Champagne:

At the time of the first world war -"Remember gentlemen, it's not just France we are fighting for, it's Champagne! "

"In victory I deserve it, in defeat I need it." (he borrowed this quote from Napoleon)

"I am easily satisfied with the best"

"A single glass of champagne imparts a feeling of exhilaration. The nerves are braced, the imagination is agreeably stirred; the wits become more nimble. A bottle produces the contrary effect. Excess causes a comatose insensibility. So it is with war: and the quality of both is best discovered by sipping."

"Meeting Franklin Roosevelt was like opening your first bottle of champagne; knowing him was like drinking it."