DRINKERS at two of the North East’s most popular venues can now enjoy superior wines and Champagnes by the glass, thanks to a revolutionary new system.
Both The Northumberland Arms, at Felton and The Blackbird at Ponteland are renowned as much for the quality of their wines and beers as they are for their multi-award-winning menus.
And a new preservation system has enabled both to, not only widen their range of wines and Champagnes, but to sell many of their more expensive ones by the glass and not just by the bottle.
The Verre de Vin system reseals and preserves wine and Champagne for 21 days by resealing opened bottles in less than five seconds.
With still wines, it creates a precisely controlled vacuum within an open bottle of wine, slowing the process of oxidisation and guaranteeing the wine remains in perfect condition.
And, with sparkling wines and Champagnes, the Verre de Vin system operates by introducing a precisely calibrated infusion of CO2 into the opened bottle.
This creates a pressure equilibrium, preventing any escape of CO2 from the wine itself without affecting the taste or composition, again for 21 days.
This means that customers at each venue can treat themselves to a glass of Champagne Tattinger Brut Prestige Rosé, for example, at £18, without having to spend £90 buying the whole bottle.
“By extending the life of a bottle of wine and preserving it in perfect condition, we are virtually eliminating waste,” said Stuart Young of Northen Bar Management which owns both venues.
“So, we have extended our range of red, white, rosé and sparkling wines – as well as our Champagnes – considerably, giving the customer more choice than ever before.”
The new wines – described as Best in the menus at each venue – include French whites and rosés and whites and reds from Portugal, Spain, Italy, Australia and New Zealand.
There are two wines from Sea Change – a rosé and a white – which donates a proportion of each bottle sold to fund vital ocean conservation projects.
And for connoisseurs of British wine, there is a Folc English Rosé, sourced from vineyards across Kent, Suffolk and Sussex.
For more information about each venue, or to book, visit www.northumberlandarms-felton.co.uk or www.theblackbirdponteland.co.uk