Amuse-bouches: The latest restaurant news bites

In restaurant news this week: Dining out in the UK is predicted to fall by over a third in September, London wine bar Top Cuvée gets ready to open a shop, and a MasterChef: The Professionals finalist prepares to open a West African restaurant in October. 

biodynamic

New scores for 2020 to be published in May

Felton Road: Biodynamics takes seven years to be reflected in vineyard

While the conversion process typically takes three years, Blair Walter, winemaker at New Zealand’s Felton Road, believes vines require seven years to fully reflect the change to biodynamics, with the resulting wines becoming “more expressive of their site”. 

50% of Champagne Roederer’s estate now biodynamic

Half of Champagne Roederer’s estate is now biodynamic, with all the grapes for its prestige cuvée, blanc de blancs and rosé now farmed according to this practice.

“Sommeliers need training” on organic wine, according to Spain’s producers

Staff in the on-trade need “more training” on organically-grown wines to promote their quality, according to one third generation winemaker hoping to transform Spain’s approach to viticulture.