Summer truly begins when the gates open on the first race of the Möet & Chandon July Festival at Newmarket Racecourse. These three days of world-renowned racing and fashion are a must for any racing fan. Here, The Wine Tipster shares his advice for a memorable July Festival so read on for top quality wine recommendations, food pairings, celebration ideas and racing tips whether you are marking the festival at home or in person.

Thursday 8th July is Ladies Day

The Official Racecard will be available the day before each raceday so you won’t miss any of the top quality racing. On Thursday, The Wine Tipster is especially excited for the

Big Race Entries of the day will all be covered by Racing TV and include:

• 1.50 1m 5f (July) Bahrain Trophy Stakes (Group 3) (3yo) ITV3
• 2.25 6f (July) Tattersalls July Stakes (Group 2) (2yo Colts & Geldings)
• 3:35 1m4f (July) Princess Of Wales’s Tattersalls Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (3yo+) ITV3

To make the most out of your day at the races, download the free Jockey Club App to access mobile tickets, exclusive content, competitions and the chance to win prizes in the Raceday 5 Game.

Alongside the breath-taking racing, the racecourse becomes a catwalk of the best style and fashion of punters. The Style Awards celebrates the bold and the elegant outfits of you and your friends and family, and is the chance for you to win an amazing array of prizes. Show off your creativity and originality at the Style Marquee in the Grandstand & Paddock Enclosure to enter. Good luck!

Friday 9th July is Gentleman’s Day

Big Race Entries of the day will all be covered by Racing TV and include:

• 2.25 6f (July) Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2) (2yo Fillies) ITV3
• 3:00 1m6f (July) Trophy (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (4yo+) ITV3
• 3:35 1m (July) Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Fillies & Mares) (Class 1) (3yo+) ITV

When you’re not focused on the races, the hospitality available at racecourses is always second to none. This industry is coming back with a passion after the pandemic, with exciting and innovative cuisine gracing the enclosures this year.

This year, The Wine Tipster will be presenting in the Summer House Restaurant in the Premier Enclosure. This restaurant is a tasteful retreat from the busy raceday, and features an exquisite menu from the Executive Chef, Damian Adams. Having worked together for many years, The Wine Tipster admires Damian’s passion for food and his ingenious modern twists on traditional dishes. Don’t miss The Wine Tipster in action at the Summer House Restaurant!

If you’re looking for a walk-in hospitality experience at Newmarket, Mozart’s Bistro is an open-air restaurant with impressive lunch options that are quick enough to get you straight back out into the action. This year’s menu features some great bites from the sea and the grill as well as vegan options, created by Head Chef Damian Adams.

Saturday 10th July is Darley July Cup Day

The Darley July Cup is one of the most valuable and prestigious Group 1 sprint races in the world. Winners are known as the best sprinter in Europe so this day really isn’t one to miss. The July Cup was first run in 1876 and has a reputation as one of the most stylish events of the horse-racing calendar. The roll call of previous July Cup winners is so impressive and worth checking out before watching this year’s horses making history in the day’s top races:

Big Race Entries of the day will all be covered by Racing TV and include:

• 3.15 7f (July) Superlative Stakes (Group 2) (2yo)
• 3:50 7f (July) Bunbury Cup (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (3yo+) ITV
• 4:25 6f (July) Darley July Cup Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Class 1) (3yo+) ITV

The July Festival At Home

If you haven’t got a ticket this year or are still enjoying sports from home you can still be a part of the action of the July Festival. You can watch the races on ITV Racing and Racing TV, and don’t worry about missing a thing because Racing Replays are available 20 minutes after the winner crosses the line!

If you’re celebrating virtually with friends and family, why not download a July Festival Virtual Background and relive all the great action from the meeting!

Fizz is a must for the Möet & Chandon July Festival, and The Wine Tipster’s top fizz favourites should see you through the meeting. Although fizz is a celebratory drink, it can be a lot more accessible, affordable and available than you might think.

Champagne, of course, is a must for the July Festival, and what else but a bottle of Möet & Chandon Impérial, the house’s iconic champagne. This wine’s elegant maturity and bright fruitiness have made it a classic since its creation in 1869. This is a timeless wine which works on its own to celebrate the big wins, or as a pairing with sushi, a creamy or rich dish, or seafood platter.

For a touch of pink, the Möet & Chandon Rosé Impérial is another classic for any raceday. With juicy berries and peaches on the palate, this is a lively bottle you won’t be able to resist with a colourful summer salad, lightly grilled steak or a shellfish bisque.

Treat yourself to a Champagne Cocktail this Newmarket. The Wine Tipster will be trying out the Golden Hour from Möet & Chandon. This fruity cocktail is inspired by the delicate scents that float on the air at sunset. Here’s how to make one:

• Cut 1 strawberry, 2 raspberries and 3 blueberries and add to a large glass. Gently press them with the back of a spoon
• Add 10ml Creme de Peche Liqueur and 5ml Maraschino Liqueur
• Top up with 75ml Möet & Chandon Brut Impérial, stir and add ice
• Garnish with a sprig or two of mint and some extra berries

Balfour Chardonnay Ortega 2020 Hush Heath Estate, Kent, England (£13 Marks & Spencer) is a Group 1 dry, elegant blend of Chardonnay and Ortega. The 2020 vintage is the best yet and a must try this July Festival.

Fonte do Nico Adega de Pegões Rosé 2020, Portugal (Waitrose £7.99 on offer to £5.99). This is incredible value at £7.99 and on offer too! Beautiful, light, rosé bursting with summer fruits. Portugal does it again.

Beaujolais Village Louis Tete 2020, Beaujolais, France (£12.50 with Multibuy £11.25 The Great Wine Co). Vibrant, fruity summer red that can be served lightly chilled. Beaujolais is so underrated and The Wine Tipster has been a fan of the Louis Tete wines for years.

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A quintessential summer picnic is top of the list for The Wine Tipster this July Festival. He can’t wait to shop local for scones, strawberries and salad to accompany Frazer Wilson’s, Culinary Director of The Jockey Club, perfect Pressed Picnic Sandwich. The Jockey Club website is also full of delicious recipes to elevate your picnic to the next level!

Now it wouldn’t be Newmarket without some famous Powters Sausages. The Newmarket recipe dates back to the 1881 and has stayed in the family ever since. The distinctly peppery taste of the sausage and its award-winning quality saw it recognised with EU Protection in 2012. This means only three local companies can produce official Newmarket Sausages! Get your hands on some here to really bring Newmarket home with you.

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Share how you’re celebrating the Newmarket Möet & Chandon July Festival with The Wine Tipster on Social Media, and follow him for daily updates and Unibet Racing blogs, and subscribe to get his next blog straight to your inbox. Cheers!

As ever, it was an honour to join members of the Champagne Academy at The Law Society, London for their Annual General Meeting on the 6th February, where they elected a new Chairman, Kevin Skeet of Legacy Hotels and Resorts. Kevin takes over from Philip Amps, of Amps Fine Wines, who steps down having served his one year tenure. Champagne Pommery will act as Presidential House for the next twelve months, a role which rotates between the houses each year.

The Champagne Academy is a unique collaboration between sixteen Grande Marque Champagnes who wish to educate the brightest and best members of the wine and hospitality trades in the UK and Ireland on the subject of Champagne. They select sixteen candidates each year to attend an in-depth course which is unique in the industry, taking place over the course of a week spent in the region. The course provides unprecedented access to the people, places and wines of Champagne, as well as opportunities to build personal connections that last a lifetime.
The 2017 course has seen a record number of applications from across the wine and hospitality sectors, in a sign of the growing recognition of the importance of the Champagne Academy course.  The names of the sixteen 2017 Champagne Academy candidates will be released in the coming days.

Following the AGM, Champagne Academy members and their guests were treated to a rare tasting of vintage Champagnes from the sixteen Grandes Marques, many served in magnum.

Bollinger 2007, Charles Heidsieck 2005, Veuve Clicquot 2004, Krug 2003, Lanson 2005, Laurent- Perrier 2006, Moët & Chandon 2008, Heidsieck Monopole 2009, G.H.Mumm 2006, Perrier-Jouët 2007, Piper-Heidsieck 2006, Pol Roger 2006, Pommery 2006, Louis Roederer 2009, Taittinger 2009 and Ruinart Blanc de Blancs.

For more details regarding the course contact Val Simpson champagneacademy@yahoo.co.uk
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Photos courtesy of Mark Fagan and Glass of Bubbly.

Jockey Club Catering spent the day illustrating the diversity and quality of its offering at the fifteen Jockey Club racecourses around England at their Showcase Day held at Epsom Racecourse last week. The day aims to promote and educate, highlighting new innovations in all aspects of the racecourses to members of the Jockey Club Racecourses and sponsors and guests.

The Jockey Club Catering teams from each of the racecourses presented their wares showcasing wonderful concepts including the Sensory Garden, the local larder including cheeses from producers all near to a local racecourse and the new exciting retail concepts. This included a new Prosecco Bar in conjunction with Bisol and Bibendum with the following Proseccos on taste: Belstar Prosecco DOC Brut, Jeio Prosecco Superiore di Valdobbiadene DOCG Brut and Cru Vigneti del Fol Prosecco Superiore di Valdobbiadene DOCG Extra Dry. In addition, there was a stunning fountain filled by Magnums of Moët et Chandon at the evening event.

As MC for the day, The Wine Tipster presented the Jockey Club Catering Wine List, which highlights the best of British in addition to a stunning selection of New and Old World Wines.

There was an intense and exciting Ready, Steady Cook Competition between the four Jockey Club teams of London, East, West and North. In the half an hour allotted the teams produced a broad array of beautifully produced dishes, with no previous knowledge of the ingredients available. The London team just came out on top in a very tight and entertaining competition.

One of the highlights of the day was the College Chefs Competition where 3 teams of 6 young chefs from South Thames Catering College were challenged to create a grazing menu consisting of 2 starters (1 veggie), 2 mains (1 veggie), 1 dessert, to serve a total of 50 guests. The winners were invited up on stage to receive a voucher each as well as a copy of Michel Roux Jr’s latest book, The French Kitchen. These young stars will also have the opportunity to work at Epsom in the near future.Albert and Michel Roux Jr have a long standing association with Jockey Club Catering and The Wine Tipster was given the opportunity to chat with them after the competition. He posed many questions delving into their interest in racing as well as top advice for aspiring chefs and trends in the food they are cooking both at the racecourse restaurants, their own restaurants and at home. The Wine Tipster was hoping for an invitation to Sunday lunch! It was wonderful to part of such a collaborative and exciting day reinforcing the joys of a day out at the races. You can enjoy a flavour of the day in this fantastic video

The Wine Tipster is aiming to finish 2016 on a high and will be busy over the festive season at Kempton, Warwick and Cheltenham. The Winter Festival at Kempton takes place on Boxing Day and December 27th featuring high class Grade 1 racing, entertainment for all and lots of festive cheer.

The Boxing Day meeting features three Grade 1 races including the Festival’s flagship race, the 32Red King George VI Chase which has been won by greats such as Desert Orchid, Best Mate, Kauto Star and, most recently, Cue Card, who must have a great chance of following up last year’s success. As ever, you can follow his tips in Racing Plus, with Boxing Day’s selections in the Christmas Eve issue. More information about The Winter Festival can be found here.

Start your New Year celebrations early at the very popular Warwick racecourse on New Year’s Eve and catch up with The Wine Tipster for some food, wine and racing chat. On New Year’s Day, join the first day of ITV’s racing coverage at Cheltenham. This signifies the beginning of an exciting new period and I wish all the best to the presenters and all the team.

Across all the Jockey Club courses you can sample a great selection of excellent wines including English wines from the Best of British Selection. Highlights include Nyetimber Classic Cuvée from Sussex and Chapel Down English Rosé from Kent. Other favourites include Château Leoubé Rosé, Catena Appellation Vista Flores Malbec, Brunello di Montalcino, Castello Banfi, Masut Estate Pinot Noir from California as well as some great Champagnes especially the Moët & Chandon vintage for a celebration.

Wherever you are over the festive season, go and enjoy some fantastic racing!

Merry Christmas.

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