The House of Pol Roger and its link with Churchill


1 §j murdoch


1 wme 1 mike


SIR Winston became a customer of Pol Roger for the first time when as a Cabinet Minister and President of the


! Board of Trade he placed an' order for the 1895 vintage. Churchill, as First Lord of the


:• Admiralty retained his loyalty to the House, but it was his passion for this Champagne that he had a lifelong attachment to Pol Roger. During the dark days of the second world war he had


: Pol Roger bottle for him in Imperial pints rather than the usual bottle size, Churchill maintained permanent stocks of P o l. Roger. Even having a . case loaded onto flights . into foreign war zones.


■The Allied troops, after the liberation ■


• of Epernay and France had special stocks of Pol Roger labelled and reserved for their use. Churchill famously said "We are not just liberating France but we are liberating Champagne!" It has been


said that Churchill consumed a bottle of Champagne before making most of his important decisions during the war. He said that "in defeat I need it, in victory I deserve it". Churchill never visited the


House himself, due to the intense pressures of work, . but he described Odette's house as "the world's most drinkable address", at 44 Avenue de Champagne in . Epernay. After the war the two families became very


■ close and Churchill insisted on Pol Roger being the only


■ Champagne served at the Council of Europe meeting


Another view of the Coniston Hotel grounds.


in 1949, he even named one of his racehorses "Pol Roger" and it galloped to victory at Kempton park in 1953. Churchill died in January ■ 1965. As a tribute to their


; loyal client, through whose cellar it was estimated that some 500 cases had been sent in the previous 10 years. Pol Roger added a black border to their famous White Foil sold in England, as a mark of respect, it was to stay that way for 25 years. It was then lightened to a navy blue in 1990 to reflect Churchill's


for all tastes


WHETHER it's coffee and cake with friends, an important business lunch or a family celebration, you'll . be surrounded by breathtaking sights and elegance at the Coniston hotel near Skipton. As you walk into the exquisite new


Huntsman's Lodge its centrepiece, a roaring open fire, draws you in before your attention turns to the glass wall, with the sun terrace overlooking the 24-acre lake and far-reaching views of the Dales. Whether it's a snack or hearty


meal, this new addition to the hotel. can cater for all in A relaxing lounge atmosphere. As you sink into the comfortable


sofas the only diffculty is deciding which tempting menu to order from. Along with a choice of salads and sandwiches or omelettes made to your requirements, the lunch menu offers flavours of the Coniston estate and beyond.


Oak smoked salmon in whisky


casks and home-made soup are among the starters, along with favourites sirloin steak and Timothy Taylor's beer battered fish, both served with home-made chunky chips and the traditional accompaniments. Save room for delights like sticky


toffee pudding with Yorkshire parkin ice cream. Or why not try an afternoon tea, with the sweet treats


'made by the hotel's well-known pastry chef jimmy Fitton. Yet if your visit tq Coniston is simply for coffee,) Jimmy's home-made biscuits are a must The tapas menu includes Conistoi


salmon and prawn fishcakes, pan­ fried kidneys on toasted muffin and grilled queenie scallops, gruyere cheese, wjiite wine with crusty tomato bread. The signature menu is served in


the newly refurbished Madeods restaurant at £29.95 per person.


r a t *


loyalties to the senior service as a former First Lord of the -. Admiralty. ■; 1 ■ ; ■ In 1975 a special cuvee


or blend was created and named "Cuvee Sir Wnston Churchill" but was not released until 1984 at Blenheim Palace. Since which time it is only produced in exceptional years and in very small quantities, having been . matured for at least 10 years in the cellars. The cuvee is . dominated by Pinot Noir but the exact composition is a closely guarded secret, perhaps befitting to the great , man and a tribute indeed.


One of the lovely bedrooms at The Coniston Hotel


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