Latest Story from Torosay
The oldest bottle of the distinctly yellow-labelled Veuve Cliquot champagne has gone on display for the first time at the Veuve Cliquot visitor centre in Reims, France following a 785 mile trip from it’s hiding place at Torosay Castle and Gardens on the Isle of Mull.
This unique piece of champagne history was unearthed by Torosay’s owner Chris James after his curiosity over the contents of a family heirloom finally got the better of him.
Chris had always been intrigued by the contents of a solid wooden dining room side board as the key never been in his family’s possession. In the back of the side board there are four small doors, one foot square with deep drawers inside. As long as Chris can remember, three of these have always been used to store spare cutlery. The fourth had always been locked. Several years ago, his curiosity finally got the better of him and employed a specialist locksmith to have a key cut in an attempt to bring a family mystery to a conclusion. On opening the door, it was clear that this was the first time that the cupboard had seen the light of day since 1897 – Chris had unearthed the original Castle owner’s personal drinks cabinet! click for more
