Champagne News
Quality of Champagne from a Philosophical Perspective
When we speak about Champagne we almost always tell each other about the supreme quality of this elixir. But what do we actually mean if we speak about quality? What IS the quality of Champagne? Maybe philosophy can give us the answer. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” (Margaret Wolfe Hungerford) If we…
Champagne: Vintage vs Non-Vintage
Firstly, let us understand the difference between vintage Champagne and non-vintage Champagne. When it comes to Champagne there are five important things to understand and each of them you will find on the label! Sugar Level – Sweetness Style – Grapes Age – Structure / Depth Cru – Quality Producer – Identity / Terroir From…
Champagne Lallier Réflexion R.019 Brut
The Champagne house of ‘Lallier’ dates back to 1906 with the founding gentleman being Réne Lallier. Today the winery is split in to two magnificent Champagne locations with the cellars in Aÿ and the Maison’s contemporary production facilities are held in Oger, Côte des Blancs. Cellar master Dominique Demarville leads today’s history for Lallier, alongside…
Book Review: Champagne ‘The Future Uncorked’
I first saw this book in question whilst I spent a leisurely afternoon back in 2018 with renowned Champagne connoisseur Michael Edwards as we enjoyed a bottle of 2010 Deutz Blanc de Blancs (a previous winner of The World’s Finest Trophy). Though a Champagne author himself, Michael was keen to let me know of a…
Dom Pérignon Champagne 2010
There’s sparkling wine. There’s Champagne. And then, as far as I’m concerned, there is Dom Pérignon. Sparkling wine is simply wine that contains bubbles of carbon dioxide gas. There are four methods of infusing the wine with bubbles, which I won’t bother with here and fizzy wine is made around the world. ‘Champagne’ has for…
Champagne Gardet advises on Vintage Rosé / Saignée Rosé
Many lovers of Champagne will be particularly interested in vintage labels and there are certainly many options to choose from. ‘How about rosé Champagne though?‘ we ask, surely we are preferring a more fresh (red berry) fruity expression over any deep, complex, toasty character? Though there might be a commonly used phrase in the wine…
Blind Champagne / Sparkling Wine Tasting Explained
Tasting and reviewing wine will most times take place without the need of a blind format in that you get to study the label, the colour in the glass, aromas and flavours. All these attributes are what are reviewed thus ultimately allowing for scoring / tasting notes. Next we approach judging of wines and this…
The Story of Bollinger Champagne
The story of Bollinger Champagne began with Athanase de Villermont, the youngest son of a noble family. He inherited an extensive estate from his family in the Aÿ area of France. He foresaw the potential of the wines of Champagne, but as an aristocrat, he was forbidden to become involved in the trade. Happily, he…
3 Champagnes for Valentine’s Day
If you’re looking for a special wine for Valentine’s Day stop by and take a look at these 3 classic and evergreen Champagnes! I offer you a selection of 3 sparkling wines perfect for celebrating this day of celebration with your partner. You will find a brief introduction, tastings and the best pairings, but you…