Champagne & Sparkling Wine at The Derby
3rd June 2019
Fine dining and fizz run hand in hand with many major sporting events offering people the chance to enjoy a memorable sporting occasion whilst popping a bottle or two of bubbly. As a wine that very much signifies success and winning, Champagne is the perfect wine to enjoy if you can end your day by being on the winning side be it your team scoring more goals or you chose the right horse to back – For such hospitality rich days, bubbles feature high up on the order list for many.
If there is Champagne and sparkling wines on the menu then we at Glass of Bubbly love to be able to review and share our experiences with our readers and this includes live events, for this article we are going to run through our invitation to attend the 2019 Investec Derby in Epsom. This is one of the UK’s biggest sporting events and unquestionably one full of glamour and entertainment from enjoying the thunder of the horses’ hooves as they head towards the winning post to indulging in drinks from the many outside sponsors such as the Coates & Seely vintage bus (1952 British Leyland coach).
There is also the chance to enjoy The Moët & Chandon Terrace where you can indulge in Champagne NV brut, rosé along with their imperial range. We were able to taste the range to include their Champagne cocktail ‘Moet Marquise Fizz’ that consists of the rosé Imperial, Benedictine, lemon juice and honey syrup.
The fine dining really stands out at The Derby and this is thanks to The Jockey Club, the largest commercial horse racing organisation in the United Kingdom. Specialist food and drink catering supplier across the 15 Jockey Club Racecourses in the UK, Jockey Club Catering, set out an amazing choice of luxurious food and drink experiences during The Derby from Chez Roux Blue Riband restaurant to the contemporary marquee that holds the winning post restaurant serving a superb three course lunch along with afternoon tea.
We were able to review the dining experience at the winning post thanks to our invite from The Jockey Club and probably the busiest man of the day, Neil Phillips aka The Wine Tipster and The Racing Tipster. The moment you walk over the turf to the stunningly designed and laid out marquee you get the feeling of being important as cocktails and friendly staff await you. It’s surely one of the best places to be, right beside the finishing line on the inside track with ample outside area to watch the live racing with a glass of something fizzy in your hand. Complimentary drinks are served throughout the day from beer to wines with a selection of spirits – A mixologist is on site to prepare fine cocktails and Champagne / Prosecco (per bottle) can also be ordered as an upgrade.
Costs for Champagne / Prosecco:
Argeo DOC Prosecco – £42
Pannier Brut NV – £60
Moet & Chandon Imperial NV – £85
Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label NV – £95
Moet & Chandon Rosé NV – £110
Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage 2004 – £110
Moet & Chandon Brut Magnum NV – £165
Dom Perignon 2004 – £200
Krug Grande Cuvée NV – £220
Entertainment plays a key part during both Ladies Day and Derby day with the likes of skydivers, fairground rides, celebrity DJ after parties and more meaning all the family will be entertained throughout the day.
Christopher Walkey
Co-founder of Glass of Bubbly. Journalist and author focused on Champagne & Sparkling Wines and pairing them with foods.