A visit to Champagne Michel Gonet

Champagne Michel Gonet is a producer founded in 1802 and now boasts a long family tradition of having seven generations producing their wines. The main house sits on 37 Avenue de Champagne where members of the public can visit and have a tasting of their wines, the family owns a total of 40 hectares and the main winery is located in Avize. Today, Sophie Signolle-Gonet, the daughter of Michel, runs the business though Michel can still be found walking round the premises and meeting guests.

Now their wines are really a worthy discovery for any Champagne lover, I simply love their vintage range which are bursting with life and showing great complexity and smooth / creamy tasting experiences with honey and brioche plus yellow stone fruits most notable expressed. There range includes grand crus, vintages, reserve wines and more with each expressing a unique style.

Champagne as we now know today pairs very well with many foods so I thought I’d ask Michel and Sophie about some great wine and food pairings from their winery:

“Our 2002 magnum we recommend veal with a mushroom source. our 1998 vintage goes well with meat and mushroom dishes. The 2001 millesime is great with fresh shrimps and caviar.”

It was a great pleasure to sit on the grounds enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of Avenue de Champagne sat with Michel Gonet himself and Sophie his daughter enjoying some of their fine vintage Champagnes. I took advantage of the moment by asking Michel one of the popular questions we ask at Glass of Bubbly and that was:

Where is the most memorable place you have enjoyed a glass of your Champagne?

Too many good places over the years, I am lucky. Let me think… Best memory must be at school.

At school? Really!

It was at school many years ago with my friends when my grandfather gave me a case of Champagne at 12 years old which I put under my bed. My friends knew I had a case placed secretly there and this is the best memory of drinking Champagne.