Champagne Dreams!
- Dec 10, 2010
I personally have been anticipating this classroom for more than a month. When the day finally arrived I was as giddy as a little school girl.
To say I love Champagne is an understatement. If someone asked me if I were stranded on an island what three things would I bring?
My answer would be Champagne, Champagne, and more Champagne!
I know one could not live on Champagne alone but it would make my days on that island so much more enjoyable.
As a child, I have many fond memories watching my parents and their friends sipping on champagne on New Year’s Eve, Sunday Brunches, Weddings and Birthdays. Us kids were never left without. They always made sure we had a bottle of the de-alcoholized fizzy variety for us to participate in their celebrations. I never knew the difference until I had a taste of the real stuff on my 19th birthday. I hated it. At first it was too dry and the bubbles made me sneeze. What a difference a few years makes. Now I love Champagne. I can’t imagine a celebration without it.
When I had the opportunity to plan a tasting around Champagne, I could hardly wait to share my love and passion for the product. Tonight’s class was sold out and there had been many inquiries on it so I will have to do this again!
The class started out with a history lesson. Many of our guests had no idea that Champagne had been around since the late 1660’s, or that there is a debate on where Champagne was created. Some say it was the French and some say it was from the Brits’. Who’s to say really, all I know is that I’m thankful that it exists.
We discussed the different grapes and styles used to produce the Champagne. There was also a lesson on how to decipher a Champagne label. Finally after we went through the technical jargon, we dove into trying the Champagnes. I chose wines that I hadn’t heard much about unlike Dom Perignon, Veuve Clicquot and Cristal. Instead I wanted to give the lesser known Champagnes a little bit of our Vintage Room Spotlight:
Pol Roger 1999 Brut Blanc de Blancs $85.99 Awarded 93 pts from Wine Spectator
Henriot NV Brut Souvrain Champagne $67.99 Awarded 94 pts from Wine Enthusiast
Gosset Celebris 1998 Extra Brut $139.99 Awarded 90 pts from Wine Spectator
Billecart – Salmon NV Brut Champagne Reserve $84.99 Awarded 91 pts from Wine Spectator
Cedric Bouchard Inflorescence NV Blanc de Noirs $89.99 Awarded 92 pts from Robert Parker
When the bubbles had finished and the class had emptied, all I could think of was how different one Champagne was from another. It was a wonderful line-up that showcased how every Champagne House has achieved to be different from their neighbor. I have to say it was an amazing class of good Champagne, great people and affirmed my love for the bubbles!
-Almira Spiller
PS: Did you know that Everything Wine has over 130 varieties of sparkling wine in stock?
To say I love Champagne is an understatement. If someone asked me if I were stranded on an island what three things would I bring?
My answer would be Champagne, Champagne, and more Champagne!
I know one could not live on Champagne alone but it would make my days on that island so much more enjoyable.
As a child, I have many fond memories watching my parents and their friends sipping on champagne on New Year’s Eve, Sunday Brunches, Weddings and Birthdays. Us kids were never left without. They always made sure we had a bottle of the de-alcoholized fizzy variety for us to participate in their celebrations. I never knew the difference until I had a taste of the real stuff on my 19th birthday. I hated it. At first it was too dry and the bubbles made me sneeze. What a difference a few years makes. Now I love Champagne. I can’t imagine a celebration without it.
When I had the opportunity to plan a tasting around Champagne, I could hardly wait to share my love and passion for the product. Tonight’s class was sold out and there had been many inquiries on it so I will have to do this again!
The class started out with a history lesson. Many of our guests had no idea that Champagne had been around since the late 1660’s, or that there is a debate on where Champagne was created. Some say it was the French and some say it was from the Brits’. Who’s to say really, all I know is that I’m thankful that it exists.
We discussed the different grapes and styles used to produce the Champagne. There was also a lesson on how to decipher a Champagne label. Finally after we went through the technical jargon, we dove into trying the Champagnes. I chose wines that I hadn’t heard much about unlike Dom Perignon, Veuve Clicquot and Cristal. Instead I wanted to give the lesser known Champagnes a little bit of our Vintage Room Spotlight:
Pol Roger 1999 Brut Blanc de Blancs $85.99 Awarded 93 pts from Wine Spectator
Henriot NV Brut Souvrain Champagne $67.99 Awarded 94 pts from Wine Enthusiast
Gosset Celebris 1998 Extra Brut $139.99 Awarded 90 pts from Wine Spectator
Billecart – Salmon NV Brut Champagne Reserve $84.99 Awarded 91 pts from Wine Spectator
Cedric Bouchard Inflorescence NV Blanc de Noirs $89.99 Awarded 92 pts from Robert Parker
- Billiot Et Fils NV Brut Rose $79.99 Awarded 91 pts from Wine Spectator
When the bubbles had finished and the class had emptied, all I could think of was how different one Champagne was from another. It was a wonderful line-up that showcased how every Champagne House has achieved to be different from their neighbor. I have to say it was an amazing class of good Champagne, great people and affirmed my love for the bubbles!
-Almira Spiller
PS: Did you know that Everything Wine has over 130 varieties of sparkling wine in stock?