There is always something new to learn. Always. One of the things I love most about champagne is that with somewhere in the vicinity of 2000 independent growers, I will probably in my lifetime never taste them all. And with each new one I taste, I learn something new, be it about the village it…
Educational
Rosés for your Valentine!
Pink hearts, pink flowers and pink bubbles! What’s not to like about Valentine’s day! On a day when the world celebrates love, it’s is a perfect time to drink some of Cupid’s special nectar – Rosé! You might wonder what is so special about Rosé, and why is it so much more expensive than other champagnes,…
Fabulous dream tour planned!
Ever since I moved back to Australia, it has been a dream to organise a tour for like minded people to the Champagne region. All I needed was a catalyst, and little did I know that the catalyst would be so fabulous! After visiting Champagne last May with Jane from The Fabulous Ladies’ Wine Society, added to…
Sparkle your way into a magical New Year
New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to Sparkle. And to really sparkle, I mean drink French champagne! I wish I didn’t have to say ‘French’ champagne, because champagne by definition is French, but it seems to be taking a while to get the message through! Back in the mid- 18th century, Madame de Pompadour, mistress…
Tasting Perfection
There has been a lot of talk lately about what the correct style of glass is for tasting champagne. Coincidentally, when I was on my tour recon visit to Champagne in May 2014, I believe I found the ultimate vessel to tasting perfection! It was the unlikeliest of times to find such a perfect glass,…
Vin de Champagne Awards 2014 – now the bubbles have settled
I am in my office and finding it very difficult to focus on the backlog of work in front of me – piled up after being all consumed over the last few weeks with my preparation for the Vin de Champagne Awards. What an amazing experience it has been. I was selected as a finalist…
Harvest time – hard work and anticipation of the bubbles to be
September is a hive of activity in champagne. The anticipation of the harvest, followed by the shear hard work and organisation around the event is a heady time. Harvest dates are set by the Comité Interprofessional du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) and change yearly depending on the weather conditions. Interestingly, the harvest dates are not…
An honour and a test that will have the bubbles rising
I have not quite come down to earth yet! Last week I received some news that was an honour, but also very overwhelming once the reality hit. Early on Tuesday morning, I received a call from the Champagne Bureau in Sydney telling me that I had been selected as a finalist in the Vin de…
