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…
France
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…
I’m in a Champagne State of Mind!
Well. Here I am! I’ve been pinching myself daily, but I am in the little village of Rilly-la-Montagne, in the Montagne de Reims, sipping Tsarine Rose champagne in a claw foot bath. We have been clocking up the champagne experiences since I arrived in Europe last Monday and every day has had at least one…
A little *CLINK!* from above
I think I had a little *CLINK!* from above on Bastille Day. I really do! I know I’ve been a little stressed lately, and some of you will now use this as proof that I have really lost the plot, but something very strange happened, and I can only think of one explanation. This year,…
Disaster to triumph and a bottle of Mumm
Sometimes the most highly anticipated meals don’t go quite as planned, and neither do the wines that were chosen to accompany them. This happened to me a few years ago, but I was able to turn my disaster into triumph in the most unanticipated way. And it was all a due to a rather old…
