Stories

January 15, 2022|Yuri Shima.

Grower champagne may be on the lips, and palates, of many champagne lovers these days. Vilmart & Cie has been one of the longest serving, growing and bottling their own wine since 1890. Five generations on, they are upheld as one of the finest champagne growers and producers in the region. Yuri Shima talks to Laurent Champs about what makes it so special. Vilmart & Cie established its reputation at the onset of the grower-producer movements in Champagne. It was one of the first to transition to sustainable farming in... Read more...

Woman in black suit standing in stone wine cellar with champagne bottles stacked in background

Vitalie Taittinger

January 13, 2022|Sara Underdown.

Vitalie Taittinger’s appeal as a woman in charge in Champagne is part of the winds of change blowing ever so gently across the region. But she is more than a... Read more...

Champagne's Old Vines with Pierre Gimonnet et Fils

January 11, 2022|Sara Underdown.

There’s no doubt that old vines can produce some superior fruit – concentrated and with considerable character. But to what advantage for champagne? Especially if the preference is for more... Read more...

Two champagne glasses with sparkling wine, Christmas tree lights blurred in background

Best Champagnes for Christmas Day 2021

December 15, 2021|Sara Underdown.

Get out the glasses, here are some of the best Christmas Day champagnes to pair with festive foods. Christmas’ feel-good vibe inspires us to open more bottles of Champagne than... Read more...

Revisiting Style: The Battle of the Vessels

September 19, 2021|Marcell Kustos PhD.

How does winemaking influence an oxidative or reductive style? What is the affect on the final champagne and how does it influence its profile over time or ability to age?... Read more...

A New Chapter - Louis Roederer Collection 242

September 19, 2021|Sara Underdown.

The release of Louis Roederer's brand new, Collection 242, replaces its much-loved Brut Premier. It is an audacious move for Louis Roederer which has traversed a path of unequivocal progress,... Read more...

A Forgotten Bunch: Champagne's Other Grape Varieties

September 19, 2021|Yoko Ota-Sawyer.

Chardonnay adds freshness, pinot noir imparts body and structure and meunier is round and fruity. So goes what they say about champagne’s finely balanced and unique blend. But there are... Read more...

Coteaux Champenois: The Other Wine from Champagne

July 25, 2021|Sara Underdown.

Can champagne exist without its bubbles? Well, yes, kind of. Although it isn’t called champagne. Please, let me explain. Long before champagne was celebrated for its fizz, it was famed... Read more...

Champagne Escape to Mt Lofty House, Adelaide Hills

July 5, 2021|Sara Underdown.

The appeal of Mt Lofty House may be in its unashamed decadence, but there is also a lot of heart and soul that comes through its finer details. Champagne lovers... Read more...

Pursuing Pinot: Veuve Clicquot

June 30, 2021|Sara Underdown.

Houses don’t come much bigger than Veuve Clicquot, but they also don’t come much better either. Despite its marketing prowess and colossal production of more than 18 million bottles, the... Read more...

Cristal 2013

May 15, 2021|Sara Underdown.

Yes, it’s fantastic, but I always knew it would be. All the things I love about Cristal makes even more sense when clothed in vintage 2013. In the latest release... Read more...

Hand pouring champagne from Riedel decanter into glass against dark background

The Great Debate: Decanting Champagne

April 2, 2021|Marcell Kustos PhD.

To decant or not to decant may be one of the most contentious debates amongst champagne lovers, but it goes without saying that champagne is firstly a wine. Decanted properly,... Read more...

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Sara Underdown