“Come quickly, come quickly, I’m drinking the stars!” Words reported to have been uttered by monk turned cellar master Dom Perignon when he discovered what puts the sparkle into Champagne. Whether they are true or false it’s a great description of what it’s like to taste good Champagne. There is nothing quite like it. Those who have sneered at it being over rated are generally converted when they taste a good one.
As more and more people discover the lure of this particular drink, there have often been rumours that Champagne is running out. Something that’s been easy to dismiss as a marketing ploy particularly if you’ve visited any of the mighty Champagne houses’ cellars and seen the millions of bottles just waiting to be disgorged and corked. You may have laughed at the thought.
Now it seems there is a concern and we hear that the tightly guarded and controlled terroir is redrawing its boundaries. Its 319 communes are to be increased to 357 and villages that have looked on with envy will now find their vines worth an incredible amount of money. Let the battles commence! The legal profession is a good one in the Champagne.
Although the best known brands hold their own … Veuve Cliquot, Tattinger, Roederer, Moet et Chandon, Laurent Perrier, Bollinger, Krug … there are some terrific small houses producing excellent Champagnes. Any visit to the Champagne should include a visit to a major producer, and Moet is one of the best, and a search to find that family run business dedicated to producing its own quintessential taste.
We’ve chosen Charles Mignon as our house Champagne. We find it soft and very drinkable. A family run business able to blend tradition with a modern touch.
Sparkling wine
Outside the Champagne there are many fine sparkling wines produced in every part of the wine-producing world. On our doorstep, Ickworth Suffolk Pink is worth a try.
We also like Cloudy Bay’s Pelorus from New Zealand and the Green Point sparklers from Australia.
