Category: Caroline’s Champagne

Interesting, unusual and groovy cuvee’s, points of interest and restaurants/bars I have found whilst discovering and tasting my way through my new home region:-)

Champagne Harvest 2015 – a morning with Michel Drappier

 The sunrise was glorious early this morning en route for Urville, where I arrived just about at the same time as the first grapes of the day.  Harvest started with a handful of pickers over the weekend but really got into full swing yesterday. “Last week Monday I panicked, it was 34 degrees, the berries
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Champagne harvest 2015 – the sweet Pinot Noir of the Clos des Goisses

 This afternoon I spent a few hours with Charles Philipponnat in the Clos des Goisses; without a doubt one of the steepest and most beautiful vineyards of the Champagne region.  The harvest started here today and is advancing a lot faster than expected. Charles explaines: “we harvested an extra plot, which was not planned. The
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Champagne harvest 2015 – portrait of a harvester: Nicolas Pinodel

  Nicolas Pinodel, a recently graduated architect student, is experiencing his first harvest in Champagne at Olivier Horiot. When asked why he chose to come and work harvest he explains: “a friend of mine had a contact to work harvest here, another friend had worked here last year and really enjoyed the experience. It seemed
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Champagne Harvest 2015 – taking about the flowers and the bees with Dominique Moreau and Roland Piollot

 The catch with live blogging is iPhone battery as I am finding out.. And when you run out, not only is there no live post, but also very few pictures… I visited Dominique Moreau and Roland Piollot, another awesome couple of wine makers in the Aube on the way back home. They started their harvest
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Champagne Harvest 2015 – The Clos St Sophie in Montgueux by Emmanuel Lassaigne

  The Clos St Sophie is the only Clos in Montgueux and one of only 3 Clos in the Aube. Since 1913 it belongs to the Valton family. Etienne Valton, founder of the Petit Bateau brand, bought it after Marcrl Dupont passed away; Dupont, a professor in Agriculture,  had founded the property as a plant
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Champagne harvest 2015 – portrait of a harvester: Myriame Chaperon

 Every harvest Champagne attracts more than 20,000 harvesters from all walks of life. It is one of the few regions were the majority of pickers are still watered, fed and put up during harvest. This means that some people return year in year out, whilst others come only once to enjoy the experience. As part
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Champagne Harvest 2015 – Vincent Laval at Cumières

 This afternoon I visited Vincent Laval, An iconic organic grower, who started his 2015 harvest campaign with the Chardonnay of Les Chênes.  Vincent is very happy with the quality of the year. “The grapes are wonderful, the weather is perfect to further ripen and to give us a wonderful harvest” ,exclaims Vincent.  Les Chênes is
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Champagne harvest 2015 – Jean-Baptiste Geoffroy in Cumières

    Harvest has begun in Champagne and I thought that this year I could trial live blogging. Small articles on the vigneron I visit and their opinion on this years crop posted via the WordPress App for iPhone. I will also add regular portraits of harvesters to try and bring the harvest even closer to
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Beyond the Bubbles: the Esssence of Champagne

The essence of champagne for me is its strong sense of unity that bridges across the regions diversity. It starts at appellation level; Champagne is the only AOC for the sparkling wine of the region. Unlike other French appellations, there are no regional sub- or micro-appellations – in fact the sub-region does not even feature
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