Category Archives: Champagne

Acceptance Speech ACB Personality of 2023

On Sunday, 16 April, the Association des Champagne Biologiques named me their “Personality of 2023”. This Bulle Bio en Champagne prize is very special to me, because just as the Terres et Vins prize I received 5 years ago, one … Continue reading

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The ABC on Champagne’s appellation setting

Champagne has long set its appellation based on sales forecasts. While it seems this system works well to meet market needs, it is deeply flawed. The Covid-19 crisis clearly shows the limitations of the current system and the reasons why an appellation compromise between houses and growers has yet to be found even if harvest has already started Continue reading

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Champagne Harvest 2018: Marie-Noelle Ledru and Jean-Baptiste Geoffroy

Harvest started early in 2018, officially opening on August 20th, yet the official dates showed big differences, with some villages only opening early September. Derogations are possible and even if a few people began picking earlier, so far  the harvest has … Continue reading

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Sans prétension ou avec glaçons: different takes on champagne’s desacralization

For the last fortnight, Facebook has been alight with everyone and anyone in the champagne world (yours truly included) voicing their opinion on the new communication campaign of the Syndicat des Vignerons de Champagne (SGV). A few months ago, the … Continue reading

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My first impressions of the 2017 Champagne Harvest

On August 26th the CIVC published the official starting dates for the 2017 harvest, and decided that a minimum potential alcohol percentage of 9.5% was required. Since then the region has suffered several severe downpours and even a few hail … Continue reading

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Rest in Peace Charles Doyard

The moon had only just began to wane and still looked full over the Mediterranean sea, and the night was balmy and star lit. We were eating a pizza paired with champagne in the sheltered garden of our cute B … Continue reading

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Kick off of the 2016 Champagne Harvest in Cumières

It is hard to believe harvest is upon us once again. This year marks my fifth Champagne harvest, five years living in the same place really is something of a personal victory! Especially when you consider that I stil am … Continue reading

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The Bioenergetic movement in Champagne

Last week I was in London helping Marc Augustin to introduce his bioenergetic Champagnes into the UK market. In order to gather a bit of interest for his wines we had invited a handful of writers and Champagne aficionados to … Continue reading

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Champagne harvest – the bioenergetic cuvée Liberance en primeur at Franck Pascal

My last visit this harvest season was at Franck and Isabelle Pascalle in Baslieux-sous-Chatillon. I arrived at the same time as the last grapes for the day. Franck and Isabelle have been farming biodynamically since 2002 and for the last … Continue reading

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Champagne Harvest 2015 – tasting Meunier on the vines and straight out of the press at Champagne Loriot

I love visiting the Loriots in harvest, I love eating their delicious Meunier grapes whilst listening to all the banter, laughing! This year I took Jess, a friend from New York whom I had spend a day with working selling … Continue reading

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