The white wines of France offer unrivaled perfection. With few exceptions, every vineyard growing white grapes is so planted not because reds won’t grow well there, but because whites will flourish. France’s white wines are not an afterthought or a consolation prize. These are vinous treasures worth exploring.

Most wine lovers live to eat, so at best wine tourism is also a gastrotourism. The restaurant scene is Champagne is not quite as bubbly as the name suggests, but thanks to champagne houses’ entertaining and champagne tourism, the region has many fine restaurants: L’Assiette Champenois with three Michelin stars, Les Crayères and Racine with two stars and a handful of one-star places. Outside the top restaurants, the local cuisine is rather traditional, so do not expect gastronomic triumphs all around. It is worthwhile getting to know the best places in advance. Here are my 10 favourite addresses around Reims and Epernay.

Summary:  It's been said that Champagne has been the site of more bloody battles and large-scale wars than any other place on earth.  From the time of Attila the Hun to the Germans in World War II, countless invaders have tried to conquer this strife-torn land.  Yet, somehow it managed to become the birthplace of the world's most beloved wine.  Don and Petie Kladstrup will show

Summary:  Everybody knows Champagne. But the vast majority of what most people are familiar with is the bubbly brand-driven non-vintage brut which, meticulously assembled in a consistent house style year after year, has set the standard for luxury and celebration for well over a century. There’s nothing wrong with this: many of these wines are perfectly enjoyable and some can be

Summary:  End of the year celebrations mark Champagne’s high season. It is a must for toasting to the new year with, but Champagne also has its festive place on the dining table. In this Master Class Essi Avellan will discuss wine and food pairing explaining the typicity of different styles of Champagne and summarizing keys to successful combinations. Why not pair the entire menu with

Summary:  In Champagne, the term prestige cuvée refers to a special selection from a producer that represents a very high quality, in most instances, their finest cuvée. Some are vintage dated, while some are not, but a signature of each producer that makes a prestige cuvée is the luxury aspect of marketing these products. Packaged in eye-catching,

A BIT OF WINE CHEMISTRY: Lessons from Champagne Day one of the Champagne study trip initiated a discussion which continued throughout the week of factors impacting aromas and flavors in champagne. Broadly, aromas can be categorized into the impacts of grape variety, terroir, vinification, and post-production events (influencing individual bottles versus entire “batches”). This article will focus upon the biochemistry of sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, and sugars in an acidic environment (esters arising from acidification of alcohol); the intent is not intended to be comprehensive. For purposes of this essay, the use of the word aroma will include the complex notes of aging characterized as “bouquet.” “Although many efforts have been made to characterize the quality and flavor of the compounds in wine… tasting remains the single universal test used… This is because the taste of a molecule, or blend of molecules, is constructed within the brain of a taster.” F. Brochet and D. Dubourdieu, 2001

Summary For centuries the maisons, caves and cellars of Champagne have been laboratories where experiments and innovations have created and refined the Traditional Method.  It is now highly specified but with many opportunities for each maker to create something distinctive and special.

Summary:  Sure, everyone knows Prosecco — or at least thinks they do. But most people are familiar with only the very tip of the iceberg, which also happens to be the simplest, most commercial part of it. In this webinar we’ll take a close look at the unique winegrowing area of Conegliano Valdobbiadene, located in the hills north of Venice where

Summary: In 2009 Prosecco was re-mapped in sweeping changes that created an extensive new zone for the production of Prosecco DOC on the plains of the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia and elevated the traditional hillside growing areas of Conegliano Valdobbiadene to DOCG status, Italy's top denomination. One of the innovations of the revised "Disciplinare di Produzione" ('production norms') of the DOCG was the categorization of the sub-zones called "Rive"  which are

Summary:  The winegrowing area of Conegliano Valdobbiadene, historic birthplace of Prosecco, a wine that has skyrocketed to international popularity in a remarkably short period of time, is currently at a crossroads. While some producers are happy to ride the huge wave of success by producing just what the market expects and wants, others are re-evaluating who they are and how to best

Presenter: Charles Curtis MW Charles Curtis MW is the founder of CurtisMW, a fine wine advisory serving private, trade and institutional clients with an interest in the market for fine and rare wine. Former Head of Wine for Christie's in both Asia and the Americas and a Certified Member of the Appraiser's Association of America, Mr Curtis has a wealth of experience with the world's most luxurious wine, and deep contacts with the collectors who love them and the people who sell

Summary: The eyes of the Champenois are turning increasingly towards their Burgundian neighbors. As a result of the increase in focus on terroir winemaking and rise of new-wave grower champagnes, still wine making is on the rise. Climate change is contributing, and especially the 2018-2020 trilogy of warm vintages has ignited excitement amongst both growers and houses. Master of Wine Essi Avellan gives an introduction to the still wines of Champagne. In

Summary: Crémant de Bourgogne is the 3rd largest AOC in volume in Bourgogne after Chablis and Mâcon AOCs, comprising around 11% of the region’s wines. While it is generally considered a ‘modest appellation’, it was not always as such. Bourgogne’s ‘mousseux’ wines were amongst the most prized and sought-after in the region in the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. This webinar

Summary:  This WSG Live will provide an overview of the latest developments within the D.O. Cava and the efforts of the appellation to increase and protect the quality and reputation of the Cava brand. We will further examine the latest updates regarding the quality classification system and labelling as well as the D.O.’s advancements in terms of sustainability.  Presenter: Nicoletta Dicova Born in Bulgaria and educated in Italy Nicoletta holds a master's degree

Summary:  Rick's Pick: Join DO Cava President Javier Pagés as he explains the numerous changes happening in one of the world’s most important sparkling wine regions. Cava is synonymous with excellence, and its high standard is achieved thanks to the authenticity guaranteed by the traditional method elaboration process. This 2021 is full of new challenges,

Summary:  Contrary to popular belief Franciacorta is not a new wine region in fact wines have been produced in this region since the sixteenth century. However, the modern history of the region began in 1961 with the production of the first sparkling wine in the region by Franco Ziliani, winemaker at the Guido Berlucchi winery. The popularity of these wines attracted the attention of

Summary:  “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”  

Summary: Although American by nationality, Peter Liem lives in the Champagne region, in the small and charmingly named village of Dizy, just behind the Gaston Chiquet estate and down the road from Jacquesson. He is one of only a few professional wine writers to actually live in Champagne, and among these, the only one to write in the English language. This proximity gives him an unusual perspective on the region, its people and its wines, especially as a foreigner. Given his

Summary: The quality potential of a wine is created in the vineyards and Champagne’s knife-edge climate poses many challenges to the vine grower. The recent years have put sustainability to the fore and increasingly many growers are venturing into organic and biodynamic production. Champagne specialist Essi Avellan MW has gathered a panel of great, ambitious new generation growers to virtually