Welcome to the very first edition of The Champagne Guide! Pop a cork of something fine and frothy, pour yourself a large glass and settle in. There’s a world of champagne to be discovered!
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The number of corked, stale and lightstruck champagnes in Australia this year is appalling.
readIt is not without considerable reluctance that I introduce a hierarchy of classification of champagne houses. I have thrown political correctness to the wind and taken the liberty of using the full breadth of a ten point scale
readWhat do expanding boundaries, rising yields and an antiquated cru classification mean for the future of Champagne?
readIf you believed all the commentary, you’d have to conclude that the Champagne that we know and love is all but doomed.
readTo contemporary France, the answer to the industrialisation and increasingly brand-driven mentality of the modern wine world is to work to express every nuance of terroir in its full detail. In this France, Champagne is the precise antithesis.
readBy some miracle the drab hillsides of Champagne produce fruits that thousands of winegrowers around the globe strive to emulate yet none has equalled.
readAfter this year, I won’t be buying sparkling wine in quite the same way again. I’ve always said there’s a very simple rule for choosing a bottle of bubbles in Australia. If you’re spending under $50, buy Australian fizz every time. If you’re shelling out more, always buy champagne. Not any more.
readThere has been a frenzy of discussion on Twitter today as to why the four winners of trophies and gold medals in The Great Australian Red 2010 were from three big companies: Jacob’s Creek, Penfolds and Yalumba. Chance? Or is there something more in this?
readThe judging of The Great Australian Red this week saw a higher proportion of gold and silver medals awarded than in any other year in the five year history of the competition. The calibre of entries as a whole was the highest that we have ever seen. This confirms the rising quality of Australia’s cabernet shiraz blend, all the more noteworthy in a year when three-quarters of the entries came from the challenging 2007, 2008 and 2009 seasons.
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