World Champagne Day 2024:
Celebrate with an expert’s pick
A celebration of the majestic drink that is Champagne. This famous French wine region has done more than simply gift us bubbly libations for special occasions. Since the time when the region was still known as Gaul; through to Dom Perignon’s discovery of the second bottle fermentation, Champagne has been revered by wine lovers the world over.
As an ode to this most exuberant and celebrated luxury on World Champagne Day 2024, we’ve enlisted the help of some of the Masters of Wine and wine experts that grace our Chief Wine Officer events.
In this article, they each select one Champagne to try before you die. Please enjoy, and cheers to Champagne!
Julian Chamberlen
Wine expert
Julian Chamberlen is Partner and Director at esteemed full-service wine merchants, Farthinghoe Fine Wine (see their latest acquisitions here) and a long-time wine speaker at Chief Wine Officer events. He’s spent 30+ years picking vines, making wine, and travelling to countless European and Australian vineyards.
"Stunning and very poignant for me as our son was born that year. We drank it on his birthday, and it was sublime."
"The thing that really sets top Champagne apart is those delicious bready, yeasty, savoury, nutty notes you get from the traditional method of making sparkling wine, along with elegance, persistence and total deliciousness!"
Sam Caporn
Master of Wine
Sam Caporn runs wine consultancy, Mistress of Wine, and is one of only 418 Masters of Wine in the world – winning the Madame Bolinger Award for excellence in tasting in the practical exam along the way. Now the author of the book, The Wine Flavour Guide, there’s nothing Sam doesn’t know when it comes to enjoying the finer things in life.
Amy Christine
Master of Wine
Amy Christine is co-owner and winemaker at Holus Bolus; an award-winning winery in Santa Barbara County. She’s also a partner at Wine Ring and, when receiving her Master of Wine certification, was one of only 13 female Masters of Wine in the USA. Amy has been a mainstay of US-based Chief Wine Officer events for over a decade.
"This is a grower Champagne — meaning they make wine from the grapes that they grow and not from other growers. J. Lassalle is run by three generations of female winemakers and is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay aged seven years on the lees for a rich, brioche-y, complex flavour profile with cherry and green apple fruit, and super bright acidity."
"Champagne awakens the senses, invites reflection, makes people happy, and above all, is the inseparable companion of all the significant moments that mark one’s life. We always celebrate with bubbles; births, weddings, baptisms, anniversaries, and everything that makes life unique!"
Edouard Baijot
Master of Wine
Edouard Baijot has been guiding Chief Wine Officer events in Paris to the benefit of all involved for many years. He obtained his Master of Wine certification in 2019 and worked his way up to the Director of Luxury – International at Gallo Winery since starting in sales in 2002.
Edouard’s choice:
Toast to success
Why not clink a glass or two of world-class Champagne at a Chief Wine Officer event?