Champagne
June 1, 2020
While I was practicing a Schubert sonata for my upcoming piano concert the bell rang: a mysterious package had been delivered to my door. I stood perplexed to discover that it was the brand new Bollinger La Grande Année 2012! What a privilege...
May 18, 2020
I visited my girlfriend in London to attend a majestic 4 hour Beethoven concert. I also had meals in prestigious restaurants like The Northall “Corinthia”, Céleste (not quite recommended though), Atelier Robuchon and shared romantic moments together. Such a pleasant surprise to find my favorite champagne producers on their menu’s! That was just before the corona lockdown and now I am basically stuck in London...
July 13, 2018
The family Brun has been making wines for generations. Léonr Brun, the great grandfather learned the craft of making champagne while working with Moët & Chandon in the early 1900s during the phylloxera crisis. Since then, the talent of winemaking has been spreading through the region. By the turn of the 20th century, the Brun family counted up to 120 members. So far, it has generated 3 different brands: Edouard Brun, René Brun and Roger Brun.
June 15, 2018
What I like about Jean-Pierre is that he is a very positive person. Even if you don’t know him personally and just google his name, you’ll find out he’s smiling and always in a good mood in the photos. I personally think, such an attitude is transferred to everything and everyone around him, and it’s one of the secrets why his champagnes are so good. I’ve already proved to myself that it takes a nice person to make a nice champagne...
April 7, 2018
I first tasted Perseval-Farge champagnes at Terroir et Talents, a fair for journalists, bloggers, wine merchants and wine professionals which is now called Les Mains de Terroirs. The wines really stood out with their bold, mature and toasty character. I couldn't wait to discover more...
April 4, 2018
People often ask me what champagne they should buy as a present, when it really has to be something special and of course definitely worth the money. Well, my personal choice would be Rare (click for pronunciation) and this is the reason why...
In 1885 Piper-Heidsieck created a very exclusive cuvée to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the house, and it was presented to Queen Marie Antoinette of France. The bottle was designed by the great Fabergé - jeweler of Tsar Nicholas II and famous for his intricate jeweled eggs. It was a majestic bottle dressed in white gold, diamonds and lapis lazuli...
November 20, 2017
The Selosse of the Aube
Charles Dufour is an exceptionally talented and hardworking winemaker – I like to refer to him as “the Selosse of the Aube”. He owns 6 hectares of vineyards in Landreville, Essoyes and Celles-sur-Ource. Charles works in the vineyard, does vinification and takes care of the marketing as well. Quite a character! His wines are contemporary and a perfect fit to the gastronomic scene of today. No wonder that restaurant Noma...
October 19, 2017
Picture a lovely hot day in Champagne, perfect for a trip to the region. Our team consisted of Koen, a critically minded, evidence-based thinker with a background in science and engineering; Gomaar, an open-minded wine expert, romanticist and existentialist who is into meditation; An, a great seeker and champagnelover who explores spiritual paths to help grasp life’s meanings; and then there is myself, a hyper-sensitive epicurian in search for answers. We were about to get submerged into a world of esotericism and mysticism...
October 7, 2017
Bollinger certainly doesn’t need an introduction, but If you have never tasted or - believe me it occurs - never heard of Bollinger then you’re certainly missing out on culture. What Church’s is for shoes and Rolls Royce for cars, Bollinger is for champagne. It’s not only James Bond’s preferred champagne but among connoisseurs Bollinger is absolute top-notch...
April 26, 2017
Pinot Meunier is a chimeric mutation of the Pinot Noir grape, easily recognized by its pale white powdered vine leaves - the leaves look like they're sprinkled with flour, hence the name, “Miller's Grape” - and blue skinned grapes. About one-third of the vineyards in Champagne are planted to Meunier. While Meunier used to have the reputation of being inferior in quality to...