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Champagne tasting to champion blanc de blancs
London’s rebranded Champagne tasting on 29 March is to focus on vintage, rosé and blanc de blancs styles of fizz.
Such is the demand for blanc de blancs Champagne, Ruinart’s growth is now held back by a shortage of the “precious” Chardonnay grape
As previously reported by the drinks business, the tasting, which traditionally features one free-pour tasting table, will this year comprise as many as three special areas dedicated to particular types of Champagne.
Although it had previously been confirmed that vintage and rosé styles would be present, head of the Comité Champagne in the UK, Françoise Peretti, has now told db that the third and final Champagne style would be blanc de blancs.
Explaining the decision to show Champagnes made from just white grapes, Peretti said that this was an increasingly popular style of fizz.
“We felt that blanc de blancs was a style that the market is interested in,” she commented.
Indeed, the blanc de blancs style is becoming so sought-after that the Champagne region is suffering a Chardonnay shortage.
As reported by db earlier this month, Frédéric Dufour, who is president & CEO of Ruinart – a specialist in blanc de blancs – said that the supply of Chardonnay was limiting growth for the house, describing the grape as a “precious raw material” in Champagne.
As for the other styles chosen to feature at the London-based Champagne event, both rosé and vintage are growing in sales in the UK, ensuring that all three tasting areas reflect styles that are increasing in their commercial importance, even if they are dwarfed by the amount of brut non-vintage sold in Britain.
As db reported last week, the event, which has changed its name from the Annual Champagne Tasting to The Official #Champagne Experience Day, has attracted more labels than ever before, and will feature 71 brands, which are listed on the following page.
Along with the themed tasting areas, the event will feature two masterclasses and two roundtable discussions, covering topics from dosages to reserve wines and oxygen management in Champagne.
The Official #Champagne Experience Day will take place on Wednesday 29 March from 10am to 5.30pm at Central Saint Martins in King’s Cross London.
Click here to register your interest in the tasting and / or the masterclasses.
Read more:
THE COMITÉ CHAMPAGNE’S LONDON TASTING GETS NEW NAME AND NOVEL VENUE
REBRANDED CHAMPAGNE TASTING ATTRACTS RECORD NUMBER OF LABELS
CHAMPAGNE SUFFERS CHARDONNAY SHORTAGE