Advice on champagne

Think the mystery mix is sold out because the Billecart is sold out on epiqure. Probably getting close to needing a fridge-restock, I'm down to my last dozen or so NVs. Hopefully some good bonii on champers will come up soon!
 
Vue de Monde: Champagne Degustation Dinner

As promised, although a little late, a report back on the dinner held last week at Vue de Monde.

Some of you, I gather, know the organiser, "The Champagne Dame", but she was new to me. For those who do know her, there will be no need to describe the style of the presentation. If anyone else wants to check that out, her website is probably the way to go.

The venue was a private dining room at Vue, to the left of the bar, as you enter from the lift lobby. I've been to Vue - in all its locations - a number of times before but had not been in that function room. Presumably, the décor can be changed to suit the occasion but for this event, at least, it was nicely done but more conventional than the restaurant fitout, which I suppose is to be expected.

I didn't do a head count but there were probably about 70 guests. Our table had ten, made up of three couples and one group of four.

Have failed dismally in my inept attempt to upload pix of the menu and tasting range and no time to experiment further just now, so will revert to text, as presented on the menu:

Snacks on Arrival
Truffle marshmallow
Apple, macadamia
Smoked eel, white chocolate, caviar [The Veuve Fourny listed below was served on arrival, too, but didn't appear on the menu here.]

Crab, rockmelon, Champagne butter sauce
2006 Veuve Fourny, Blanc de Blancs

Duck, apple, Gascony
2005 Jacquart Cuvee Alpha

Emu egg, onion, truffle
NV Bollinger Magnum Special Cuvee

Blackmore Wagyu beef, potato, beetroot
NV Rene Geoffroy, Rose Saignee

Marzipan, champagne, wood sorrel
NV Laurent Perrier Demi-sec

Food was good - and a very enthusiastic chef gave us a rundown on each course, its preparation and "inspiration", through the evening.

The Champagnes?
Okay, I admit I'm spoilt. Over the years, I've had the privilege and the great pleasure of some fabulous tasting events, including some where Champagne was paired with food for the whole of the meal. This one didn't really cut it for me. The Champagnes poured were all pleasant and perfectly acceptable but - for me, at least - no WOW! factor.

The "education" thread during the evening also seemed to be aimed at an audience with virtually no knowledge of Champagne, which seemed curious for such an event. However, the organisers may have known more about the attendees and tailored the chat to suit? Or maybe that is the usual style of the CD presentations.

All in all, this is not turning out to be a rave review, is it! To be fair, it was a very pleasant evening with good food and wine, in a lovely environment. On a straw poll of those immediately around me, some of whom had been to Vue previously, some not, and all of whom were new to Kyla's events, the consensus seemed to be that they would return to Vue de Monde but would not be in a rush to attend another CD event.

Those of you who have been to other events hosted by Kyla may have a different view, of course. If so, it would be interesting to hear more. :)
 
I've just had a few days in the Champagne region, and unfortunately for my future bank balance, I've tasted some spectacular wines and have some new favourites.

Two standouts for me were the Ruinart "Dom Ruinart" 2002 blanc de blanc, and the Veuve Clicquot "Cave Privee" Rose 1989.

I really enjoyed both tours (Don't miss Ruinart if you possibly can, and I did the Aromatiquement Votre tour at Clicquot which included vintage tasting with cheeses down in the crayeres, which was amazing!) I also visited Mumm and Moet Chandon since I was nearby, but nothing really amazing there. Kicking myself I didn't get to Billecart-Salmon though...
 
Lizzi said:
I've just had a few days in the Champagne region, and unfortunately for my future bank balance, I've tasted some spectacular wines and have some new favourites.

Two standouts for me were the Ruinart "Dom Ruinart" 2002 blanc de blanc, and the Veuve Clicquot "Cave Privee" Rose 1989.

I really enjoyed both tours (Don't miss Ruinart if you possibly can, and I did the Aromatiquement Votre tour at Clicquot which included vintage tasting with cheeses down in the crayeres, which was amazing!) I also visited Mumm and Moet Chandon since I was nearby, but nothing really amazing there. Kicking myself I didn't get to Billecart-Salmon though...
Click to expand...

ohhh do tell more! we're in paris in a month and hoping for an overnight out to the region, but it's looking more and more likely that we'll only get a day. saw ruinart is 70 euros/head which is on the must do list. hoping to squeeze at least another 1 or 2 tastings in.

did you book yourselves, go on a package etc etc!?
 
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I was self-propelled, rather than on an organised tour - I thought about doing a day trip from Paris and then decided that I should just go and stay for a couple of nights, because really, why else was I in France than to drink champers?? I booked the tours online on the champagne houses' websites (except for Mumm and M&C, where you can just walk in on most days) and then either walked, bussed or taxied around. Reims is easy to negotiate, but I wasn't really in a hurry, either. The train to and from Paris is also pretty easy, and between Epernay and Reims.

I've been blogging a bit - Two Weeks Away | Just enough time to get away… if you want to trawl through my blatherings :D


tdogshookem said:
ohhh do tell more! we're in paris in a month and hoping for an overnight out to the region, but it's looking more and more likely that we'll only get a day. saw ruinart is 70 euros/head which is on the must do list. hoping to squeeze at least another 1 or 2 tastings in.

did you book yourselves, go on a package etc etc!?
Click to expand...
 

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