Photo by Joel Ross Studios
a message from tina jones
Champagne . It might just be my favourite wine region on the planet , and possibly my favourite style of wine . For me , Champagne is a very special wine , and is summed up perfectly by Lily Bollinger :
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I drink Champagne when I ’ m happy and when I ’ m sad . Sometimes I drink it when I ’ m alone . When I have company , I consider it obligatory . I trifle with it if I ’ m not hungry and drink it when I am . Otherwise I never touch it — unless I ’ m thirsty .
When I first travelled to the region of Champagne , I was enchanted . The landscape and towns are lovely , easy to navigate , and yet it was very different from other wine regions I had visited . There ’ s a lot of formality in the region . You are more likely to encounter a producer ’ s representative wearing a suit here than anywhere else ! And arriving at a fine restaurant to see a dinner tasting menu paired with half a dozen different Champagnes is commonplace . At the same time , though , the formality is really a self-assured pride . The producers know that they have something very , very special to offer the world .
At home , pouring a glass of Champagne with friends is a wonderful way to celebrate a milestone , or to create an instant celebration . Champagne makes it easy to open a conversation , and it makes any food and wine pairing even easier . I know Champagne — any Champagne — is not an inexpensive wine ; but I also know that few other wines make any occasion as special as Champagne does .
Welcome to this fascinating world of Champagne . In this issue , Gary Hewitt gives us a glimpse into some interesting debates in his interview with Terry Theise ; Sylvia Jansen , our talented Champagne expert who has visited the region more times than I can count , takes us on tour with her ; Mike Muirhead smoothes out some of the wrinkles in our knowledge ; and Andrea Eby explores some alternatives to the world ’ s most famous sparkling wine . We hope you will enjoy your Banville & Jones exclusive tour !
Enjoy !
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