Second Cooking Session

In this video, Etienne cooks two recipes, in order to match with a Champagne Blanc de Noirs, which means that it is made only from red grape varieties (Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier).

We will enjoy this Champagne, very rich, thick with a pleasant bitter lenght, with a starter "Oeuf Cocotte", and then with a Duck pie called "Tourte de Canard".

Etienne will teach you how to cook quickly these two nice dishes, and he will give you some tricks about cooking.

Enjoy !

It's fashion week in Paris!

Sparkling wines and Champagnes differentiate themselves by their techniques of production, their vineyards, the climate… but also by the design of the bottles. And in this field, some producers don’t suffer from a lack of creativity! Since the 2000’s, they’ve proved their originality and creativity through their bottles and packaging. See below some examples and don’t hesitate to share your opinions on them.

“Colier” is a limited collection of Sparkling Wine. It was created by two designers from Ukraine: Reynolds and Reyner. The packaging is a handmade bottle and a cocoon container. The container looks like a classy chicken egg, the weight is focused in its bottom so it stays upright and it keeps cold inside.

Veuve Clicquot, the famous brand, is well-known for its Champagne but also for its innovative and avant-gardist packaging.  In 2010, Veuve Clicquot launched its mini-fridge, an amazing luxury cooling device that keep a bottle fresh for up to two hours. In 2011, Veuve Clicquot, inspired by the Japanese art of origami, created a new packaging named “Clicq’Up”, the first foldable Champagne bucket.  

Piper-Heidsieck also works a lot on its Champagne’s bottles and packaging. The brand did several partnerships with well-known designers. Jean Paul Gauthier dressed up Piper Heidsieck’s bottles in 1999 (the bottle is covered by a vinyl red corset) and 2001 (the bottle was dressed up with a black hairnet and a red bow tie).  Viktor and Rolf have also created a bottle for the brand, the famous upside-down Champagne with a giant cork.

 

Famous shoes with red sole designer, Christian Louboutin, also collaborated with Piper Heidsieck. The designer created a shoe champagne flute. It’s more precisely a crystal stiletto (high-heeled shoe) champagne flute with a red sole. With this flute, Piper-Heidsieck and Louboutin resurrected a ritual dated from the 18th century. At this time, ballerinas were toasted by patrons and spectators who would pour Champagne in their slippers and then drink out of them. But it's not so simple to drink Champagne in a stiletto flute!

The last but not the least, it’s the Zarb Champagne!  This Champagne is produced by the family Baron in Charly sur Marne, a village in the Champagne-Ardenne region.  They’ve decided to break with conventionality and create very funny, original and eccentric bottles as you can see below.

The best effervescent of the world!!!

Who had believed it? The best effervescent champagne to the world is produced by the winegrower Philippe Fourrier to Baroville.

The 9th international confrontation the best Effervescent of the World, organized by the association Forum oenology from 16 till 18 November in Dijon, indeed awarded the golden medal to the vintage prestige Harbinger 2009 in front of a champagne Ruinart.

It is about an assembly 100 % Chardonnay of the 2008s (20 %) and on 2009 (80 %) having aged in cellar during three years. It is a brut, fruity champagne (in the aromas of white fruits).