National Champagne Week, founded in 2011 by luxury hospitality brand Searcys, is a week-long festival starting October 1st celebrating the UK’s thriving champagne scene
National Champagne Week is a celebration of the increasing accessibility of champagne and the growing popularity in pairing the drink with gastronomy. For Champagne Week 2016, Searcys will re-launch their champagne bar at One New Change in May, paying particular attention to Italian food, including meatballs as a great pairing.
Another must-try during this year celebration will be the Searcys St. Pancras Grand champagne bar, the longest bar in Europe, so no need to fight for elbow room!
National Champagne Week will be shining the spotlight on the magnum, as the optimum serve for champagne, versus a standard bottle. This is due to magnums having a better ratio of oxygen to liquid (known as ullage – the space between the drink and the cork). This slower oxidisation increases the Champagne’s freshness, and some say taste.
In the last year, two leading champagne houses, Taittinger and Pommery, have both acquired vineyards in Kent, attracted by the market’s demand, the lower land prices outside Champagne (£25,000 versus €1.2 million cost per hectare of vineyard in 2014) and the increasingly similar climate and soil conditions.
Leading on all things champagne, Searcys has always championed the industry, from the most prestigious champagne houses to the smaller, family-run brands. They also have some of the country’s best champagne experts in-house, notably Joël Claustre, who has the prestigious Master of Culinary Arts and is who spokesperson on the topic and Peter Alderin who was recently invited to complete the Champagne Academy course, which is only attended by the crème de la crème of the wine industry.
During National Champagne Week, there will be a stellar lineup of events at iconic venues in London. Highlights include a ‘Champagne on the Rocks Masterclass’ – a new technique where champagne is slung into large glasses over ice and garnished with a spring of herbs or summer fruits, a Champagne Evening at the iconic Vintners Hall with Duval Leroy, a rare and finest Champagne tasting at Inner Temple, and of courseSearcys’ exclusive opening party at their luxurious St Pancras Champagne Bar, partnered with iconic Champagne House Taittinger.
Champagne Houses included in National Champagne Week are, Taittinger, H.Blin, Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Heidsieck & Co Monopole, Louis Roederer Champagne, Besserat Champagne de Bellefon, Laurent-Perrier, Duval-Leroy, Lanson, G.H. Mumm, Perrier-Jouët.
You must be logged in to post a comment.