Simon Food Favourites: Taittinger

30 October 2011

Sydney Sunrise Global Champagne Day 2011, The American Club, CBD Sydney (28 Oct 2011)

Level 14, 131 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
http://www.theamericanclub.com.au

Bubbles of global happiness

Thanks to the bubbly and effervescent Champagne Jayne for inviting me along to her Sydney Champagne Day celebration which was both educational and fun. A selection of quality champagnes were on offer to take guests through a palate journey of appreciation guided by hosts Jayne Powell and Ed Carr (sparkling winemaker). The final champagne tasting of Armand de Brignac was apparently awarded World's No. 1 champagne by FINE Champagne Magazine. With a spare AUD $550 you'd be able to pick up a bottle from Champagne Gallery. There were some champagnes I preferred over others but I tried them all too quickly due to arriving a bit late to take notice of which ones they were. The event was held on Level 14 of the The American Club which boasted fantastic views over the Royal Botanic Gardens and towards Sydney harbour. To come back and enjoy a drink at the bar you'd actually have to be a member which isn't cheap at $845.25/year, although if you're between 21 and 28 you get it for $556.50. I think most of their business is through corporate events and weddings which the space seems well-suited for.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Quality champagnes to celebrate Champagne Day, Venue space has great views over Sydney Harbour

CONS: There's no signage outside the building to let you know where The American Club is so you have to make sure you take notice of the address

MUST TRY: Celebrating Champagne Day next year

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Ed Carr and Champagne Jayne cheers to Champagne Day

Champagne Pierre Gimonnet Blanc de Blancs - Variety 1er cru chardonnay; Champagne Paul Bara Grand Cru Rose - Variety Grand Cru pinot noir

Champagne Taittinger Brut Reserve - Variety 40% chardonnay, 60% pinot noir

Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve - Variety 40% pinot noir, 35% pinot meunier, 25% chardonnay

Champagne Duval Leroy Rose - Variety pinot noir & chardonnay

Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 1999, Pol Roger vintage champagnes are usually a 60% pinot noir 40% chardonnay

Champagne Pommery Cuvee Louise - Variety 60% chardonnay, 40% pinot noir

Armand de Brignac - Variety 40% chardonnay, 40% pinot noir, 20% pinot meunier

Cheese plate to line the stomach

Champagnes book available

Champagne 007 — nice spread!

Champagnes on offer

Guests

Decor and view

Bar area

Nice toilets

View over Royal Botanic Gardens

View towards Sydney harbour

View Larger Map

21 December 2010

Ultimo Wine Centre: Annual Champagne Tasting 2010 (7 Dec 2010)

99 Jones Street Ultimo NSW 2007

http://www.ultimowinecentre.com.au

27 bottles of bubbly to try

Thanks to Champagne Jayne for giving me the heads up about this amazing annual event generously provided by the Ultimo Wine Centre. It’s become so popular that this year they held it in the entry foyer of Fox Golden Century in the Entertainment Quarter so there was more space for attendees to move around than the wine shop. Those lucky enough to RSVP early to get on the guest list were provided a tasting glass upon arrival and treated to 27 bottles of champagne to sample — of course I had to try them all. I finally learnt that ‘NV’ stood for Non-Vintage which meant the champagne had a combination of grapes from different vintages/years while other bottles with a specific year on it was made from grapes pertaining to that year only — I hope that’s correct.

The champagne sellers had their work cut out for them constantly pouring their expensive drops of champagne to the eager crowd with a friendly smile and much generosity. Special prices for the event ranged from the very reasonable priced Chateau De L’Aulee Brut Intense NV ($16.95) from the Loire Valley to the highest priced Larmandier Bernier Cremant 2005 ($139.95) closely followed by the Barons de Rothschild Rose NV ($129.95) and Blanc de Blanc NV ($129.95). There was no sign of the more commonly known brands of Moet, Veuve Clicquot, Bollinger and Dom Perignon but Taittinger Brut NV ($71.95) and Prelude NV ($99.95) made an appearance along with Louis Roederer Vintage 2004 ($114.95) and Gosset Brut Excellence NV ($64.95) and Grande Reserve NV ($81.95) which I’ve only just started noticing more in restaurants I’ve dined at like Tabou and Kingsleys.

In the end it was hard to pick a favourite but it was a great event where you could talk shop with the suppliers and learn more about the finer points of champagne. Interesting and tasty canapés were provided by Fox Golden Century by their friendly young staff. Be sure to sign up to the Ultimo Wine Centre mailing list to keep in touch with future wine tasting events.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Free event, Large range to sample, Tasty canapés, No apparent bad headache from quality champagne the next day

CONS: Must RSVP early to secure a spot, No Bollinger, Dom Pérignon or Cristal to try, Driving home is not an option

MUST TRY: Attending more wine tasting events

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Champagnes on offer