Champagne is synonymous with celebration and success—but have its festive associations detracted from its status as a fine wine in its own right? Drawing on his intimate knowledge of a classic but rapidly changing region, Michael Edwards takes a radically different approach in this unrivaled, terroir-based guide to the world’s best sparkling wines. Ninety in-depth profiles of the best small growers as well as the greatest houses are organized geographically—from the finest producers of the great city of Reims, wine towns of Epernay and Aÿ, and the leading villages of the Marne, and to the rising stars of the Aube (Côte des Bar) and beyond. Edwards also discusses the culture of Champagne, reviews trends in viticulture and winemaking, and investigates controversial solutions to the current crisis of success in a region that cannot satisfy global demand for its wines. Additional sections explore the gastronomic traditions of the area, give advice on pairing Champagne with food, survey the vintages of the past 20 years, list the wines with the best price-to-quality ratio, and more, making this extensively illustrated work a true connoisseur’s guide to the most glamorous and perhaps the most enigmatic of French wines.
The Finest Wines of Champagne A Guide to the Best Cuvées, Houses, and Growers
About the Book
Reviews
“Straightforward yet refreshingly opinionated.”—New York Times
“Delivers big time.”—Chicago Tribune
“My favorite 2009 wine book.”—The Wine News
“Well researched . . . thoroughly contemporary book on champagne.”—Gerald Asher Gastronomica
“Takes you on an in-depth tour of Champagne, revealing many of the region’s complexities and allowing for greater enjoyment of its wines.”—Wine Spectator
Table of Contents
Foreword by Hugh Johnson
Preface
Introduction
1 History, Culture, and the Market: Holy Oil to Liquid Gold
2 Viticulture: Quality and Sustainability
3 Winemaking: Art and Heart of the Cuvée
The Finest Producers and Their Wines
4 Reims and the Montagne de Reims
5 Aÿ and the Vallée de la Marne
6 Epernay and the Côte des Blancs
7 The Côte des Bar
Appreciating the Wines
8 Vintages: Year by Year 2008–1988
9 Wine and Food: Champagne Gastronomy
10 Top-Ten Tables: The Finest 100
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
Author’s Acknowledgments
Photographic Credits
Awards
- Shortlisted for the International Wine Book of the Year, Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Awards 2010
- Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards
- Shortlisted for the Georges Duboeuf, Wine Book of the Year
- Finalist in the category of Wine, Beer, and Spirits, 2010 International Association of Culinary Professionals Cookbook Awards
- Best U.K. Wine Atlas/Tourism Book, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards