Have you heard Christmas bells ring? The most festive season of the year is in full swing, nostalgic decorations are everywhere and the dark winter evenings are illuminated by countless cozy Christmas lights. And just like every year, the city centers and shopping streets are a busy hive of Christmas shoppers looking for the most suitable gifts for their loved ones.
One of the most difficult challenges for Christmas shoppers is the very specific wishes of wine enthusiasts. Finding the appropriate gift for champagne lovers and wine nerds may appear like a big challenge, but don’t worry: we’re here to inspire you with a selection of useful, delicious, and sparkling gifts that will bring joy to even the most discerning champagne geeks!
Philippe Mille, starred chef at restaurant Domaine Les Crayères in Reims, has prepared yet another culinary reading experience to savour the taste of Champagne at home. Structured into 16 elements from chalk to glass, the bilingual book approaches the fine nuances and layers of Champagne’s culinary identity by taking the reader right to the source of the chef’s inspiration – from the region’s essential patrimony to the ateliers of talented artisans and their multiverse of crafts.
The sensorial journey culminates in a collection of exceptional recipes that Philippe Mille stands for: thoughtful and artful culinary creations that celebrate the finesse and elegance of Champagne.
Available via : https://www.trophee-mille.fr/produit/lame-de-la-champagne/
The latest publication by Champagne-based publishing house Éditions de l’Effervescence shines a light on the traditional art of barrel-making at Tonnellerie de Champagne and tells the stories of some of the greatest oak-aged cuvées that the region offers.
The stories combine the perspectives of three champagne specialists: producer portraits by Cathérine Couton, insightful champagne tasting knowledge by Philippe Jamesse (champagne sommelier and consultant at DNA Champagne & Wine) and culinary inspiration from Philippe Mille (starred chef at restaurant Domaine Les Crayères in Reims). Visually interpreted by two regional artists, photographer Xavier Lavictoire and illustrator François Schmidt, the book is an invitation to (re-)discover the fascinating world of barrel-making and oak-aging in Champagne.
Available via : https://www.editionseffervescence.fr/nos-livres/futs-et-foudres-de-la-champagne-fr/
Many wine fans have long praised the Coravin wine preservation system that allows you to pour a glass of wine and keep the rest of the bottle for later – no matter if that’s tomorrow or a few weeks or even months down the line. The only problem so far was that the Coravin system only worked for still wines. Luckily, this has changed with Coravin’s latest innovation, Coravin Sparkling™.
The system is easy to use: after opening a bottle of champagne to pour a glass (or two or three), the bottleneck is closed with a special stopper and the empty space inside the bottle is then filled up with additional CO2 via the Coravin charger to maintain enough pressure to keep the fine bubbles where they belong: in the wine. The bottle can then be stored in the fridge for at least two more weeks.
Available via: https://www.coravin.fr/products/sparkling
No other question is more discussed among champagne lovers than the choice of the proper glass. Among the most ideal glasses to fully enjoy the flavor intensity of champagne is the tulip-shaped glass. Used by most champagne producers, starred restaurants, and champagne connoisseurs alike, the glasses produced by the glass factory Lehmann in Reims have become the gold standard in Champagne.
Skilled master glassmakers create a big range of different glass shapes in all desirable sizes, and in collaboration with some of the most knowledgeable champagne experts and sommeliers of the region, the house has developed various series of both mouth-blown and machine-blown champagne glasses for all tastes and design preferences. The most celebrated series were designed with Head Sommelier and champagne specialist Philippe Jamesse, 3 Michelin star chef Arnaud Lallement, Sommelier and Meilleur Ouvrier de France Fabrice Sommier, and World’s Best Sommelier Gerard Basset.
Available via: https://www.lehmann-sa.com/
Do you know a wine-enthusiastic world traveller who always complains about the issues of bringing his hunted wine treasures home safely? The smart trolleys, coolers, suitcases, and other travel accessories offered by Lazenne – Professional Luggage for Wine and Bottles offer many smart products that will make wine traveling a breeze.
No need to slip your socks over the bottles and try to squeeze them into your suitcase anymore (only to find champagne-drenched clothes at arrival and cry a river over the lost bottle)! Smart, TSA-compliant bottle carriers made from Styrofoam protect traveling champagne bottles in style.
Available via: https://lazenne.com/
Have you ever sabered a bottle of champagne, or watched someone saber? What may seem like a social media trend made for click-baiting videos is indeed entertaining for the champagne loving community. Champagne aficionados rarely end an event without beheading at least one bottle. Although it may look quite complicated, sabering is very simple with the right tools and adequate technique.
As countless videos on the internet prove, a multitude of utensils including chef knives, butter knives, spoons, glass stems, etc. can be used to saber a bottle. However, doing it with style and class requires a proper champagne saber. For the show-stopping art of opening champagne bottles, Coutellerie Champenoise offers several models.
Available via: https://www.coutellerie-champenoise.fr/sabres-a-champagne-c102x2501322