Vintage Champagne!

I think that says enough. Vintage champagne! But the only thing that made the evening better is

Aubert de Villaine! 

(And yes I’m totally ware that I am having a significant wine geek moment.)

Yesterday was a bit crazy as I had significant back to back events and yesterday seemed to be the day of missed registrations (not all on my part). But all worked out in the end and I got to attend both events.

The crew of INSEEC Master 1 interns left work early to head back to the city for the introduction to this year’s sponsor: Aubert de Villaine, the co-owner and director of Romanee-Conti as well as one of the judges of the infamous 1976 Judgement of Paris. As a California native, and a poor student who can’t afford a bottle of Romanee-Conti Pinot Noir, I was excited to hear him speak about the Judgement and hear his thoughts on the new world. While primarily in french he gave a wonderful and very interesting lecture.

While I love wine – hell I am living in France to study the business of the wine industry – and have a strong preference for red wine, I don’t think there is anything better than champagne. And last night was magic – as courtesy of my internship, I was able to go to the Millesima Panorama Degustation. After the lecture with Aubert de Villaine we (the intern crew) made the mad dash across the city to the Millesima warehouse (2.5 million bottles of fine wine in their original wooden cases direct from the Chateaus. What I wouldn’t give to be let loose inside for an hour with a corkscrew!). But last night they opened their doors and hosted a tasting from twenty of the best champagne houses in France.

Bollinger. Veuve Clicquot. Krug. Dom Perignon. Moet & Chandon. Ayala. Jacquesson. I bubbled all the way home with a huge smile on my face.

While I love – and wine aficionados are going to scold – California champagne – and yes I know it is not officially Champagne unless it comes from the champagne region of France – I got to taste my way through some of the best last night and realized California just isn’t quite the same. Of course I stand by and firmly believe California makes excellent sparkling wine in the methode champagnoise, (and will in fact bring a bottle back to France in January to enjoy with my friends from Champagne) some things just can’t be recreated.