A Class of champagne
How about an ice-cold bottle of champagne to kick off the final match this summer? Sparkling wine from small producers is often superior to brand-name bubbly. Our expert sampled a few craft champagnes:
Organic grapes
No chemical fertilizer, no pesticides: Vintner Anselme Selosse cuts no corners when it comes to growing grapes. Every year, he produces 50 000 bottles of champagne, which is actually very little compared with the “grandes marques.”
Affordable bubbly
Vintner champagne doesn’t have to be expensive, as the family-run Jean-Jacques Lamoureux vineyard proves: The 2009 Blanc de Blancs costs only 25 euros.
Insider tip
At his small, 12-hectare vineyard, Francis Egly personally attends to the cultivation, pressing and vinification of his grapes. His champagne is a winner!
