Champagne Academy Diary

Peter Alderin lets us
in on his incredible
week at the renowned
Champagne Academy
after being nominated
for their intensive course.
Photo credit: Michel Jolyot 2016
CHAMPAGNE ACADEMY
T
he day the Champagne
Academy candidates
were announced felt like
Christmas. Opening the
email I received from Pol
Roger in March, I couldn’t
contain my excitement
having learned I had been
nominated for the weeklong intensive course. The
academy was established in
1956 and each year they host
a week in France to educate
16 new hopeful members of
the industry who would not
otherwise be able to learn
about Champagne in such
thorough detail.
After working for five years
with Searcys, experts in
Champagne and luxury
hospitality, my enjoyment
working in the sector had
grown into great passion
for the subject and I was
delighted to have been
selected for such a sought
after experience.
The mystery of who had
put my name forward still
remains unsolved, but the
excitement grew with each
passing day, until it was
time to set off on this brand
new Champagne-fuelled
adventure.
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On the second day we started with
a delicious and typical French
breakfast, minus the addition of
Champagne that had set us up
the day before. We took a trip to
Bollinger to learn about their history,
the region and climate and their
cellars and barrels. Finishing the
morning off in style, we enjoyed a
casual lunch in the Vieilles Vignes
Francaises Gardens.
DAY 1
On the first day, we met a representative
from Pol Roger at Searcys’ St Pancras
Champagne Bar – where I had worked
for five years. Starting off the morning
with a few delicious glasses of Pol Roger,
each of us were introduced to the other
candidates, most of whom were from
London, but we were due to meet others
from Scotland and Ireland later. After
our liquid breakfast, we hopped onto the
Eurostar.
Once in France, we were driven to
Epernay, an idyllic region in Northern
France. Meeting in the bar before dinner,
we experienced our first highlight of the
week when Julien assisted a waitress with
the opening of a bottle of Champagne
– a tricky business for those who don’t
know, but surprising nonetheless
considering we were in the Champagne
region! We dined at Hostellerie La
Briqueterie; a fantastic Michelin-starred
restaurant that boasts amazing food,
great service and of course, fabulous
Champagne.
I spent the evening in the company
of fellow Champagne enthusiasts and
candidates and representatives from
Louis Roederer, Pernod Ricard,
Laurent-Perrier and Pol Roger.
After some sustenance, we headed
to Perrier-Jouët for a tour of their
impressive cellars – decorated with
beautiful art work and exhibitions.
Perrier-Jouët then offered equally
impressive Champagne tasting where
we were able to experience their
whole delicious range, hosted by Eric
Trichard.
We then headed to Reims for drinks
and dinner at Villa Demoiselle and a
Heidsieck Monopole tasting by Chef
de Caves Hervé LaDouce, before
heading back to the hotel for some
good rest.
Today we had the chance to visit some
of the vineyards owned by Moët &
Chandon in Côtes des Blancs – a
wonderful experience and far more
enjoyable than the examination that
had started the day off. After learning
about their grapes, vinification, pruning
and sustainability in Champagne, we
then headed to Laurent-Perrier for
a fast history lesson in the amazing
Champagne house and a visit around
their state of the art cellars.
Our first delicious drop of Champagne
was at lunchtime and what a drop it was!
Cuvée Alexandra 2004 accompanied an
equally amazing lunch. The rest of the
afternoon was spent in the company of
Hubert, heir of the Pol Roger house,
who kindly gave us a tour as well as
a glass of Winston Churchill 2004.
In the evening, Marc Brevaux, one of
the esteemed winemakers for Moët &
Chandon, offered us a tasting at the
Trianon Hotel Chandon. This wonderful
experience was then followed by the
most incredible dinner so far, created by
Michelin star chef Bernard Danse, who
is set to retire in one month.
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TOTAL CHAMPAGNE
COUNT FOR THE WEEK
Another day, another exam! Once
the morning test was over, we
drove to Reims, where we would
be staying for the rest of the week.
Charles Heidsieck was our lovely
host and started our experience
off with a visit to the Crayères, a
massive and impressive chalk pit
dug by the Romans. We enjoyed
a beautiful tasting by Cyril Brun,
culminating with a very special
treat in the form of a Magnum
of 81. I had no expectation for
Charles Heidsieck and was seriously
blown away by the quality of each
of the wines; at least 6-year ageing
created a creamy silky texture. We
then headed to Pommery, just
next door, for a tasting by Thierry,
winemaker of the brand. That
evening we dined at L’atelier de
Luca; a fantastic experience where
we prepared, cooked and plated our
own dinner and I assumed the role
of kitchen porter for the evening!
DAY 5
Waking up refreshed, we started the day
with yet another test at Piper HQ and
a lecture on second fermentation by
Delphine, winemaker at Veuve Clicquot.
We then enjoyed a ‘white wine Vin Claires’
tasting with the following: Aÿ, Ambonnay,
Oger, Villers-Marmery, Proudy, Ludes,
Avize, Verzy and Piper Assemblage. Over a
delicious lunch we enjoyed rosés from Krug,
Piper and Veuve, before heading to Veuve
HQ where we were able to blend our very
own Veuve Rosé.
During our visit, the truth behind the
famous Yellow Label was revealed – but I
am sworn to secrecy! We visited Krug for
a glass of their Grande Cuvée and had the
chance to meet Olivier Krug, 7th generation
of the Krug dynasty, who even kindly
allowed me to take a selfie! Dinner was
held at the Côte des Blancs Clos de Mesnil,
a beautifully decorated house, where we
experienced the most mind-blowing tasting
of Krug Grande Cuvée and vintage tastings;
an evening I will never forget.
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DAY 6
We headed to Lanson where we
were welcomed with a test, a visit
to their cellars and a lecture on
the marketing of the Champagne
house. We also saw a hectare of
vineyard – an amount of land that
left my head spinning thinking of the
value. Lunch was served at Roederer
where we were treated to canapés
and Champagne in a beautiful old
mansion. All feeling rather jolly after
our Champagne lunch, we headed to
the cellar of Louis Roederer, followed
by GH Mumm’s, before receiving a
late tasting by Johan Jaris. Our final
dinner was held at Hotel Comte de
Taittinger.
THE FINAL DAY
Our final day of the trip began with a
written exam hosted by Taittinger HQ,
a blind tasting of three Vins Clairs and
four Champagnes. We headed to Les
Crayères, a luxurious Grand Château
awarded with 2 Michelin stars.
The food and wine were equally
spectacular and it was here that we
would have the award ceremony for
the week. Sophie, a fellow candidate,
scoring the highest in her tests, won
the Golden Magnum, a prize of a
magnum (150l) from each of the 16
Champagne houses.
This trip would
never have been
the same without
mentioning my
other 15 graduates
of the 60th
Anniversary of
the L’Academie
du Champagne: Julien (who
remembered what we all drank),
Ben, Shiva, Rob, Sophie, Steve,
Edward, Eddie, Bex, Georgia, Rory,
Richard, Charlotte, Arthur and
Victoria and her Dinosaurs.
To the 16 Grand Marques, thank
you for your amazing hospitality,
history, knowledge and making
us feel like we belonged to a big
family. Also a big thank you to Val,
Philip (Mr Chairman) Hubert,
Nick (all at Pol Roger), for the
support and welcome to this
amazing club.
Bollinger Special Cuvée, Grande Année
2005, RD 2002, Rosé
Charles Heidsieck Rosé NV, Brut NV,
Vintage 2005 Brut, Vintage Rosé 2006,
Cuvée des Millenaires 1995, Charles
Heidsieck Vintage 1981
Dom Ruinart 2004, 2002
GH Mumm Cuvée Lalou 2002, Mumm
de Cramant Blanc de Blancs, Cordon
Rouge, Brut Selection, Mumm de
Verzenay Blanc de Noirs, Cuvée R Lalou,
Cordon Rosé
Heidsieck Monopole Blue Top from the
Magnum, Cuvée Impératrice, Rosé Top
Krug Rosé, Grande Cuvée (181st
edition), Clos de Mesnil 2002, Vintage
2003, Vintage 2002, Grande Cuvée
(2003 - 173rd edition)
Lanson Rosé Extra Age
Laurent-Perrier Ultra Brut, Vintage
2006, Cuvée Alexandra 2004, Rosé
Louis Roederer Brut Reserve, Cristal
2002
Moët & Chandon Brut Imperial NV,
Rosé, Imperial, Vintage 2006, Vintage
2006 Rosé, Vintage 2008 Rosé (not yet
released!), Rosé 1990 from Magnum
1990
Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut, Rosé, Belle
Epoque 2007, Belle Epoque Rosé 2004,
Belle Epoque, Blanc de Blancs 2006
Piper-Heidsieck Brut, Vintage 2006,
Rare 2002, Emblem, Rosé Sauvage
Pol Roger 2006, Pure Extra Brut,
Winston Churchill 2004, Rosé 2008
Pommery 2005, Brut Royale, Louise
2004, Louise 2002, Apanage Rosé NV
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs NV
Taittinger Comte de Champagne 2006,
Comte de Champagne 2005, Vintage
2008, Comte de Champagne Rosé 2005
Veuve Clicquot Rosé, 2008, Rosé
Vintage 2008, La Grande Dame Rosé
2004
Peter Alderin
General Manager
@thealderins
www.searcys.co.uk
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