Champagne Testing

Growing up in a traditional Indian family, even uttering the word "alcohol" was off-limits, let alone drinking it. Naturally, I knew next to nothing about different types of drinks or the culture around them.

That all changed when I moved to Germany and discovered German beer culture for the first time. Here, beer isn't just a drink—it’s a way of life. Almost every small town takes immense pride in its own local brew. I eventually had the chance to visit Oktoberfest, the grandest beer festival of them all, and I was completely blown away. The massive tents, live folk music, crowds downing one-liter mugs after another, and the waitresses effortlessly carrying ten huge glass mugs at once in their traditional Dirndls—the energy was incredible.

Walking into those tents and not having a beer felt like a cardinal sin, so of course, I indulged! However, I realized beer isn't really my thing; I’ve always preferred wine and champagne.

Two years ago, a friend mentioned champagne tasting in France, and it instantly went onto my bucket list. This year, I finally made the trip to the Champagne region. Exploring the underground cellars and learning about the craft firsthand was an incredible experience. We visited two very different producers: the largest, most iconic house in the world, and a small, historic family-run estate. The contrast between the two was fascinating.

Our first stop was Moët & Chandon. The one-hour cellar tour ended with a tasting, but the whole experience felt quite commercial. Tickets started at €14 for a single glass tasting, with prices climbing if you wanted to sample more varieties.

Fast Facts about Moët & Chandon:

• History: Originally called just Moët, the name changed after a daughter of the house married into the Chandon family. Her husband became heavily involved in the business, leading to the iconic joint name.

• Scale: They are one of the world's largest champagne producers, pumping out roughly 26 million bottles annually. They own about 1,000 hectares of the region's 34,000 total hectares of vineyards.

• Craft: Technically, champagne is a sparkling wine, but only sparkling wine produced in this specific French region can legally carry the name "Champagne" due to its unique soil and grape quality. The grapes are strictly hand-picked, and much of the production remains traditional.

• Vintage Champagne: Unlike standard non-vintage blends, Vintage Champagne is made exclusively from grapes harvested in exceptional years. Naturally, it commands a higher price. Our guide mentioned that they are expecting the current year to be declared a vintage year!

Next, we visited Forget-Brimont, a small but historic producer whose name combines the surnames of the owner and his wife.

Unlike the commercial setup at Moët, there was no paid formal cellar tour here. Instead, we received an informal, highly personal walkthrough followed by a tasting. The woman guiding us spoke with genuine passion and deep emotional connection to the brand. Sadly, we learned that the owner is getting quite old, and since his two daughters don't wish to take over the family business, he is selling it. Hearing that made me a bit nostalgic for the dying art of family craft. Though their annual output is only around 280,000 bottles—a drop in the ocean compared to Moët—the quality and taste were exceptional.

There are hundreds of other producers scattered across the region, and I’m already planning to head back next year to explore a few more. Until then, I’ll gladly stick to enjoying the bottles I brought home for my collection!