Not since 2018 have the British trade and press been able to taste ad lib without pressure the breadth and depth of Champagne, and earlier this month in the Blavatnik Building at The Tate Modern it was back with a glorious sparkle in the English sunshine.
Comité Champagne or CVNN had decided to pursue other avenues after disbanding the Annual Champagne Tasting (Piss Up) after two decades to offer in 2017, The Official Champagne Experience Day in Kings Cross before, in 2018, joining up with the London Wine Show at Olympia. Neither had the impact or prestige of the original tasting event, and no further attempts were made to host this unique tasting.
This new generation of the trade (whether on or off-trade) needs every opportunity to taste broadly across Champagne.
Fast-forward to April 2025 where the core of the original Annual Champagne Tasting has been taken on with the new format now run by the UK’s Champagne Agents Association, with the idea to represent the breadth and width of the Champagne region, covering growers, co-ops, small, large and prestige houses. As before, there are individual brand tables highlighting up to four cuvées, as well as central tables showing Non-Vintage and Vintage Champagnes.
Back in the early 2020s this was how I, and many others, decided on their House Champagnes – being able to directly compare the majority of Champagnes in the UK market was a ‘Godsend’ and pretty unique in the early years.
I questioned James Simpson MW, (MD of Pol Roger Portfolio) who is the Chair of the Champagne Agents Association on whether there had been a coup or “coupé”? (see what you did there Rog ;) – Ed.)
“The Champagne Agents Association (CAA) grasped the reins a little quicker than the CIVC for this 2025 event. But I can confirm that the tasting was held very much with the support of the CIVC. And I am hopeful that the cooperation will be closer still in 2026 (it does look as if, now we have reinstated the tasting, that it needs to be an annual event).”
Good to see as the CAA was established in 1913 and this was their first foray into staging events… and what a great event!
"I swear I left the Winston Churchill in here somewhere." James Simpson MW preparing the tasting
I asked Simpson whether the event was a necessity?
“Times are indeed challenging (you will have seen the 2024 export figures from the CIVC) – whether that’s through economic gloom, a challenged younger generation or a couple of years of price increases. But prices have now stabilised, the quality of Champagne is better than it has ever been (the result of huge investments over the last generation) and the Champagne ‘brand’ thankfully remains strong. Fingers crossed that the UK market rebounds in 2025 (after all we need to find a happy home for some of the wine that is now not going to head to the States).”
Simpson also said that he was very much aware that the old format had become a bit old school, and we need to remember that this new generation of the trade (whether on or off-trade) needs every opportunity to taste broadly across Champagne, and this is what this tasting achieved.
I was also delighted that unlike another tasting held the same day, this event had a physical tasting booklet. It is so important to get that information clear and fast to the taster, especially when one is trying such a vast range of Champagne.
Tasting booklets to me have been an integral part of my wine education over the last 40 years and remain a hugely important reference point to look back on over the decades. QR codes can be useful but, in an industry, where talking to the client is at the core of what we do best, seeing an audience staring at a phone is not convivial to tasting Champagne.
What did I learn from the Tasting?
Roger Jones trying not to pick a favourite
It would be churlish to pick out any favourites, but it made me more aware of the quantity and quality of Champagnes available that retail at between £45 and £55 including top houses.
It was also so good to see so many younger attendees, happy to get an opportunity to get the privilege to try a huge range of Champagnes in one venue. Rarely can you swap from speed-tasting Pol Roger (from the Brut Reserve ‘White Foil’ up to Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill 2015) to Pommery (Brut Royal NV to Cuvee Louise 2006) or to Armand de Brignac (Brut Gold to Blanc de Noir Assemblage No.4).
I am sure there were guests who had never tried before some of the more prestigious labels; equally it was a pleasure to see so many growers and small houses happily sat with their Premier League counterparts.
To me it looks like there is an old wine tradition that has successfully been brought back, slightly modernised but keeping to the core values of the original format… but maybe with a few less old farts staggering around.
