Champagne 101: Moet and Chandon style

Moët has been in production since 1743, and the ‘t’ in Moët is pronounced - the name is actually Dutch, not French. This has long been a subject of debate, and now you know, so make sure you shout your Moët & Chandon order out because you’re pronouncing it right! The trademark ‘Imperial’ was adopted as a tribute to Napoleon, who would stop in at Moët & Chandon for a week before every battle to stock up on Moët (except before Waterloo, moral of the story; drink champagne, win battles).
 

Katie was kind enough to give us a few pointers about drinking champagne. To open the bottle, Katie says to remove the foil wrapping, and place your thumb on top of the cork (over the wire as well). Undo the wire, which should take six and a quarter twists exactly, but leave it over the cork and keeping your thumb over both the cork and wire, ease it out slowly.

Apparently when the cork comes out the sound it makes should be like “the sigh of a satisfied woman”. Hmmm, we’re not sure about that but if you get the cork out without wasting any of your precious Moët you certainly will be a satisfied woman. Warm champagne is more likely to pop and spill (plus it doesn’t taste as good) so make sure you chill the bottle before you serve it and always hold the flute by the stem. This is so your hand doesn’t warm the champagne, causing the bubbles to fade faster.


 

And then, it was time for tasting! We were all very excited to begin the actual drinking part of the masterclass but first, Katie gave us a couple of quick pointers about how to get the most enjoyment out of Moët & Chandon. Champagne is a full sensory experience so before you drink any, put your nose in the glass and have a good sniff. Next, take a sip and roll it around your mouth (different parts of your tongue will pick up different flavours), swallow and take note of the flavours that are left in your mouth. We were lucky enough to have three different varieties of Moët & Chandon to taste, so we kicked off with the flagship Brut Imperial.
 

First impressions: No wonder the tagline is ‘Be Fabulous”! This is crisp and fresh tasting with definite fruit flavours, and a taste that stays in your mouth long after you swallow. It tastes elegant and it makes us feel elegant - we like.

Smell: The smell is fruity, with notes of peach and a hint of toastiness.

Taste: Fruity and crisp with hints of spice, citrus and fresh bread.
 

First impressions: This would be perfect sipped on a hot sunny day, with a big platter of yummy nibbles. It has a real Mediterranean feel to it and makes us think of long, lazy afternoons; plus it’s so pretty! When Katie pours the rosé, it lands in the flute with a froth of gorgeous baby pink bubbles – we think it’d be perfect for a girls’ night or bridal shower.

Smell: The rosé smells like raspberries, with some crisp notes of pepper.

Taste: This is dry but sweet and very intense, with flavours of summer fruits.
 

First Impressions: This is sweet, gorgeous, full-bodied goodness! We’re all reduced to making little noises of champagne-adoration. But as soon as we recover from how ridiculously good it is we’re swearing to make it our signature drink and hunting around the office for someone who we can force to get engaged so we can buy a case - it’s that good. I think I’m in love.

Smell: Notes of honey and something fruity, maybe plum.

Taste: Gorgeously full, without being too sweet. The first taste is of honeyed sweetness, followed quickly by a note of mango and followed up with a hit of gingerbread. It’s a richer taste than the Brut Imperial but still finishes crisply. 

 


The verdict

We love Moët & Chandon! We adored the three gorgeous varieties we tried and after our tasting were so ready to go out and ‘Be fabulous’. I’ve put Nectar Imperial on my Christmas list but I’m pretty sure I’ll be treating myself to a bottle (or two) before then. Thanks to Katie, we can now all drink champagne like we know what we’re doing and look elegant doing it - no more wrapping our hands around the glass at nzgirl HQ! Plus, now we know just how much difference there is between everyday bubbly and a really great champagne to be savoured, and which leaves a lasting impression. We’re converted.