OUR CUSTOMERS SAY.....
"When you are offering top quality cuisine, it has to be complimented by equally good wines. We like Henry George Wines because they offer good champagnes at competitive prices, and above all it comes direct from the grower which means that you won't find it in the supermarket."
Steve and Fabien, In Vino Veritas, Brighton.
Grower Champagnes
Welcome to the world of grower champagne.
One thing that annoys the hell out of me is people who know their subject of choice and assume that the whole world will recognise it's jargon.
Let's start with 'Grower Champagne'.
Surely, I hear you say, all champagne is 'grown'.
Answer--- Yes, or shall we say, all the grapes which go into champagne are grown, by somebody. Grower champagne is champagne made by the people who grow the grapes that go into it. This means, therefore, that it's in the interests of these people to make sure that they produce the best quality harvest for their champagne.
Still with me?
Okay, now let's expand on that idea. Did you know that there are many thousands of grape growers in the Champagne area of France who sell their produce to third parties?
These third parties will have contracts with the growers which guarantee them a set price per kilo for their harvest. Because of the amount of investment necessary to make champagne, the growers are happy to let these third parties do the rest.
And who are these third parties?
They range from large 'Negociants' (merchants), to co-operatives, to small negociants, and include names like Moet et Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Taittinger, and most of the cheap stuff that is generally on offer in your local supermarket. Most of this stuff is made on an industrial scale, rather in the same way as wine like Echo Falls, or Gallo, or Jacob's Creek, or Piat d'or, and the list goes on.
So the choice is yours, but here's how to recognise the difference, apart from the taste.
Hidden at the bottom of the label of every bottle of champagne are two letters which precede a long serial number.
RM=Grower
NM=Negociant
CM=Co-operative
MA=Made up name for Supermarkets etc.
For a much more lucid and entertaining explanation of the whole subject of grower champagne vs industrial champagne I urge you to google 'Terry Theisse', an American wine importer who champions grower champagne in the USA. Then come back and see what we have to offer here!
OUR CUSTOMERS SAY.......
"As one of the premier boutique hotels in the country we source our champagne from the suppliers who really know their product. Henry George Wines have some pretty impressive grower champagnes to choose from and their service has always been second to none"
Richard Hayes, Drakes of Brighton