Pop Goes The Champers!

At this year’s Jamaica Bridal Expo, recently held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre on Saturday, October 19 – Sunday, October 20, VOWS caught up with Geoffrey Bouilly, Moët Hennessy market manager for the Caribbean and popped the cork on a few bubbly-related topics.

VOWS: Why is champagne such a perfect fit for festive occasions?

Geoffrey Bouilly: Champagne has always been associated with success, glamour and celebration. It is one of the most loved drinks on earth; and Moët is by far, one of the most beloved champagnes.

VOWS: Champagne has always been synonymous with luxury, how can the more budget-conscious host or couple keep a cuvee on their wine list without breaking the bank?

GB: When you buy champagne, you’re proposing an exceptional experience for your guest. Yes, it has a cost but it so much more than just a drink. A great way of saving some money, is to limit or restrict the indulgence of the beverage to a specific period of the event, say for example, just for toasting — after which you can introduce or re-introduce red and white wines;and/or signature or event-specific cocktails to the bar or dinner service.

VOWS: For generations, the champagne coupe has fallen out of favour, with the festive mainstream, to the advantage of the flute. What’s the science behind this?

GB: The coupe isn’t very convenient when it comes to movement or dancing due its wide mouth and shallow depth. It can be quite tough to handle with the result being: most of the contents of your glass on the ground. In contrast, due to the shape of the flute, containment is not a problem plus it maintains the bubbles or effervescence of the champagne, preventing the beverage from becoming ‘flat’ or decarbonated too easily. In other words, champagne served in a flute will stay fresher longer, and there is also the aesthetic or visual aspect of seeing the suspended chains of bubbles in one’s glass.

That being said, there are cases where the complexity of a particular vintage or blend of champagne will warrant it being enjoyed in a larger glass as this helps to better release the bouquet and the flavours as the wine comes in contact with (the) air and with the palette. If these types of champagnes were to be poured into the flutes the drinker would be robbed of a sensational experience as well as a change of pace.

VOWS: Are vintages as relevant to champagne as they are to non-sparkling wines?

GB: Champagne is best drunk or enjoyed quite quickly. Yes, additional aromas and complexities will develop whenever champagne is aged but not as much, in essence, as is possible in a still wine. So my recommendation is not to keep unopened bottles of champagne too long. As far as vintages go, that’s a matter of taste, choice and evaluation — in the world of champagne, older does not necessarily mean better.

VOWS: Champagne runs the gamut from extra brut through sec and demi-sec to doux and back. When catering to larger guest-lists, which degree of sweetness is the most versatile or appropriate?

GB: Degrees of sweetness is usually determined by cultural tastes and palettes. Though brut champagne is the most globally consumed sweetness level including in Jamaica and in the rest of the Caribbean — people in this region tend to gravitate to sweeter champagnes. In our case at Moët & Chandon, those would be the Nectar Impérial and the Nectar Impérial Rosé; or during a hot day by the pool, the Ice Impérial, which is technically a demi-sec.

VOWS: As a universally accepted symbol of love and romance, what really gives pink champagne its edge over the gold coloured variety?

GB: It’s a different way to do the blend; you’ll find fruity notes of strawberry and pineapple that you can’t get with regular champagne. It’s a matter of taste or association.

VOWS: What is the key to pulling off the perfect champagne pyramid?

GB: (Laughs) Those techniques are closely guarded by every champagne house as this unique knowledge and skill are only held by a few, globally. At Moët & Chandon we have two experts in-house who would be happy to give demonstrations to would-be site visitors.

VOWS: What champagne cocktail should we all be adding to our brunch menus or spreads at the moment?

GB: I have one that people in Jamaica will love: It’s called Femme Fatale — you take some Moët Impérial and then add a little bit Hennessy X.O.

VOWS: The mispronunciation of Moët is as old as the (champagne) house itself. Does the brand secretly oversee a global stash of penalty jars for repeat-offenders?

GB: Moët & Chandon is a world-renowned brand and it touches everyone. Our message is about the sharing of special moments and the bonding of friendships and relationships. So we see the mispronunciations as part of the fun aspect or quality of the brand experience. People saying ‘Mo-aye’ as opposed to the correct ‘Mo-wett’ does not matter as long as they enjoy our champagnes.