Latest news with #Champagne
Forbes
10 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Champagne Palmer Offers Underrated Pleasures
Vineyards of Champagne Palmer, Verzenay, Montagne de Reims So many Champagnes, so little time … Chances are there are many Champagne houses you've never heard of. This is true everywhere, be in Napa Valley, Tuscany, Burgundy or several other famous wine regions. There are only so many producers in any particular region that receive sufficient attention; perhaps they're more famous, or have more money to spend, but whatever the reasons, many excellent wine producers the world over are consistently underrated. You can easily put Champagne Palmer, located in Reims, one of the region's most famous cities, on a list of under appreciated producers. Founded in 1947 by seven growers with vineyards in the Montage de Reims area of Champagne, today the company is a cooperative with more than 200 members who farm more than 500 acres in several parts of Champagne, including the Côte des Blancs and the Montagne de Reims. Rémi Vervier, Managing Director and Oenologist at Champagne Palmer I recently met with Rémi Vervier, Managing Director at Champagne Palmer, and tasted out several new releases as well as one older vintage Champagne. Beginning with their non-vintage La Réserve, a blend of Chardonnay (50%), Pinot Noir (35%) and Meunier (15%), and continuing through the 2015 Grand Terroirs, he spoke about this last cuvée and the philosophy of the founders of Champagne Palmer in general. 'The first Champagne the founders produced was in that spirit,' he remarked. 'It's a combination of Chardonnay, even if all of the Chardonnay comes from the Montagne de Reims (unusual for the Champagne region), so it's very fresh, it's more Pinot-Noir oriented, and only Premier Cru and Grand Cru from the Montagne de Reims.' For Vervier 2015 was, ' an interesting vintage, a warm vintage, with very fruity expression. 'But a very fragile expression of the vineyard which looks to the north. It conserves the freshness, the liveliness of the wine. Even in a warm year like 2015, you still have this freshness, the elegant bitterness that sustains the fruitiness that you have in a warm vintage. It's something that makes you salivate; there a sort of saltiness.' As far as that sharp edge, it's fine for Vervier; 'sometimes bitterness can frighten people, but it's really useful for the wines.' As for one year being better than another based on too much heat, a phenomenon only recently occurring in Champagne, Verview comments; 'the best Champagnes are a combination of everything: the weather conditions, the location; it's very complex.' Here are my notes on the Champagne Palmer cuvées I recently tasted in Chicago: La Réserve (non-vintage): Light yeastiness on the nose; lemon essence perfumes; very well balanced with notable persistence. An impressive cuvée that is an ideal way to start a meal. Enjoy over the next four to six years. (92) La Réserve Nature (non-vintage) - A blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier, this is similar to the wine above, except for the fact that this wine has zero dosage. This is quite dry and has a distinct note of minerality; there are lemon and candied fruit notes. This is among the finest non-vintage Champagnes available today. This will drink well over the next six to seven years. (94) Blanc de Blancs 2018 - 100% Chardonnay from the Montagne de Reims. Lemon pulp aromas with a delicate nuttiness in the finish. Medium-full, this is quite elegant with very good acidity and impressive complexity; enjoy over the next five to seven years. (92) Rosé Solera (non-vintage) - Here is a unique Rosé Champagne, a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier that uses eight percent of solera Pinot Noir started 40 years ago kept in stainless steel tanks as a perpetual reserve Champagne. Quite ripe, with flavors of red currant and strawberry, this displays impressive complexity; pair with steak or many red meats; enjoy over the next five to seven years. (91) Grand Terroirs 2015 - A blend of Chardonnay (50%), Pinot Noir (38%) and Meunier (12%), this is an harmonious, complex Champagne that beautifully displays the house style of Champagne Palmer. Medium-full, with aromas of orange peel and yeast, this can stand up to roast veal or filet mignon equally well; enjoy over the next seven to ten years. (93)Older Vintage bottles (vintage 1996) stored "Sur pointe" in the cellars of Champagne Palmer 1997 Vintage Collection – Along with their current releases, Champagne Palmer also has older cuvées in their cellars, including such renowned recent vintages such as 1976, 1979, 1985 and 1989. I tasted the 1997, a blend of Chardonnay (53%), Pinot Noir (24%) and Meunier (23%) Deep golden yellow; aromas of bread, dried pear, hazelnut and dried orange peel. Medium-full, with impressive richness, good acidity, impressive persistence and a powerful finish, with notes of stone fruit; there is a distinct minerality that completes the experience of this wine. How well you will enjoy this wine depends on your tastes – do you prefer younger Champagnes a year or two after release, or are seduced by older cuvées that are powerful and have a sensation of dried apples and baked bread? Regardless, this is a special wine that still have excellent character and freshness after 18 years, pair with veal roast or lobster roll. (94)
Business Post
19 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Business Post
Classic summer wines from Aldi with Cathal McBride
Award-winning wines, vibrant flavours and unbeatable value, ALDI's range shines again this summer with a stellar line-up. From crisp Champagne to zesty whites and vibrant rosés, check out my pick of the perfect summer sips, including highlights from the Specially Selected range, which offers great quality and great-value bottles. Whether it's a garden party, casual dinner or grand soirée, there is a wine here to elevate every occasion. Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut €23.99 No summer soirée is complete without some refreshing bubbles—and none more so than Champagne. The award-winning Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut, crowned World's Best Champagne, delivers enticing aromas of crisp apples, macadamia nuts, toasted notes, and white florals. Its clean, crisp palate is brilliantly evocative, with vibrant citrus acidity and a strong mousse. Undoubtedly superb value for money and universally crowd-pleasing, this is also an elegant and refined wine suited to any occasion. Kooliburra Cabernet Sauvignon €9.99 This is made with grapes from two of Australia's most famous winemaking regions, Coonawarra and Barossa Valley, both known for their outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon. Ripe fruits draw you in with notes of blackcurrants, dark cherries, a touch of green pepper and spice. The palate is plush with dense fruit, balanced by ample acidity and lengthy tannins. A well balanced wine to coincide with the smoky elements of BBQ meats but also roasted beef, lamb and chargrilled vegetables. Pierre Jaurant Le Petit Poulet Rosé €8.99 A delightfully fresh nose with engaging ripe red berries sits alongside a layer of lime zest and white flowers from this southern Rhône blend. The palate represents much of the same as where vibrant red berry fruit marries alongside some textured stone fruit. Zippy with a good mouthfeel and body, this is a fun yet elegant rosé that's ideal for summer fare, think roast chicken, salads, and even dishes with a spicy edge. Delightfully quaffable and a summer bargain. Specially Selected Pinot Grigio Blush DOC €7.99 From ALDI's Specially Selected range this shows a stunning rose gold colour in the glass, obtained from the skins of the grapes. Ripe red berries present on the nose with a fleck of blood orange citrus and fresh minerality. A rounded mouthfeel with vibrant grapefruit citrus acidity to hold court is followed by a lengthy peppercorn finish, and a light tannic structure makes it ideal with food. Pair with an array of seafood such as grilled prawns, summer salads and soft cheeses. Specially Selected Freemans Bay Gisborne Pinot Gris €9.49 Another top-drawer example from ALDI's Specially Selected range, this New World Alsatian style Pinot Gris flourishes with exuberant aromatics of lemon zest, white flowers, acacia, mango and apple. The palate is nicely balanced, fresh with green apple and melon with a rounded harmony and crisp with a delightful lemon acidity. Bright and elegant, this is great value for money. Perfect with seafood risotto, light pasta dishes, salads or roast pork. Castellore Organic Prosecco DOC Extra Dry €14.49 Another award-winning wine, this Prosecco from a family-run winery in the Veneto region in Northern Italy offers delicate and engaging aromas of pear and apple, with a fleck of toasted nuts and lemon spritz. Fresh, fun, convivial and bright, this is an extra dry Prosecco with a lot of personality and summer freshness. A brilliant value organic wine and an ideal aperitif for your summer gatherings.
France 24
a day ago
- France 24
France jails three in champagne 'slaves' case
The Champagne region is under tough scrutiny, with another inquiry looking into the use of Ukrainians during the same 2023 harvest, which was marked by exceptional heat and the death of four grape pickers. A lawyer for the victims -- more than 50 mostly undocumented migrant workers from Mali, Mauritania, Ivory Coast and Senegal -- said the court had made a "historic" decision. The victims, who said they had been treated "like slaves", also praised the ruling. "The people were working in really bad conditions, and this decision is fair," said Amadou Diallo, a 39-year-old from Senegal. The court sentenced the director of a servicing company called Anavim, a Kyrgyz woman in her forties, to two years behind bars, and another two years suspended. She had denied being responsible for the housing conditions, and blamed the two other defendants suspected of recruiting the harvesters. The court sentenced the two others, both men in their thirties, to one year in jail, alongside suspended terms. All three were found guilty of human trafficking -- defined under French law as "recruiting, transporting, transferring, housing or receiving a person to exploit them," by means of coerced employment, abusing a position of authority, abusing a vulnerable situation or in exchange of payment or benefits. The Anavim director was also found guilty of crimes including concealing employment of workers. The court in Chalons-en-Champagne dissolved the servicing company and ordered a wine-making cooperative it worked with to pay a 75,000-euro ($87,000) fine. The court ordered the three guilty to pay 4,000 euros each to each victim. A lawyer for the Anavim director called the ruling "unfair" and said there would be an appeal. "My client is the ideal culprit for an industry that has long turned a blind eye to its own practices," said Bruno Questel. - 'Like slaves' - Maxime Cessieux, an attorney for the victims, said the 2025 harvest "will be closely scrutinised and no one will be able to say 'I didn't know, I didn't understand, I didn't know who these people in my vineyards were'." In September 2023, the labour inspectorate found that the accommodation provided by Anavim for grape pickers southwest of Reims "seriously undermined" their safety, health and dignity. The accommodation was subsequently closed by the prefecture, which had pointed to makeshift bedding and "the appalling state of the toilets, washrooms and communal areas." Camara Sikou, one of the victims, told the court the workers had been treated "like slaves." "They put us in an abandoned building, with no food, no water, no nothing," added Modibo Sidibe, who said the workers were in the fields from 5.00am until 6.00pm. The Comite Champagne, which represents winegrowers and champagne houses, was a plaintiff in the trial. "You don't play with the health and safety of seasonal workers. Nor are we playing with the image of our appellation," the trade association said. The CGT champagne trade union said the punishment was not sufficient. "What we are asking for is the downgrading of the harvest" in the zones where the offences were committed so it could no longer be used to produce champagne, said Jose Blanco, CGT general secretary. Every year, around 120,000 seasonal workers are recruited to pick the grapes grown across 34,000 hectares (84,000 acres) in the Champagne region. In 2023, four harvesters died, possibly the result of sunstroke after working in scorching heat. A service provider and its manager will go on trial in November on suspicion of having housed 40 Ukrainians in unfit conditions. © 2025 AFP
New York Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Orgies, threats at breakfast and Champagne at any cost: Private jet attendant reveals what the super wealthy are really like at 45,000 feet
In 2015, Danielle Styron, then 32, was offered her dream job as a private jet flight attendant. It promised a six-figure salary, trips to luxury resorts and full benefits. It seemed too good to be true — and it was. Over the course of two phone interviews, the pilot continually hinted at the 'alternative lifestyle' of the plane's owner, a religious man who split his time flying with his family half the month and with his girlfriends the other half. As the conversation went on, it became clear the role involved participating in orgies with the girlfriends onboard while the owner watched. 'We only fly them once a month, so it's not like you have to be a lesbian, you would just need to have fun with them,' the pilot assured her. 6 Danielle Styron has written a dishy memoir about her time as a private jet flight attendant. Olga Ginzburg for NY Post Styron writes about the seedy job interview — and the seven years she spent flying with the rich and famous — in her dishy new memoir 'The Mile High Club: Confessions of a Private Jet Flight Attendant' (Post Hill Press; out now), co-written with her brother, James Styron. 'Names have been changed to protect (us from) the malevolent,' the intro reads. 'Behaviors have been presented to humble them. You know who you are.' Styron, now 41, didn't end up taking the job with the orgy-loving jet owner, but she went on to work for for a number of difficult people. Some of her clients, she writes, were 'miserable, vampires of human joy.' One passenger berated her for not having the proper tequila stocked, even though it wasn't requested. Anorexic, food-obsessed wives micro-managed everything that came out of the galley kitchen. An assistant threatened to punch her in the face over a not-hot-enough breakfast sandwich. Then there was the time a woman shoved Styron into a bulkhead mid-turbulence because her beloved puppies got jostled. 'She treated the dogs better than any human on board,' Styron writes. 6 Styron worked on private planes for seven years. Courtesy of Danielle Styron One of her lowest points was being asked to source Champagne on the tropical island of St. Maarten, just after it had been devastated by a hurricane. The client demanded bubbles despite the natural disaster. 'I'm standing there thinking, 'There's no Champagne. There was just a major hurricane. People are standing outside waiting for bread, and you're asking me to spend $20,000 on bubbly,'' Styron told The Post. There was only one supermarket open, which Styron begrudgingly patronized in search of the requested Champs. 'It felt dystopian,' she said. 6 'Names have been changed to protect (us from) the malevolent,' she writes in the intro. 'Behaviors have been presented to humble them. You know who you are.' Courtesy of Jen Senn Then there was the two-timing bigwig who would fly with his pregnant wife one day and his mistress a few days later. 'As a woman, it was hurtful to be a part of that,' she said. 'Even though I had no choice. What was I going to do, blow my life up to be like, 'Yo, your man's cheating on you?' She probably already knew.' Sometimes, as the title of the book suggests, passengers got intimated in flight. She and her crew knew the drill: retreat to the front, let the guests go at it, and deal with the cleanup later. 'It's usually in the bathroom, galley, or right there on the sofa,' she writes. 'It's their house, right? Private jets are like flying living rooms.' 6 Styron's brother, James Styron, encouraged her to write about her experiences on the job. He's a co-writer on the book. Olga Ginzburg for NY Post Despite the uncomfortable situations and challenging passengers, the jobs also entailed plenty of good times and perks. She partied in Las Vegas with pilots and jetted off to Costa Rica, Aspen and St. Barts. One time in LA, the plane broke down on the tarmac, a typical mechanical delay. Danielle was tasked with keeping the charter guests fed and entertained while the pilots tried to fix the plane. The lead passenger was none other than actor and comedian Jamie Foxx. Unlike most high-profile clients, he took the delay in stride. He was 'the most delightful celebrity,' she said. 'He was cracking jokes and telling stories. He was pure light. [After three hours on the ground,] we were out of food, the mimosas were gone, people were losing patience, but not Jamie. He was still smiling. Still gracious. It restored my faith in humanity.' 6 Wealthy passengers treated their private jets like private homes, Styron says, meaning they sometimes got intimate in the living room. Courtesy of Danielle Styron Misery, however, seemed to be more the norm. 'You think these people have it all,' she said. 'But I saw the opposite. They're really insecure. Their friends are all about one-upmanship. One man owned several planes, had a beautiful wife, everything in the world, and he was obsessing about his hair plugs. Like who cares?' Styron ultimately retired from aviation and went back to doing what she'd done before, working as an aesthetician. 6 Now retired from aviation, Styron works as an aesthetician. Olga Ginzburg for NY Post She now owns Fluff NYC, a brow and skincare studio on the Upper East Side, where she tends to people's faces — not their egos. 'It's less glamorous,' she said with a laugh, 'but way more peaceful.'
CNA
2 days ago
- CNA
France jails three for exploiting migrant labour in Champagne harvest
CHLONS-EN-CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE: A French court on Monday (July 21) sentenced three people to jail for human trafficking in the Champagne region, ruling they exploited dozens of seasonal migrant workers and housed them in appalling conditions during the 2023 grape harvest. The trial, which centred on a company called Anavim, highlighted growing scrutiny over labour practices in the wine-making sector. A separate investigation is also probing the alleged use of undocumented Ukrainian workers in the same harvest, which was marked by intense heat and the deaths of four grape pickers. More than 50 victims, mostly undocumented migrants from Mali, Mauritania, Ivory Coast and Senegal, told the court they had been treated 'like slaves.' 'LIKE SLAVES,' NO FOOD OR WATER 'The people were working in really bad conditions, and this decision is fair,' said Amadou Diallo, a 39-year-old Senegalese man. The court sentenced the Kyrgyz director of Anavim to two years in prison, plus a two-year suspended term. She denied responsibility for the housing, blaming two male associates who helped recruit the workers. The two men, both in their thirties, were each sentenced to one year in jail with additional suspended terms. All three were convicted of human trafficking, defined under French law as exploiting a person through coercion, authority, vulnerability, or for payment. The Anavim director was also convicted of concealing the employment of undocumented workers. The court ordered the dissolution of Anavim and imposed a €75,000 (US$87,000) fine on a wine-making cooperative that worked with the firm. The three defendants must pay €4,000 to each victim. A lawyer for the Anavim director said the ruling was 'unfair' and would be appealed. 'My client is the ideal culprit for an industry that has long turned a blind eye to its own practices,' said defence lawyer Bruno Questel. HARVEST UNDER SCRUTINY Victims recounted grim details of their experience. 'They put us in an abandoned building, with no food, no water, no nothing,' said Modibo Sidibe, who described 13-hour workdays in the vineyards. Labour inspectors who visited the workers' accommodation in September 2023 described conditions that 'seriously undermined' health and dignity. Authorities later closed the building, citing makeshift bedding and 'the appalling state of the toilets, washrooms and communal areas.' Maxime Cessieux, a lawyer for the victims, said the verdict marked a turning point. 'The 2025 harvest will be closely scrutinised, and no one will be able to say 'I didn't know',' he said. INDUSTRY REACTION AND DEMANDS The Comité Champagne, which represents growers and producers, was a plaintiff in the case. 'You don't play with the health and safety of seasonal workers,' it said in a statement. 'Nor are we playing with the image of our appellation.' However, the CGT Champagne trade union said the punishment did not go far enough. Its general secretary, Jose Blanco, called for downgrading the harvest from areas where violations occurred, so the grapes could not be used in champagne production. Each year, around 120,000 seasonal workers are hired to pick grapes across 34,000 hectares in the Champagne region.
