Bollinger Champagne: Elegance In A Bottle

The fabulous story of Bollinger champagne begins with Athanase de Villermont, a young aristocrat who inherited a spacious plot in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France. With a desire to affirm the potential of the region’s wines, he teamed up with Joseph Bollinger and Paul Renaudin to found the company Renaudin-Bollinger & Cie in 1829. Several years later, as Bollinger was facing several economic crises, Joseph took over the reins of the enterprise. Upon his death, the torch was passed to his wife Elizabeth Bollinger, who would draw upon her grace and incredible taste for excellence to make the legacy of Ay last through each member of her family. In 1961, she fervently explained her attraction to champagne… “I drink it when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes, I even drink it when I’m alone. If I have company, I consider it to be my duty. If I’m not hungry, I play with it, and I drink it when I’m famished. Otherwise I don’t touch the stuff, unless I’m thirsty.”

Since 2007, Jérôme Philipon has successfully headed up the brand, launching a flavorful non-vintage rosé champagne several months ago. “We have a very British image. There’s even some British people that think Bollinger is a British brand that was outsourced to France.” Aromatic, profound, and sparkling, this champagne is both sharp and tonic. Chic and delicate, the delicious wine boasts the same sophisticated image as in 1884 when it became the official champagne of the British Monarchy. In 1973, James Bond would bring it into the limelight in “Live and Let Die”. Several years later, a special 007 vintage would even see the light of day.

This champagne is a mixture of apricot, pear, and cherry plum as well as an assembly of five different wines: Mesnil-sur-Oger, Cramant, and Avize for the chardonnay, Ay and Verzenay for the Pinot Noir. The champagne’s fermentation takes place inside oak barrels to preserve its warmth and character. Expressive, it also entirely preserves its freshness. Let time stand still, just for a moment, as you sip your glass of Bollinger.