Fizz Feast Taster - Taittinger Champagne

Each week on a Tuesday and a Thursday in the run up to Fizz Feast we’re focusing on one of our fabulous exhibitors to give you a flavour of the treats in store at Fizz Feast on Saturday 17 November.

Today's Fizz Feast Taster is all about Taittinger who we’re very pleased to be welcoming back for the third year running. Whilst many of us are familiar with Taittinger Brut Non-Vintage there’s a whole range of Champagne to enjoy from this popular Champagne House.

Master of Wine Mark O’Bryen will also be presenting an enlightening Taittinger Masterclass at Fizz Feast which will be a great opportunity to find out more about this favourite Champagne.  Mark will be demonstrating there’s is much more than just Brut in the world of Champagne. So come and discover the different styles Taittinger offers for your different occasions. This masterclass will be during the earlier session of Fizz Feast (12-3pm) and tickets are just £7.50 each Find out more.

Taittinger remains one of the few Champagne Houses to remain owned and actively managed by the family named on the label.  Its origins date back to 1734 when the original house was founded by Jacques Fourneaux. The Taittinger link was established in 1931 when Pierre Taittinger, the founder of today's company acquired the House. As a young cavalry officer during the First World War Pierre had spent some time in the Champagne region. He was stationed at Château de la Marquetterie and fell in love with this beautiful property and its vineyards and eventually managed to purchase it. Today Pierre’s grandson, Pierre-Emmanuel with his son Clovis and daughter Vitalie manage this thriving family Champagne House and Taittinger is enjoyed in over 140 countries around the world.

Taittinger's home is situated above miles of chalk tunnels and cellars. These 4th century UNESCO listed cellars once belonged to the Benedictine monks of the abbey of St Nicaise and are perfect for the slow ageing process required for great Champagne.

The hallmark of the Taittinger Champagnes is the high percentage of Chardonnay used in their winemaking which can be anything from 40% in the Brut Réserve Non Vintage to 100% in the prestigious Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs. This Chardonnay dominance provides for a style of elegance, delicacy and finesse which is recognised worldwide and has earned the House many accolades and awards over the years.

Taittinger made recent history by becoming the first Champagne house to purchase land in England to ultimately produce a premium English Sparkling Wine. This pioneering joint venture is called Domaine Evremond and marks an exciting new time for the family and Hatch Mansfield its partner. It’ll be a few years before we might see this at Fizz Feast but it’ll no doubt be worth the wait.

Fizz Feast is a true Celebration of Sparkling Wine & Artisan Food being held on Saturday 17 November at The Edinburgh Academy on Henderson Row. There are two sessions to choose from 12-3pm and 4-7pm.

Tickets are available from £22.50 and Masterclasses are from a modest £5. Find out more.

Keep an eye out for a flavour of another Fizz Feast exhibitor in the next Fizz Feast Taster blog this Thursday.