And the winner is...

Our 2026 Silver Bucket winner Elizabeth Mellish reflects on the final day of the Champagne Academy course.

The final day had arrived. After a week of learning, visiting maisons, fine dining and tasting, the morning arrived for our final exam. We headed back to Maison Krug, where it had all begun, to sit the marketing exam on everything we had learnt in the lecture the day before. Worried it would be full of figures, we all spent the bus journey frantically trying to remember what percentage of Champagne was exported to different countries around the world.

Once the written exam was over, it was straight into the blind tasting. This consisted of three vins clairs where we had to guess the dominant grape variety, followed by four Champagnes where we had to identify the main grape variety, whether it was a vintage wine, the house and, hardest of all, the exact Champagne. It definitely wasn't easy, and there were a few moments where I changed my mind at the last second. After a tense hour, it was finally over.

With the exams behind us, we could finally relax and enjoy the rest of the day. Lunch and the awards ceremony were held at the incredible three Michelin-starred Restaurant L'Assiette Champenoise. Before lunch, we stood outside in the sunshine with a glass of Champagne, chatting with our fellow Academicians and everyone from the maisons who had so kindly hosted us throughout the week. It was a lovely chance to reflect on everything we had experienced over the previous seven days and how quickly the week had flown by.

• 

• 

• 

• 

They announced everyone who had successfully completed the programme before revealing the top three. I genuinely couldn't believe I had made it into the top three and was already delighted just to be standing there. So when they announced that I had won, it came as a complete shock. I honestly didn't expect it at all. It was such a proud moment and one that I don't think will properly sink in for a while.

The day finished with a spectacular lunch, which was the perfect way to celebrate the end of an unforgettable week.

Looking back, it is hard to believe how much we managed to fit into just seven days. We visited some of the most famous maisons in Champagne, learnt from incredibly knowledgeable people, tasted wines I never thought I would have the opportunity to try and met a fantastic group of people from around the world who all shared the same passion.

I think I can say we have all come away with memories and experiences that we will never forget. It really was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and one I feel incredibly lucky to have been part of.