Memories from the 2026 Students

Prologue - Carl Evans

After months of anticipation, the Champagne Academy adventure was finally underway.

Our journey began bright and early at Searcys Champagne Bar in St Pancras, where Rob welcomed us from the Champagne Academy Committee.

We were greeted with pastries and a Magnum of G.H. Mumm to kick things off in style.

Vice Chairman Rob talked us through what to expect in the week ahead, answered our questions, and set the tone for what promised to be an unforgettable experience.

We boarded the Eurostar armed with another Magnum for the journey to Paris. A short onward journey to Champagne-Ardenne brought us to our home for the next few days, the beautiful Hotel Margaux. We were welcomed by Magali, who handed out our course materials and helped us settle in before we met the rest of this year's Academy cohort.

The weather couldn't have been better, so naturally, the rooftop bar became our first port of call. With stunning sunshine and a glass of Champagne in hand, it was the perfect opportunity to take in the fact that we were finally here and all get to know each other a little better.

The evening's event was the official welcome dinner at Le Royal Champagne.

Representatives from all 16 Grandes Marques houses were in attendance, giving us the chance to introduce ourselves and begin building relationships with some of the most prestigious names in Champagne.

An exceptional dinner followed, paired with Champagnes from eight different houses, providing a fitting introduction to the week ahead.

As first days go, it was difficult to imagine a better start.

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Day 1 - Michael Morgan

And here we are, Day 1 of the Champagne Academy is upon us. A lovely Hotel Margaux breakfast to start the day, and the excitement is building for what's ahead.

Now the 'work' begins.

The 2026 students all met in the Hotel Margaux meeting room to begin the lecture "Champagne: The Framework" by Marian Geoffroy, Laura Duponchel, and Sebastien Lebon, where we learned about the history of Champagne.

We were joined by Heidsieck Monopole cellar master Cedric Thiebault to begin the clear wines (vins clairs) tasting, which was very interesting to taste the wines after their first fermentation before they become in fact 'Champagne'.

After an exciting morning, we walked to Maison Belle Epoque in Epernay to have our first tour, tasting, and gastronomic lunch at Perrier-Jouët with Fabyola Soares, Séverine Frerson, and Sébastien Lebon. The food pairing with the Champagne was fantastic and very well thought out. Thank you, Chef Sébastien Morellon.

We were in for a treat this evening as we made our way to Champagne Bollinger, where we were first shown around the 'New New' cellars, which will be interesting to revisit and see once finished.

Then we were taken to a viewing point on a higher floor to look over the Vieilles Vignes Francaises vineyard, and to take a quick look at the coopers' workshop.

We had a tour of the Bollinger Cellars, which was a brilliant experience, seeing the tens of thousands of bottles patiently waiting to be popped in years to come. Aperitifs were then served in the Clos des Chaudes-Terres with Laura Duponchel and Cyril Delarue.

The gastronomic dinner at Champagne Bollinger begins, and again we were spoilt with outstanding champagne and food for the second time today. Remember this is 'work'.

Thank you, Cyril, Laura, and Chef Benjamin Gilles.

A wonderful first day!

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Day 2 - Elizabeth Mellish

An earlier start today, and we sat quizzing each other over breakfast, all slightly stressed, trying to remember the dates each Grande Marque was established.

We headed to Moët & Chandon for our first exam of the week, which, thankfully, was nowhere near as scary as we had all built it up to be. Slightly annoyingly, though, not one question came up on the dates everyone had spent so long trying to memorise!

Today’s lecture focused on the vineyards and the importance of sustainability within the Champagne region, which was incredibly interesting to learn more about.

Afterwards, we headed to Laurent-Perrier for a tasting of their cuvées before going into the Orangerie for a wonderful ambigu (sharing) style lunch, which was absolutely incredible.

Then it was off to Pol Roger in Épernay with Martin Heidsieck. One of the few family-owned Grandes Marques, Pol Roger is absolutely beautiful.

After a brief introduction to the house and its history, we were shown around the cellars, which stretch for 9km underneath the town. We came out through their new winery building, where we were shown the bottling, packing, and distribution areas before heading into the tasting room to taste through the wines.

The Pol Roger Rosé was a particular favourite for me and something completely different from any rosé Champagne I had experienced before.

We had just enough time for a quick change back at the hotel before heading back to Moët & Chandon for a tasting and dinner. We tasted through some of their Grand Vintage and Grand Vintage Collection wines with winemaker Pierre before heading into the Maison for dinner.

The setting was absolutely spectacular, think Palace of Versailles. Ornate, golden, and incredibly elegant, with wonderful food and service. The perfect ending to another unforgettable day in Champagne.

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Day 3 - Imogen Glithro

And just like that, we were halfway through the week.

Wednesday began with an early start as the Class of ’26 headed to Ruinart’s vineyards in Taissy.

Under glorious sunshine, winemaker Florence walked us through the house’s approach to viticulture, from encouraging soil biodiversity and adapting to climate change to the role of vitiforestry in creating more resilient vineyards.

From the vines, we moved into the tasting room to explore some of Ruinart’s signature cuvées. The house’s iconic Blanc de Blancs was followed by Blanc Singulier, a fresher, spicier, more stone-fruited expression that offers a fascinating insight into how earlier harvest dates are shaping Champagne today.

The tasting was completed with Dom Ruinart 2013, a wine of remarkable precision and elegance, combining layered complexity with the freshness and finesse that Chardonnay brings so effortlessly.

Back on the bus, we made our way to Charles Heidsieck. After the day’s exam, we enjoyed a lecture on the journey from harvest to blending before heading into another exceptional tasting.

One of the highlights was tasting the 2025 vins clairs, offering a rare opportunity to experience the character of the latest harvest before secondary fermentation.

It made for a fascinating comparison when the Brut Réserve was poured afterwards, demonstrating how blending, ageing and time transform those base wines into the finished Champagne.

The Rosé Réserve, Vintage 2018 and Blanc des Millénaires 2017 were all outstanding, before a leisurely lunch paired with Blanc de Blancs, Rosé 2018 and, finally, the magnificent 2012 cuvée.

Our final stop of the day was Pommery. Descending into the house’s extraordinary art-filled crayères, 30 metres beneath the surface, felt like stepping into another world.

The visit also included a spot of sabrage in the Clos Pompadour before we settled in for a tasting of some truly special wines.

We began with the 150th Anniversary Blanc de Blancs before moving on to a magnum of Cuvée Louise 2005 - a real showstopper. As if that wasn’t enough, dinner on the terrace provided the opportunity to explore different vintages and bottle formats of Apanage, Grand Cru 1995 and Apanage Rosé, bringing another unforgettable day in Champagne to a close.

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Day 4 - Manav Joshi

Day Four started with our trip to Piper-Heidsieck. As always, the day began with our exam. This one was a bit harder than those of the previous few days.

It was then followed by the morning lecture, and today’s topic was “From Blending to Packaging”.

We had representatives from Piper-Heidsieck, Krug and Veuve Clicquot, who took turns delivering the morning’s lecture and sharing insights into their respective houses.

Once the lecture finished, it was time for Dominique from Piper-Heidsieck to take over and guide us through the house. It is a relatively new home for Piper-Heidsieck, and the word Dominique, continuously used to describe both the house and its philosophy, was “audacity”. This was evident in both the venue itself and the striking architecture of the space.

One of the highlights of the visit was seeing their large stainless steel blending tanks, some of which have the capacity to hold the equivalent of half a million bottles at a time.

We then had the opportunity to taste a range of Champagnes from Piper-Heidsieck. We tasted seven Champagnes in total. Personally, for me, it was an introduction to their Essentiel range, and I particularly enjoyed the Essentiel Blanc de Blancs and the Vintage 2018.

Once we had finished at Piper, it was time to visit perhaps the most anticipated house of the entire Champagne Academy: Krug.

The welcome we received at Krug was absolutely unparalleled. Among those welcoming us was, of course, Olivier Krug, who is also the President of the Champagne Academy this year. We were fortunate to have almost all of the senior team present, which demonstrated the importance that Krug places on the Champagne Academy and the leadership role they continue to play within the region.

We then moved on to the tasting, starting with the Grande Cuvée 173ème Édition, followed by the Vintage 2013, and finally the Grande Cuvée 169ème Édition.

The tasting was followed by a lunch which will most likely remain unparalleled on this trip. The lunch was curated by the three-Michelin-star chef of L’Assiette Champenoise, and it was an experience that I suspect none of us will ever forget.

During lunch, we tasted the Krug Rosé 29ème Édition, Grande Cuvée 170ème Édition, Grande Cuvée 163ème Édition and Krug Rosé 25ème Édition. The food showcased flavours that were incredibly deep and impactful, and each course worked exceedingly well with the Champagnes being served.

To top it all off, I had the pleasure of sitting right next to Olivier Krug. His passion is absolutely unparalleled and, in his own words, he is “a story a minute”. It was incredibly refreshing to spend time with someone who possesses a lifetime of experience as a member of the Krug family, yet remains so enthusiastic about sharing stories, knowledge and the philosophy behind the house.

After a bit of well-deserved rest, it was time to visit the Hôtel du Marc for a Veuve Clicquot experience.

The tasting was led by Louise Grillet, winemaker at Veuve Clicquot, and focused on rosé Champagne. We took part in a very interesting tasting, which included the base red wines alongside the finished Champagnes. This was extremely educational and greatly helped our understanding of how red wines contribute to the final style and character of rosé Champagne.

We tasted Veuve Clicquot Rosé, Vintage Rosé 2015, and, to finish, La Grande Dame Rosé 2018. The evening concluded in beautiful weather with Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut and Veuve Clicquot Rosé, accompanied by a selection of exquisite canapés from the Maison Veuve Clicquot.

Day four was yet another unforgettable experience, with three distinct houses showcasing their individual personalities. We started at Piper-Heidsieck, continued to the iconic House of Krug, and finished at the Maison Veuve Clicquot.

Each house offered a unique perspective on Champagne, from the audacity of Piper-Heidsieck, to the unparalleled hospitality and philosophy of Krug, and finally, the innovation and heritage of Veuve Clicquot. It was another remarkable day of learning, tasting and unforgettable experiences as our Champagne Academy journey continued.

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Day 5 - Richard Beck

Friday started early with most of the students revising the previous day's material together over breakfast in the hotel. The fresh weather from the storm the night before had moved on, leaving another swelteringly hot day in its wake. A short bus ride from Reims to the Montagne de Reims to the house of Lanson, where the class sat their third exam and then took in their final lecture regarding Marketing (lots of numbers to remember).

Then the students descended into the immaculate Lanson cellar, walking amongst vintages dating back to 1904. Hurvé, Chef de Cave, and Francois, house president, led the tour that included the extraordinary Lanson Private Collection. Finally enjoying a few oysters with Lanson Blanc de Blancs and Lanson vintage 2013.

Back on the bus, the group headed back to Reims for a spot of Lunch on the Lawn at G.H. Mumm. Winemaker Séréna talked the group through some fantastic cuvées, including RSRV Blanc de Blancs 2014 and Blanc de Noir 2018, Mumm 2019, the 4.5 cuvée and finally the RSRV Lalou 2008.

Lunch over, the students took a short walk down the road to the maison of Louis Roederer. Olivier, the hospitality manager of Louis Roederer, gave a wonderful talk on the 250-year history of the house before a much-needed tour of their beautifully cool cellar, all finished off with a tasting of Roederer Starck Blanc de Blancs, Roederer Starck rosé and Crystal 2016. A real treat for the senses.

Back to the hotel for a quick shower, and we were back out for a twenty-minute walk across Reims to the Boulevard de Lundy for dinner at Taittinger hosted by Kevin McKee, UK director and Alexander, their Chef de Cave.

Dinner was accompanied by a fantastic line-up of Comtes de Champagne 2012 served from the Jeroboam, Comtes de Champagne Rosé 2012 also in large format, Taittinger Prélude grand cru and another Jeroboam of Taittinger Prestige Rosé.

A refreshing post-dinner drink on the terrace, and it was time to trek across town once more to the Notre Dame de Reims to take in an enchanting light show. Watching the 750-year-old Cathedral shimmer like gold was a truly breathtaking experience and the perfect way to conclude our final evening in this beautiful town.