Your digital guidebook to the world of Champagne
My palate is one for purity, elegance and vivacity. Regarding champagne, I love what is in the glass but I also love what lies beyond. Champagne is an intriguingly complex and diverse region. A world of luxury and a truly fine wine. Still, where champagne is, fun begins. But knowing more makes it even greater fun. This is the Essence of Champagne.
Essi Avellan MW
Get access to the full site by becoming a member

Join

Explore Essence of Champagne with Essi Avellan MW. Renowned champagne specialist and Master of Wine, Essi Avellan’s personal champagne site offers you a brand new source of unbiased champagne opinions. Discover Essi’s vast library of recent tasting notes, Essi’s blog, essential champagne information, latest news, as well as the results of the champagne awards to which her palate has contributed.
What the others say
“Essi has a mind like a steel trap! And she is uniquely qualified. Of all the Champagne specialists I know, Essi is the best and most consistent taster I have encountered, and I have tasted thousands of Champagnes with her, so that is no throwaway statement.”
Tom Stevenson, wine writer and champagne specialist
”One senses a new voice – convincing, precise, analytical and mercifully free of dogmatic judgment masquerading as incontrovertible truth. Put another way, Avellan wears her knowledge and authority lightly, born of quiet self-confidence in the accuracy of her own palate, which is one of the best in the effervescence world.”
Michael Edwards, wine writer and champagne specialist
Christies World Encyclopedia of Champagne and Sparkling Wine 4th Edition

Latest blog

Trophy winners at CSWWC 2022 awarded!

BATTLE OF THE SPARKLING WINE WORLD CSWWC AWARDS DINNER 2022 Corks have been popping all over the world this weekend as a total of 35 Trophies were presented from the Best in Class winners to the greatest sparkling wine producers from around the globe. The top wins reveal new stars to the sparkling wine scene […]

Featured house

Philipponnat

Philipponnat is a bijou house, whose precise terroir-approach and soulful, gastronomic champagne style have given it a cult following amongst champagne aficionados.

News

CSWWC Awards Gala’s Champagne highlights

The Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships 8 World Champions, 10 National Champions and 13 Regional Champions were all presented at a global ‘who’s who’ gathering of over 150 international winemakers, producers, industry, and journalists at the CSWWC Awards Dinner that took place in London at the iconic Merchants Taylors Hall last week. Champagne won […]