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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.

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About Essi

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
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

Discover champagnes

In every sip of champagne you can taste a piece of history, culture, terroir and the person behind the wine. To me, this effervescent charmeur is the finest wine on earth. Champagne’s inviting image belies a multi-faceted region and an exceptional amount of human skill in the making. Hence my belief that understanding champagne makes us appreciate it even more. Thirsting to know more and more, to dig deeper and deeper into its secrets, I welcome you to join me for a bubbly tour of Champagne and champagnes.

À la Essi

  • The Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships 2023 announces medal results
    The Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships (CSWWC), is delighted to announce the 2023 medal winners with more Gold Medals being awarded than ever before. A total of 170 Gold’s (almost 18%)  & 218 Silver Medals were awarded and all the Gold & Silver 2023 medal winners can be found in the results tab. Celebrating … Read more
  • Essi Avellan shortlisted for 2024 Wine Communicator Trophy
    After considering nearly 20 applications from brilliant communicators from across the world, the IWSC (International Wine and Spirit Competition) is delighted to share the shortlist for its 2024 Wine Communicator Trophy. This year’s trophy was judged by 2023 winner Jane Anson, 2022 winner Sarah Heller MW, IWSC Judging Committee Member Sarah Abbott MW, as well … Read more
  • Essi Avellan reviews Mapping Champagne by Charles Curtis MW and Steve de Long
    Any Champagne lover knows how frustrating it has been trying to learn about the region’s complex terroirs practically without detailed and up-to-date maps. We have all relied on the original, pioneering maps of Louis Larmat from the 1940s. Finally Charles Curtis MW and Steve De Long came to rescue commencing a comprehensive mapping project of Champagne. In … Read more
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