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
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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
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Latest blog

Grand Champagne Helsinki 2020 is approaching!

Grand Champagne Helsinki is here again! Bubbles fill the Old Student House on this May weekend bringing together champagne lovers, gourmands and top names in the industry. The three-day event features experts sharing their know-how, passion and champagnes. In addition to our Finnish talents Essi Avellan MW, Samuil Angelov, Heidi Mäkinen MW, Kim Moliis and […]

Featured house

Ulysse Collin

Olivier Collin makes single-vineyard Champagnes from the family vineyards in Coteaux du Morin that used to produce grapes for Pommery. One of Selosse’s famed protégés, he started own production back in 2004.

News

2019 CSWWC Champagne Trophies announced!

Champagne chefs de caves Frédéric Panaïotis (Ruinart), Vincent Chaperon (Dom Pérignon), Benoît Gouez (Moët & Chandon), Hervé Deschamps (Perrier-Jouët), Régis Camus (Rare Champagne) and Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon (Louis Roederer) with CSWWC judges Tom Stevenson, George Markus and Essi Avellan MW Fireworks were flying last Monday night, as a record breaking number of awards were presented at […]