After a recent fishing trip in the Highlands, it became entirely clear to me that I had failed to manage my Champagne stocks.
We were a party of 12 and consumed 24 bottles over the week – a figure which may initially seem hedonistic, but in real terms, was just three glasses a day (with the odd bottle to celebrate catching a big salmon, a stash which predictably went untouched!).
It was a shockingly easy amount to get through, dispatched far more rapidly than the red or white we had laid on. Which started me thinking about how much Champagne I actually need for a year.
It became clear that we (the four members of our party who routinely collect wine) had failed to put down much good Champagne through our fifteen or so years of wine collecting. Whilst one bright spark was able to produce some 2002 Bollinger Grande Année (bought for just £280 a box, and now worth nearly thrice as much), we found ourselves otherwise drinking a lot of very young bottles.
While there are worse things, it got me thinking about my general fizz consumption through the year and how I could properly apportion my budget (and to an extent play catch up) to make sure this didn’t happen in the future.
My thought process was that, conservatively, I might have a dinner party ever other week, wherein we would dispatch 1, if not 2 bottles, depending on the crowd. So at least 36 bottles should be put aside for that.
I would also always need something for special occasions, really good vintage Champagne with proper age (5+ year), so 24 bottles should be put away to cover this.
I don’t know if I am alone here, but I also have taken to packing Champagne for some holidays; whilst you can get good red or white wine in many countries, good fizz is difficult to come by (Greece & Croatia, my own personal examples last year). 12 bottles would probably cover that.
There are also 52 weekends in a year, and although Champagne might not be necessary for all of them, it is a joyous way to mark the end of a hard week, so another 36 there.
Throw in another 12 for general emergencies, impromptu celebrations or gifts, as well as 24 for the festive period, and you hit 144 bottles.
If you I’m an an extreme example, halve it to 72.
My message here is that although we might all carefully think about our cellars of red, or even white wine, very few people (like me) are exercising proper Champagne management.
Most bottles are bought and dispatched immediately, which almost a waste of what is one of the most age worthy wines on the planet.
If I can leave you with one piece of advice, learning from my mistakes, it is put aside at least 60 good non-vintage bottles a year and 12 vintage. Drink the non-vintage when you have held onto them for around two years and the vintage after five or more.
You will be surprised at just how much additional pleasure they give, and you may even find your vintage Champagne well in profit.