Jiles's Blog

Who Am I?

17 years spent living and working in Champagne has allowed Jiles to build up a vast amount of knowledge about all things bubbly as well as a very extensive network of contacts, especially amongst the smaller and less well-known champagne makers whose champagnes will probably amaze you with their quality and diversity.

A job as area manager for Asia and Australia with Moët et Chandon was what first drew Jiles to Champagne after completing an MBA in Luxury Brand Management at ESSEC, a prestigious business school just outside Paris.

After nearly 9 years at Moët Jiles moved back to the UK where he started one of the first online businesses promoting and selling grower champagnes,

However the draw of ‘The King of Wines and the Wine of Kings’ once again proved irresistible and another 8 year stay in Champagne was the result. During this second stay in Champagne Jiles worked with the Syndicat Général des Vignerons de Champagne as an accedited consultant for small, independent champagne makers before setting up his own consultancy.

Jiles now spends his time between England and Champagne.and puts his knowledge and contacts to work helping wine lovers everywhere learn more about champagne and helping businesses and individuals to create their own private champagne brand.

He is the author of two books on champagne, several concise guides to champagne  and is the creator of an online champagne study course called My Champagne Expert

 

 

Memorable Moments At Champagne Roger Brun

Jiles Halling

Last Thursday I was guiding a group of Australian and New Zealand guests for a day visiting some of the smaller champagne makers that are not easy to find and boy; did we strike lucky.

It was just one of those marvellous occasions when wonderful things happen and it turned into one of the most memorable tastings I’ve ever had.

You just can’t plan for these things. Of course, I always choose to visit people who I know are interesting and who make great champagne but sometimes, for no apparent reason, there’s just a little extra spark that turns the interesting into the unforgettable and that’s just what we had the good fortune to enjoy at Champagne Roger Brun in Ay

Pure Meunier Grower Champagne

Jiles Halling

Discovering Grower Champagnes opens your eyes to a world outside the big brands like Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot and Dom Pérignon, but in fact that’s only one of the many fascinating aspects of champagne that are waiting for you to explore.

In this short article I’ll introduce you to a maker and a region you may not have heard of and they are just two of the surprises waiting for you once you start exploring Grower Champagnes.

Tasting Notes - Who needs them?

Jiles Halling

TASTING NOTES

OK, let me honest from the get go - I think that the majority of tasting notes are next to useless, written in such impenetrable language as to be of little or no use to the reader.

I've just finished translating some short tasting notes for a brut champagne and frankly I was appalled at the nonsense that I was asked to translate - it's so bad it's embarrassing - I don't think this is down to my French, which is good, even very good, it's down to the original material which is written by someone who has no idea whatsoever of how to sell as wine. I wonder if they have ever  even met an ordinary champagne drinker, let alone speak to one.

Rosé Champagne with Potato Crisps

Jiles Halling

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With St. Valentine's coming up  tomorrow people seem to gravitate towards rosé champagne, and why not?

I recently discovered a rosé I like a lot from a small producer right here in the village where I live: Verzy.

The champagne maker is called  called Lepreux-Penet and their rosé goes by the name of 'La Vie En Rose'

What's more it's goes very well with something as simple as a bag of potato crsips ( or potato chips, if that's what you call them)

Champagne Tasting in Champagne

Jiles Halling

altChampagne has gone tasting event crazy; at least that’s what it seems like in 2012

In a recent post I told you about 3 champagne tasting events on successive days in April and now there’s a fourth one to delight your taste buds and, so I’m told, yet another that will start up next year.

The new group includes many excellent champagne makers whose absence in the other groups had probably puzzled you

Selosse

Egly-Ouriet

Jérôme Prévost

 and several others, although I don’t yet have the full list of participants

I am still waiting for confirmation of the venue and the date but I understand that this new event will be on Sunday 15th April, the same day as the Terroirs et Talents de Champagne event – it’ll be a busy day