Moët pop-up school returns to London

Champagne Moët & Chandon’s Moët Academy pop-up will return to London in March – promising visitors a ‘world preview’ of the house’s soon-to-be-released Grand Vintage Rosé 2008.

The Moet Academy returns to London for a second year, this year taking place at the Condé Nast College in Soho (Photo: Moët & Chandon)

Launched in the capital last year, the educational and immersive pop-up invites the public to sample and learn about Champagne, with tastings led by Master of Wine duo Susie Barrie and Peter Richards, and fellow wine writer Jane Parkinson.

The academy will take ticket-holders on a tour through the entire Champagne making process, from learning about the region’s chalk terroir and grape varieties to the blending of the base wines, maturation in the cellars and second fermentation in the bottle. The tour will be hosted by Champagne writer and ambassador Simon Stockton.

This year will also see the introduction of an immersive 360-degree “virtual reality tour” of the iconic vineyards of Champagne.

Each Academy session will culminate with a tasting of the full Moët & Chandon collection, including the Grand Vintage 2006 Blanc, and a preview of the soon-to-be-released Grand Vintage Rosé 2008.

Moët’s Grand Vintage Rosé 2008

“By bringing the magic of Champagne to the heart of London, we inspire consumers to create and share their own ‘Moët moments’,” said Moët’s UK marketing and communications director Julie Nollet.

“The Moët Academy pop-up is an invitation to experience Moët & Chandon in an exciting, interactive way and benefit from the brand’s rich expertise to learn more about Champagne in general.”

The pop-up Champagne school is part of an increasing drive from Champagne houses and from the Champagne governing body, the Comité Champagne, to educate consumers about the region and its wine.

In December 2015 the Comité Champagne launched a ‘360 Champagne’ website which links top a live feed of the Champagne region. 

The organisation has also launched a number of e-learning tools in recent months, including a ‘Champagne Campus’, which offers three training pathways – for ‘novices’, ‘enthusiasts’ and ‘lovers’ – for users to explore the wine-growing region, the winemaking process and the history of the appellation.

The tool is complemented by a mobile app available on Apple Store and Google Play and called ‘Champagne Campus Quiz’. This holds 150 questions on Champagne wines and the Champagne region.

The Comité Champagne has also launched the Terre de Champagne YouTube series. The series consists of 10, 13-minute episodes that together cover every aspect of the Champagne business.

Part of Moët’s ‘Open The Now’ campaign, the academy will run from 21 March to 3 April at the Condé Nast College in Soho.

Tickets for a 90-minute session at the Moët Academy will cost £45 and will be available from February from www.moetacademy.co.uk.

Moët & Chandon is the biggest-selling Champagne globally, with almost every 10th bottle of Champagne sold worldwide coming from the Moët range.