If you’re a wine connoisseur living in Adelaide, you’re in luck. The National Wine Centre of Australia (NWC), which is the national home of the Australian wine industry, is situated at the heart of our great, wine-loving city.
If you’re looking to learn more about Australian wine, from the winemaking process to actual tastings, NWC hosts a myriad of experiences that would appeal to both a local wino and curious tourist.
Excitingly, NWC is hosting a series of sparkling masterclasses, celebrating sparkling wine and champagne from across Australia and the world. Excluding the October long weekend, sessions will be hosted every Sunday, from 9 October to 30 October.
Kicking off the month strong is an afternoon of Blanc de Blancs. Translating to ‘white on white’, Blanc de Blancs refers to champagne made entirely from white grapes – most commonly chardonnay.
NWC will take a look at six Blanc de Blancs styles of sparkling wine from across the world, focussing on three bottles from the region of Champagne and three bottles from outside the sparkling wine capital, including Deviation Road Beltana and Gosset Blanc de Blancs.
What makes Blanc de Blancs stand out from the crowd is that traditional champagne blends white and red grapes, such as Pinot Noir and Meunier, to craft the bubbly beverage, while Blanc de Blancs is purely Chardonnay based.
Chardonnay is Champagne’s most sought-after grape, grown reliably and regularly in the region, particularly in Côte des Blancs. Therefore, Blanc de Blancs remains to be a crowd favourite, frequently sold unblended from the region.
In contrast to the Blanc de Blancs is the Blanc de Noirs – a style of sparkling wine you can learn more about in NWC’s second masterclass of the sparkling series.
Generally speaking, a Blanc de Noirs showcases a bold, fruitier fleshiness than aBlanc de Blancs – the latter of which is a typically lighter and dryer drink. Translating to ‘white on red’, Blanc de Noirs are commonly produced from Pinot Noir and Meunier grape varieties.
This masterclass will also analyse and taste six Blanc de Noirs styles of sparkling wine: three from the Champagne region and three outside the region.
NWC’s Head Sommelier, James Boden, says that he’s excited to showcase the Benoit Dehu Cuvee la Rue Des Noyers in this masterclass, alongside the Cedric Mousse Les Vignes De Mon Village.
NWC promises the classes will provide guests with the interesting opportunity to see how Australian blends stand up against one of the most renowned wine regions in the world – so renowned, that only sparklings from Champagne can be called Champagne!
Speaking of, the next NWC masterclasses is entitled “Fancy Champagne”, where guests will be able to taste and compare six of the most premium Champagnes the wine centre can find. If you want to taste the likes of Taittinger or Krug Champagne, this would be the masterclass for you.
Taittinger and Krug Champagne are both ‘Grandes marques’ brands, a term which refers to the most great and famous merchant houses in Champagne. It remarkably takes twenty years to create a bottle of Krug Grande Cuvée, which must age in the Krug cellars for at least six years prior to drinking.
Speaking of famous merchant houses, the fourth and final masterclass of the NWC sparkling series will examine “Big House Champagne”. Wine connoisseurs will be able to sample six of the world’s most well-recognised champagnes and decide for themselves which will be their favourite.
From Moët to Pol Roger and Louis Roederer, there is bound to be at least one champagne that tickles your fancy.
To secure your tickets or learn more about the NWC, visit the National Wine Centre website.
Event Summary
Sunday 9 October | Blanc de Blancs
When: 1:30pm – 3:00pm
Cost: $95 per person
Sunday 16 October | Blanc de Noirs
When: 1:30pm – 3:00pm
Cost: $95 per person
Sunday 23 October | Fancy Champagne
When: 1:30pm – 3:00pm
Cost: $200 per person
Sunday 30 October | Big House Champagne
When: 1:30pm – 3:00pm
Cost: $95 per person
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