The World of Champagne Seen from the Inside Out

by Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng
October 1, 2005

For me to proclaim that “I simply love champagne!” runs the risk of seeming arrogant, or perhaps appearing predisposed to the banal. In the latter case, I could be seen as mindlessly regurgitating an overly repeated phrase associated with la belle vie. Yet the simple truth is I am speaking genuinely and with conviction: I have unquestionably found my true calling within my wine career. Suffice it to say, anyone who has had the string of tremendous luck I have had in getting to know the elusive world of champagne would never question his or her fate.

I want to show you a rare glimpse of this world of the true highlife. In the following interviews, four prominent industry insiders share their personal histories with the most splendid of effervescent wines, their opinions and tastes in bubblies, and their sense of how Champagne has evolved in recent years. The interviewees cover the spectrum of the trade, ranging from an outstanding West Coast wine director, a well-respected East Coast champagne importer-distributor, an authoritative American champagne writer, and a delightful French publicist for one of the most luxurious of Champagne houses.

In their exclusive interviews with Cravings, all four interviewees shared their personal opinions and thoughts with candor, passion, and insight. I hope you will find these as tantalizing as I did. Cheers!