If you love Champagne, as I do, then you’ve probably familiarized yourself with the term “grower” Champagne. Simply put, the major Champagne houses typically source grapes from all over the region, skillfully blending them to create their distinctive house style. Growers, on the other hand, work exclusively with the grapes grown in their own vineyards and, as such, these wines are an individualistic expression of style, place and terroir. Does this make them better than their big brand counterparts? Not necessarily, but I’ve always gravitated towards wines that convey a sense of place, and the passion and skill that’s required to allow the foundations of that place to articulate themselves fully. Nature has provided a location with site-specific attributes; it’s up to winemakers to craft a wine that captures the essence of those attributes. Winemakers have a lot of tools at their disposal when it comes to the final product; flavour profiles can be manipulated in a lab quite easily to create a specific style, but artisanal winemakers prefer to let the vintage and the terroir speak for themselves. Read More