Pinot Noir

Lilly Bollinger, tasked with travelling the world and promoting the Champagne brand, once famously said ‘I drink it when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it—unless I’m thirsty.’ Much loved throughout the world, particularly at celebrations, few things are more synonymous with New Year’s festivities than Champagne.

For centuries, countless volumes have been dedicated to the crafting, perfecting and savouring of wine, in all its many heady forms. Today the science of wine and winemaking (also known as oenology) has been raised to an art form with vineyards and vintners all competing to be the best. And chances are, if one were to ask any of these aficionados about wine pairing, a long list of rules would ensue. All of which can be intimidating for someone new to the joys of wine pairing, but it needn’t be a daunting task if you follow a few basic principles.