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I first experienced a champagne dinner at The Midland Hotel in Manchester seven years ago, when I’ll confess I knew little more about champagne other than it was fizzy, fun and French...
Since then, thanks to gaining a few Wine and Spirits Education Trust qualifications, supported by plenty of informal tastings with friends and family, my knowledge of all alcoholic grape juices has improved, and I’m looking forward to enjoying a more informed experience at my second Midland champagne dinner this month. Not that you have to be a wine professional in order to attend; experts and novices alike are welcomed – although a healthy interest in the fizzy stuff should ensure you get the most from the evening.
The champagne dinners are served in the hotel’s wonderfully ornate yet intimate French restaurant, which has long been acclaimed for its fine dining experience, and was recently named Manchester’s best restaurant in the 2010 Michelin Guide. Each food course is matched to a different glass of bubbly from the featured champagne house of the evening, accompanied by an introductory talk from a representative of the restaurant’s champagne supplier.
On my last visit, I found that deliberately limited numbers and personal service made me feel more like a guest than a customer at this exclusive black tie event. The other attendees were a mix of locals and out-of-towners treating themselves to a special occasion, and regular diners, some of whom would eat at the French up to four times a week. M&S Simply Food meals suddenly seem like a budget option...
March’s dinner on the 17th promises to be particularly special, as it features not only Julian MacDonald from Bibendum Wines, but also a representative from the champagne house itself: Alice Paillard. Alice is the daughter of the man who gives the youngest champagne house in France its name: Bruno Palliard.
This family-owned, independent label from Reims has around half of its 25 hectares of vineyard in Grand Crus and features on the wine lists of many Michelin-starred establishments across the globe. Not bad for a man who created his first champagnes in 1981 in a rented cellar with grapes purchased from other independent producers!
During the evening, we expect to enjoy Bruno Paillard’s flagship Brut Première Cuvée, an elegantly mineral yet fully fruity champagne with both citrus and light red fruit flavours, rounded out with toasty almond. A Rosé Première Cuvée promises sweeter red fruit flavours, while the Blanc de Blancs Réserve Privée is famous for crisper notes of citrus and apple, balanced by floral aromas and a white peach finish.
Personally, I’m particularly hoping we get a chance to sample the 1990 NPU, billed as an exceptional vintage. After all, it’s not every day you get to sample some of the world’s most famous champagnes – although admittedly, for regular frequenters of the Midland champagne dinners, it is every two to three months.
The Midland Hotel, Peter Street, Manchester M60 2DS
0161 236 3333
www.qhotels.co.uk
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