| Normally, trips to wine suppliers are very hard | | | | was a surprise to most to learn just how small |
| work (no, honestly) and the preserve of our | | | | their volumes are in the great scheme of things, |
| buying team, trying to find the best cuvées at | | | | producing just 2.1m of Champagne’s total |
| the best prices. However, occasionally we are | | | | annual output of 300m bottles. They remain, in |
| given the opportunity to take our other staff on | | | | essence a small, artisan producer. |
| fact-finding visits, which are great fun, if a little | | | | We visited the coopers’ workshop, the last |
| hectic. | | | | one in Champagne where wooden barrels are still |
| In February, we took a group to visit the | | | | made, repaired and restored. Seeing a workshop |
| world-renowned Champagne house of Bollinger. | | | | with such ancient tools, and complete lack of |
| Such a treasured visit demanded the most | | | | machinery indicated the depth of craftsmanship |
| treasured staff, so we identified our ‘unsung | | | | and skill that was being preserved, not for the |
| heroes’ at the company’s front line, who | | | | tourists, but out of necessity. A tour of the vast |
| regularly go out of their way to give extra special | | | | chalk cellars beneath the village showed how |
| service to our customers. Hence, at a really | | | | manual the whole process is, with teams of cellar |
| unsociable early hour on a cold February morning, | | | | men manually racking the reserve bottles. Seeing |
| some of our sales, accounts, warehouse and shop | | | | such quantities of precious Champagne, gently |
| staff flew out to Paris to meet the people who | | | | maturing in the perfect conditions, was humbling. |
| make Bollinger. | | | | We emerged from these labyrinthine cellars into |
| A two-hour drive from Charles de Gaul Airport | | | | the winery, several streets away, and into a very |
| brought us to the home of Bollinger in the stylish | | | | different world of immaculate white tiles and |
| little town of Ay, which was covered with a light | | | | stainless steel - the absolute epitome of hygienic, |
| dusting of snow. Ay is the most famous Grand | | | | up-to-date wine-making. This was where the |
| Cru village in Champagne, located some 30km | | | | ancient crafts met the modern world. |
| from Reims. We had an exquisite lunch at the | | | | It’s only now that we realised that we had |
| house of Madame Lilly Bollinger, where the history | | | | spent many hours, discovering the different |
| and ethos of the company was explained. | | | | delights, rapt with attention at the details of |
| Madame Lilly Bollinger is one of the most famous | | | | production and historic facts being offered. We |
| figures in Champagne’s history. In 1918 | | | | had been transported to a different world for a |
| Elizabeth Law de Lauriston Bourbers (known as | | | | day, completely removed from ours, yet the |
| Lilly) married Jacques Bollinger, head of a small but | | | | fruits of which we would enjoy by opening a |
| growing Champagne house. When Jacques died in | | | | bottle at home. An evening in Reims was followed |
| 1941, Lilly took the reigns and famously traveled | | | | by a morning flight back to reality and work. But |
| the world, spreading the word about Bollinger. In | | | | the general impression from all was one of awe, |
| many respects she was a true pioneer in creating | | | | at the passion and detail that goes into making a |
| an internationally recognised brand. Lilly was also a | | | | bottle of Champagne that we may have taken |
| great spokeswoman for the Champagne region | | | | for granted before. Suddenly, the price of a bottle |
| as a whole, leaving several infamous quotes. | | | | of Bollinger seems remarkably good value for |
| "I drink it when I'm happy and when I’m sad. | | | | money. So if you ever call the Averys office to |
| Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have | | | | ask about Champagne to be met with an effusive |
| company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if | | | | story about how it is made, you’re probably |
| I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. | | | | talking to one of the lucky staff who came on |
| Otherwise, I never touch it – unless I’m | | | | this trip. |
| thirsty." Madame Lilly Bollinger, Daily Mail 17th | | | | You can buy Bollinger online Averys Dot Com |
| October 1961 | | | | where we are currently listing the UK’s best |
| Today the success of Lilly’s promotional | | | | price for Bollinger Special Cuvee NV- just £25 |
| endeavours is clear from the prestige and | | | | per bottle. |
| familiarity of Bollinger Champagne. However, it | | | | |