In the words of Madame Bollinger

I drink it when I am happy and when I’m sad.

Sometimes I drink it when I am alone.

When I have company I consider it obligatory.

I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am.

Of course, Madame Bollinger is talking about Champagne and anyone that knows me well knows that I love Champagne. I have my favourites, of course, and it is interesting to me that champagne that I would have quite easily have called my quaffing champagne 10 years ago is now quite expensive. I thought this week I would share my thoughts on what I like, but also chat about how I have changed and how it has impacted me through menopause.

I would like to add at this point, that I know not everyone likes champagne, that’s OK. Would love to hear what you do and don’t like.

I can’t really remember the first time I ever had champagne. I know it was not as I was growing up. The only alcohol in our house was Cinzano, with lemonade, of course, and Advocaat, also with lemonade. I have these vivid memories of my parents having these on special occasions, but not being regular drinks would swig them back not quite realising the impact. Champagne was never an option at uni, not even sure they had it behind the bar. I would drink snake bite and black, or baileys and southern comfort (try it). There would also be those nights when they had the offers on the bottled beer/ciders so we would go up with our fiver and by 10 bottles. I distinctly do not remember many of these evenings!!!

So my first taste of champagne… probably once hubby started work at the little (then) start up computing company. There definitely was much champagne flowing there and that must have been the start of my life long love of it. Don’t get me wrong there are some terrible ones out there and the cheaper the champagne usually means the bigger the hangover. What I find is that good champagne (not necessarily expensive) doesn’t give me hangovers. Though I think through menopause this has got worse. I am saying that rather than age.

So what do I like? So I buy most of my champagne from Majestic Wines or Berry Brothers. Keep an eye out for those deals at Majestic. I do also try different champagne houses, just to see if there are any new up and coming ones. So the champagne I would use when entertaining is Nicolas Feuillatte, non-vintage, at £15.99 and for pink Devaux ‘Oeil de Perdrix’ at £24.99. These are also the ones I would drink when I just fancy a bottle. If I want something special, I love Laurent Perrier Rose and Pol Roger and one of my most favourite pink champagnes is Billecart-Salmon, but you do not see that very often. These are my go to at the end of each term to celebrate the start of the holidays.

The most distinctive tasting champagne is Bollinger. I can pick this one out of tasting, though when I did a champagne course I did quite well identifying the different champagnes. Something amazing is Bollinger RD, I have a box of six, not sure when I will open that. Dom Perignon is another favourite, but definitely only for special occasions. One that is a definite is Krug, but not the vintage. Krug actually specialise in producing the best champagne by mixing different years. It is always got the most magical taste. Remember that it isn’t really about the bubbles. Some of the best champagnes I have drunk actually weren’t really bubbly, but the taste on the palette was something else. I can’t miss off Pol Roger Winston Churchill. Named because he drank so much of it, they named it after him.

Are there any I don’t like or were not that impressed with. The most memorable disappointment was in New York. I was on a birthday celebration with a friend for her 40th. Me, her and another friend had taken a trip to New York to celebrate. One day we ended up in this Italian restaurant over looking Central Park over by St-Columbus Circle. As it was a special occasion I thought I would order something special. So I ordered Louis Roederer Cristal. It comes with this yellow clear cellophane cover and at that time was THE champagne to drink. It was expensive and it was not very good. I was distinctly unimpressed. I came away thinking I preferred their normal champagne.

I wanted to finish by discussing that fact that as with anything moderation is important. I like to drink, I like drinking champagne, but I suppose the question to ask is do I need to drink. If it becomes a necessity rather than something you enjoy or for a social occasion, then that is when you need to think. I have found over the years and certainly during menopause the impact of drinking has changed. I can still drink the same amount, but I do find I suffer more the next day. Though a good run sorts that out. 

The biggest impact is the emotional difference during menopause. I do find that it can make me more angry if I am drinking when I am in an angry phase. If I am fine I don’t become angry. But if I am feeling some of the symptoms of menopause, alcohol can intensify these feelings. I have found myself getting really angry and I have to take myself away or, as you may know by now, I go for a run. Everyone is different, but thought I would share so if you are experiencing these things then maybe it will help. Like everything it is a balance.

If you have a favourite champagne, or anything else then would love to hear about it.

Thanks

Lois

Cause every girls should have a champagne sword.