Plymouth’s 'Champagne Retailer of the Year’ reveals his top selection of bottles to pair with food this Valentine’s Day
Plymouth’s 'Champagne Retailer of the Year’ has revealed his top selection of bottles for romantic couples to pair with food this Valentine’s Day - 14th February.
Daniel Blatchford, 38, who attended Hele's School in Plympton, was recently crowned the UK's ‘Champagne Retailer of the Year’ (Decanter World Wine Awards), just two years after launching the company with his business partner, Peter Crawford, in 2020.
Specialist online retailer, Sip Champagnes, sources and supplies only the best small-batch, handcrafted champagne straight to consumers and the hospitality trade from France’s iconic wine region.
With the UK’s largest collection of 60 Champagne producers and over 236 individual cuvées from across 25 villages in its range, Sip Champagnes only deals with ethically-sourced and artisan products direct from the farmer.
The dominance of the big wine houses and supermarket champagne has meant that champagne choice has been very limited in the UK until Sip Champagnes came along just two years ago. The small producers previously had no supply chain and no access to high-end restaurants, bars, hotels and wine boutiques, which meant consumers had little choice, until now.
Daniel's top selection of Champagne to pair with food this Valentine’s Day - 14th February:
Louis Brochet Heritage Rosé (£50 per bottle)
Classic blend of 75% Pinot Noir (10% red wine), 15% Chardonnay, 10% Meunier. Juicy and luscious with cherries, wild strawberries and great texture. Nice easy drinking aperitif.
https://sipchampagnes.com/products/louis-brochet-rose-heritage
Remy Leroy Saignée Les Crots Rosé (£69 per bottle)
100% Pinot Noir rose made through saignée method (maceration and skin contact with grapes). Bigger, bolder and vinous. Would work well with richer food like duck.
https://sipchampagnes.com/products/remi-leroy-saignee-les-crots-2018
Bonnaire Terroirs (£50 per bottle) or Pertois-Lebrun Le Fond du Bateau No.14 (£80 per bottle)
Both classic Grand Cru Chardonnay from the Côte de Blancs. Chalky, zesty and fresh. Perfect with oysters.
https://sipchampagnes.com/products/bonnaire-terroirs
https://sipchampagnes.com/products/pertois-lebrun-le-fond-du-bateau-no-14
Pierre Legras Monographie Extra Dry 2012 (£50 per bottle)
Despite the name this is a slightly sweeter style, with 14g/l sugar addition. It’s also from one of the standout vintages of the century. Perfect for those who are unaccustomed to Champagne and/or a good pair for sweeter foods such as strawberries with chocolate.
https://sipchampagnes.com/products/pierre-legras-monographie-2012-extra-dry
Sip Champagnes was recently awarded the prestigious accolade of ‘Champagne retailer of the year’ by the world’s leading wine media brand, Decanter, who singled out the newcomer for its “laser-like focus on cutting-edge wines from the region”, and in the words of one judge, “is changing the game for Champagne.” Sip Champagnes was also a runner up in the ‘Best Newcomer’ and ‘Judges Choice’ categories.
Sip Champagnes also won The Drinks Business 'Specialist Online Retailer of the Year Award' for 2022.
Alongside their online store, which sells individual bottles and curated cases, Sip Champagnes also offers curated monthly subscription packages to help people enhance their understanding of the grower Champagne movement.
Alongside truly exceptional bottles, there are tasting notes and even live tasting sessions with the farmers themselves. All Sip Champagnes packaging is made from recycled material and is 100% recyclable.
They also invest in carbon offsetting programmes to reduce their environmental impact and they plant a tree for every order placed.
For more information on Sip Champagnes and its latest UK releases in time for Valentine's Day, visit https://sipchampagnes.com. Gift wrapping is also available.
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