Champagne is a very mysterious world as we mostly know what the famous houses want us to believe. In this event, we will demystify the subject by exploring 1) the best microclimate locations called grand cru villages, 2) the prominent effect on quality played by foremost the Pinot Noir and to a lesser extent the Chardonnay, 3) the fundamental element of long ageing on yeast lees and finally 4) the essential bottle age required after disgorging to achieve the best complexity possible. In order to achieve these goals we will review classic smaller producers i.e Pol Roger, Billecart Salmon, Jacquesson together with independent up and coming producers such as Michel Arnould, Andre Clouet, Godme Pere et Fils and some newer winemakers now on the market. In short we will deconstruct the common belief that great Champagne has to be a blend of hundreds or so of village crus. Please mark your calendar and reserve your seats, this event will fill up very quickly.

Dominique’s family's winemaking history in Champagne, France dates back to 1772 when his great-great-grandfather first made champagne. His grandfather was the manager of Veuve Clicquot vineyards in France. His father, Pierre Landragin, was the vineyard manager at Heidsieck Monopole. Dominique and Anna co-founded Yellowglen, Australia's first methode champenoise winery which became the greatest success story in Aussie wine history. Dominique is co-owner with his wife, Anna, and daughter Antoinette of Cork & Fork retail stores in Gainesville, VA, Bethesda, MD and the Logan Circle area of the District of Columbia.

Walking in, you arrive at a sit down, casual, wine tasting in which we provide scrumptious individual plates of different varieties of cheeses, bread, and pâté. At our tastings we feature six new wines meaning each person gets six glasses of wine total; one for each bottle we showcase for that evening. At these gatherings everyone attending possesses their own level of knowledge and all are welcome! What brings is all together once every week is simply that we LOVE wine!