The annual event kicks off in May, with an epic weekend celebrating the best bubbly wine from around the world
March 28, 2018, Los Angeles—Effervescence, the first major West Coast event entirely devoted to Champagne and sparkling wine, makes its debut in Los Angeles on May 3 to 5. The three-day festival will include grand tastings of the world’s top Champagnes and sparkling wines, master classes taught by leading experts, and an exclusive gala dinner for collectors, winemakers, and enthusiasts cooked by chef Walter Manzke at République.
The idea for the event was sparked last summer, when Olivier Krug, a sixth-generation member of the Krug family and the director of the Champagne house, was visiting Los Angeles. “Olivier said that L.A. needs a Champagne and sparkling wine celebration to reflect the greatness of the city’s culinary accomplishments,” says Dan Perrelli, a co-founder of Effervescence and owner of First the Wine, a Los Angeles wine shop. “We thought for a moment and realized it was absolutely the right thing to do. So with Olivier’s provocation, a bubbly dream was born.”
The Effervescence tastings will take place at Avalon Hollywood, starting with More Bubbles—Sparkling Wine Extravaganza on Friday. The walk-around tasting will feature an international lineup of sparkling wine producers, including Ridgeview and Gusbourne Estate from the U.K., Eric Bordelet and François Chidaine from France, Riverbench Vineyard from California’s Central Coast, Pere Mata Cava and Cava Jaume Giró i Giró from Spain, and Italian sparklers including Franciacorta, Prosecco, and Moscato d’Asti. Many of the winemakers will be pouring at the tasting. Also during this tasting, the top three finalists in the America’s Best Sparkling Wine Sommelier Competition will vie onstage for the title.
On Saturday afternoon, it’s all about Champagne: The Grand Champagne Tasting features Grandes Marques such as Krug, Bollinger, Phillipponnat, Ruinart, and Veuve Clicquot, alongside a broad scope of artisanal grower-producers such as Laherte Frères, Vilmart et Cie, Goutorbe-Bouillot, Agrapart, and André Clouet. Again, many of the proprietors and winemakers will be present.
Master classes will take place over the course of the event and will include a seminar led by Richard Juhlin, the Champagne authority and author, delving into how Champagne evolves in the cellar. Patrick Comiskey, a wine columnist at the Los Angeles Times, will conduct a class on international sparkling wines, and Jérôme Jacoillot, the winemaker at Krug, will guide attendees through an exploration of the Chardonnay grape.
Extraordinary meals are planned throughout Effervescence, beginning with a Thursday night Collector Champagne Dinner prepared by chef Casey Lane at Viale dei Romani in the new Kimpton La Peer Hotel in West Hollywood. On Friday, chef Manzke will prepare a Collector Champagne Luncheon at République, honoring the 200th anniversary of Billecart-Salmon. Attendees will have the opportunity to bid on a magnum of 1961 Billecart-Salmon. Effervescence’s grand finale will be a Paulée-style Champagne Gala Dinner on Saturday night, when Manzke will prepare a luxurious meal to accompany the array of rare and vintage Champagnes brought by the attendees from their cellars.
A portion of the proceeds from Effervescence will benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation, which funds cancer research, and Heal the Bay.
Tickets for Effervescence are starting to go on sale now, with events available for purchase in packages or à la carte. Additional wineries are being added weekly, so please refer to the Effervescence website for the most current list of participants.
Effervescence
Effervescence is a new series of events celebrating Champagne and sparkling wine. Taking place in Los Angeles on May 3 to 5, 2018, Effervescence brings together serious Champagne collectors, luxury consumers, and adventurous aficionados of bubbles, providing an extraordinary opportunity to taste and learn about the world of Champagne and sparkling wine. Participating wineries will experience a unique and intimate opportunity to deepen their connections with an eager audience of wine lovers.
