London, 30 June 2008

Veuve Clicquot Crowned as the People’s Favourite at The Boisdale Blind Champagne Challenge 2008 hosted by Boisdale of Bishopsgate

17 Champagnes and Sparkling Wines Tested in Blind Tasting Testers Struggle To Recognise Top Brands

Madame Clicquot can pop open the champagne and celebrate after Veuve Clicqout emerged victorious as the favourite People's Choice champagne after nearly 100 guests spent three hours blind tasting and sampling 17 champagnes and sparkling wines at Boisdale of Bishopsgate.

Veuve Clicqout scored 327 points out of a possible 500, allowing it to pip Taittinger and Moët & Chandon to the post and win the bragging rights over its rivals as the favourite champagne and winner of The Boisdale Champagne Challenge 2008. Taittinger and Moët & Chandon scored 312 and 304.5 points respectively.

The rest of the top ten was made up of Laurent-Perrier (303), Marc Hébrart (295.3), Besserat de Bellefon (292), Piper Heidsieck (289), Lanson (286.5), Henriot (285) and Moutard (284.5).

Guests who attended the Champagne Challenge on Tuesday, 29 July were asked to blind taste a total of 17 champagnes and sparkling wines and mark them out of ten. They were also asked to discover – or simply guess – which wine was which, a task that proved somewhat more challenging for the experts and fans of the grape than deciding simply which of the wines they liked best.

After three hours Emanuel Brefin was crowned as having the evening's most discerning palate after successfully identifying five of the 17 wines served. Runners up, who identified four of the brands, were Garry Johnson and Lucy Shaw. Emanuel was presented with a bottle of Dom Perignon 2000 to enjoy at his leisure, while the runners up received a bottle of Krug Grande Cuvée.

Boisdale's series of tastings continues with The Venerable Vintage Port Tasting & Dinner at Boisdale of Belgravia on 5 August and a Game Dinner and Tutored Tasting of Highland Park Malt Whisky, hosted by Andrew Neil, at Boisdale of Bishopsgate on 15 October.

Not to be overlooked the Lamb at Hindon, part of the Boisdale Group, will host a Blind Sausage Tasting on Saturday, 20 September to elect the best sausage in the West Country.