I’d never been to a town with just two letters in its name before, so I was excited about visiting Ay.

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Located near the heart of Reims, Taittinger is built on top of a medieval abbey that was taken down, stone by stone, by the townsfolk in the anti-clerical fervour that followed the French Revolution.

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Founded in 1760, Lanson is one of the older grandes maisons in Champagne.

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I knew Salon was special, but not why.

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In most winegrowing areas, a boutique winery would be something created by a dedicated upstart who loved the region

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Tiffany Nugan hosted a terrific dinner at Flow in Yorkville, showcasing her familiy's range of well priced wines from Australia.

 

Tiffany is part of the third generation of Nugans in Riverina, New South Wales. The family's successful fruit and vegetable juice business hit a brick wall when GATT agreements flooded Oz with cheap imports, so Tiffany and her brother Matthew decided to diversify into wine and launched Nugan Estate in 2001. By last year, Nugan ranked as Australia's 13th largest wine exporter, their rapid rise helped by good quality at good prices.

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Now that the wines are available, here's a summary of the tasting preview in the springtime.

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They're still wedded to oak when it comes to chardonnay in California, but some winemakers are taking a more delicate approach.

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