An Interview With Annette Lacey - 2014 Vin de Champagne Award Winner (professional category)

Annette Lacey, 2014 Vin de Champagne Award winner

Presented every two years by the Champagne Bureau, the Vin de Champagne Award is the premier wine award for champagne enthusiasts in Australia.

Revered for its rigorous testing and vetting process as well as its ultimate prize of a unique two week educational tour to Champagne, the Vin de Champagne Award attracts entrants into two categories: professional or amateur.

Finalists battle it out in front of Australia's leading experts on all things champagne, showcasing their knowledge and sensitive palates during an intense blind tasting and interview.

The 2014 grand final was held in Sydney in September, which also marked the 40th anniversary of the awards.  

Annette Lacey emerged as the professional category winner whilst Tom Warrell secured the amateur category.

Annette is currently the Head Sommelier at Pei Modern, Sydney. She has worked at some of Sydney’s best restaurants including Banc, Marque and Claude’s. She is also a lecturer for Professional Sommelier classes and the internationally accredited Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) wine courses for industry professionals.

Her past accolades include the 2001 Len Evans tutorial and winner of the 2000-2001 Deveaux and Rosemount Sommelier competitions. Annette is currently a Master of Wine Candidate, having successfully passed the rigorous tasting paper.

I recently had the privilege of interviewing Annette about her Vin de Champagne Award experience. I hope this will provide some useful insight for those would-be award entrants, but also for those who simply love to learn about champagne.

What inspired you to take a specific interest in champagne (as opposed to any other wine)?

Actually, I love all wines, but what I love the most about champagne is the complexity and the time involved to create the final product. This can be said of all wine, still and sparkling, but with champagne it truly is a unique style that is hard to replicate.

How have you gone about developing your knowledge of champagne and palate for tasting?

Studying and teaching. I teach the WSET courses and have been through the courses myself. I am also currently studying my Masters of Wine, so there is a lot of opportunity to taste which is essential if you want to pass. Champagne can have many subtleties. You need to understand the processes so you can look for these differences.

The Vin de Champagne Awards is a notoriously rigorous process to go through. Apart from the wonderful prize on offer, why did you enter the awards?

I had previously been in the competition twice and didn’t want to give up. I wanted to see if I could be successful. It was well worth the three efforts as the trip to Champagne was amazing. The competition also allows you to improve your knowledge of the region and its wines adding more depth to your knowledge.

What preparation did you undertake in the lead-up to the Vin de Champagne Awards?

Reading and revising viticulture, vinification and current issues in Champagne today, and tasting of course.

Do you have any insider tips on how others can prepare for entering the awards?

The entry essays are very rigorous and require planning and research, so don’t leave it to the last minute. Competition is tough so you need to be prepared. The interview process can be daunting with industry peers so nerves of steel are required also.

What has been the highlight of your champagne tasting/experience journey so far?

There have been many great moments and champagnes! Winning the trip to Champagne has to be one of the highlights, it  gave me such an insight into the region that most people do not get to experience. The warmth and hospitality of the Champenoise was memorable. Seeing the region gives a greater understanding of the styles and the diversity on offer.

Lastly, what champagnes are on your list of 'must try' for other champagne lovers to experience?

Champagne is personal and everyone's taste is different. My personal favourite is Krug Grand Cuvée because of the layers of complexity it offers plus it was the wine served at my wedding, so it holds a personal meaning. There are many wonderful grower styles: Franck Bonville, Jacques Selosse and Jacques Lassagine - to name a few. The big houses can also impress, with Perrier Jouët and Pol Roger great value non-vintage styles.