Browsed around YouTube for some inspiration and found Ryan Shirley’s nature films ! Since we are pretty much locked down at home, we can only dream us away for future travels … This got me really inspired to write a new book – ‘Champagne Hiking’ – volume II.
Follow Ryan Shirley both on YouTube & Instagram for inspiration & the pure beauty of our world !
About Champagne Hiking
My hunt for new champagne experiences has brought me to the most beautiful and exciting places. My favourite memories are linked to the moments when I enjoyed well selected champagnes in harmony with the beauty of nature. For a long time I have been analyzing why a certain champagne tastes best at a particular time in a particular place. Travelling to optimize champagne experiences is the starting point for the book. I have called this concept CHAMPAGNE HIKING.
There is an increased understanding that all of our senses contribute when we experience pleasure. Factors such as location, company, and mood will affect the overall experience. When attending play or concert, this has long been a matter of course, but within the world of gastronomy this is a fairly recent realisation. This revolutionary idea is championed by fantastic food creators such as Heston Blumenthal, at The Fat Duck. As the guests take the first bite of a wonderful seafood dish, they might be offered sounds of waves hitting the shore, seagulls shrieking, and a light mist smelling of the sea. If he could, he would move you to the beach where the oysters were collected. While physical transportation is impossible, the divine champagne in the cooler bag will momentarily move your being the to the optimal location, one bottle at the time. And I will tell you how.
’Champagne Hiking is an invitation to enjoy discovering new spaces, a journey that will take you to new places, further afield, higher, deeper, stronger, right to the beating heart of Champagne, within each one of you. The sensations created through the tasting are liberated and amplified, through a new relationship with nature.’
RJ
So, what is Champagne Hiking ?
To sum it up in one sentence: ‘The environment impacts the wine experience.’ On the surface, Champagne Hiking is easy. Take your bottle, and drink it outdoors. Yes, it is this simple, but there is also a myriad of details that have to work together to create maximum enjoyment. You see, all of your senses play their part.
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Below I list some of my European Champagne Hikings from the book & app;
