Champagne ?

[osmoses12]

We are on our first Silverseas cruise on the Dawn at the end of August Venice to Rome. Does anybody know which Champagne

is served as the complimentary  one ?. 

Many thanks,

Steve

[Silver Spectre]

6 minutes ago, osmoses12 said:

We are on our first Silverseas cruise on the Dawn at the end of August Venice to Rome. Does anybody know which Champagne

is served as the complimentary  one ?. 

Many thanks,

Steve

Pommery and Blue Top Monopole

[Mudhen]

2 hours ago, Silver Spectre said:

Pommery and Blue Top Monopole

mmmmm! I'll take it!

[Dolcevita Diva]

Responding to the question in the topic heading - yes, please!” 😉🥂

[Throast]

We're on the same cruise but have a Silver Spirit from Athens cruise first (May 2nd) done the maiden voyage on the Moon and it was fabulous. These guys are correct with champagne, Wife loves their Rose Prosecco 

 

[chrism23]

The standard pour on Silver Sea. is MonoPol which is the second label of Pieper Heidsick.  In the US this goes for about $40 a bottle, and is not bad.  You can also ask to be provided with Pommery Blue top.  can't gauge tell the difference.  The most relevant factor is you can drink it ll day.  I was on  a 2 week leg with a couple who began wit a bottle a lunch and continued all day

[Sucellos]

1 hour ago, chrism23 said:

The standard pour on Silver Sea. is MonoPol which is the second label of Pieper Heidsick.

 

This is actually a quite common misconception. Monopole Heidsieck is however owned by the Vranken Pommery group, which also owns Champagne Pommery, so it kind of makes sense that SS is offering both. Since we now have a champagne thread in the forum, maybe a little champagne history is allowed too:

 

Historically Monopole Heidsieck and Piper Heidsieck however has the same origin, both claiming the original "founded 1785" on their labels, from when Florens-Louis Heidsieck founded the first champagne house in the Heidsieck familiy. The Heidsieck house however split into different branches/houses in the 1830s, likely after a familiy dispute, and the Heidsieck branch we today know as Piper-Heidsieck joined forces with Piper in 1839 through a marriage. 

 

The third Heidsieck on the market, and in my opinion overall the by far best champagne of the three "Heidsiecks" available today, is Charles Heidsieck. Not part of the "split" in the 1830s but he founded his own house in 1851. Florens Louis Heidsieck was actually his granduncle, his uncle founded what became Piper-Heidsieck and his father was also a champagne merchant most famous for travelling in parallell with Napoleon to Russia to ensure there was champagne to be sold to whoever won the war, so I guess he had champagne in his blood too. Now this Charles fellow was quite a character and I'd recommend anyone to do a google search or two and read about his rather eventful life. In the US he was known as "Champagne Charlie" during the civil war, creating a diplomatic scandal and ended up owning huge part of Denver, Colorado. Even portrayed by Hugh Grant in the movie about his life.

 

Today both Piper Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck have the same owner; Européenne de Participation Industrielle (EPI), which also holds the Italian producer Biondi-Santi. To the best of my knowledge this is however more of a financial investment than any actual cooperation between any of the wine producers.

[brittany12]

Great Champagne history so thanks. I agree about the  "Charles" brand's better taste but not so available anymore. I have not seen it in quite some time in US. Is it still in business.?

[frantic36]

1 hour ago, brittany12 said:

Great Champagne history so thanks. I agree about the  "Charles" brand's better taste but not so available anymore. I have not seen it in quite some time in US. Is it still in business.?

We can still buy it here in Australia.

 

[Sucellos]

6 hours ago, brittany12 said:

Great Champagne history so thanks. I agree about the  "Charles" brand's better taste but not so available anymore. I have not seen it in quite some time in US. Is it still in business.?

 

Very much still in business. You could check with their US distributor who even has a website to check where it should be available: https://www.foliowine.com/wine-locator/ (I have no idea how up to date and accurate this would be)

[Stumblefoot]

6 hours ago, brittany12 said:

I have not seen it in quite some time in US. Is it still in business.?

Very much so. Even readily available online in the U.S. if you can’t find it at your favorite retailer.

[mitz18]

I like Veuve however had a Deutz Brut Rose the other day and must admit it was rather tasty....