Escape into the sparkling world of Champagne

Champagne is a symbol of class, celebration and achievement. It is a message to the world that says a milestone has been reached. But understanding a little bit about what you’re drinking, where it comes from and why it commands the price it does makes enjoying champagne that little more special.

Somm Escape is a collaboration between Jesper Knudsen and Fabien Etienne, one of just 275 master sommeliers in the world. Together they are teaching Malta’s residents how to truly enjoy the world of sparkling wines.

Gone are the days when spraying bottles of champagne in a club was a trendy thing to do… or maybe it’s just this writer’s age and the e effects of the pandemic making itself known. However, sipping on a glass of quality champagne perhaps holds more allure than ever, especially now that the sunshine has started to shine through and meeting other people is the order of the day. At Somm Escape, Fabien and Jesper are providing a sparkling experience unmatched on the island.

Jesper says the best testimonial he has had was from a group of friends who didn’t even particularly like champagne. “After one evening with Fabien, they had been converted, and said they had found a new passion. When you understand a little more about the wine, you can appreciate it much better. For instance, I once sold a client a bottle of Delamotte 1999, which retails at €150. Though he was happy to pay the price, when I told him he was drinking one of just 1,500 bottles, he had a new-found appreciation for what he was drinking, and even felt like he was getting a bargain.”

Launched in the midst of coronavirus restrictions on 4th January 2021, Fabien and Jesper had to think outside the box when offering educational experiences for their customers. This is how Somm Escape at Home was born. Think of your traditional wine pairing events. And then enhance it. Fabien works with local chefs of Michelin star quality to o er a champagne pairing in the comfort of your own home. “Wine pairing is not simply determining which wine goes with which dish. When I am pairing food and wine, I try each element of the dish to see which ingredients come through, and then I try the wines separately and try to balance them. To create a remarkable experience, you need to create a partnership with two very knowledgeable people. To take it to the next level, rather than finding a champagne that pairs well with a particular dish, we do this the other way around. We select the champagne and then work with the chef to create a dish that brings out its flavours. The idea is for the champagne to be the star of the show with an emphasis on education.”

Somm Escape represent three prestigious Champagne houses including Delamotte, Billcart-Salmon and Salon – rated the best champagne in the world – as well as Andersen Winery, a Danish company using methode champenoise with apples. Though the last one is not technically a champagne, it is made using the same method and is very highly regarded, stocked in Michelin-star restaurants across Denmark and Norway.

Even when purchasing a single bottle of sparkling wine, the duo ensure that their clients are well-versed in everything there is to know about that particular bottle, from the history of the house, the style of the wine, the correct temperature to store it, the correct glass to use, and the foods that pair best with that particular bottle. “When you are spending a lot of money of a bottle of champagne, it’s really important to understand how to get the best experience from it. If a client purchases four bottles of champagne and starts with the most powerful one, they will not be able to taste the others, and consequently, they’ll not particularly enjoy the champagne. Even the order that you drink them in is very important,” Fabien said.

What makes Somm Escape stand out compared to other local importers of wine? Perhaps the best answer to this is Fabien Etienne himself. Just about to complete his master certification with The Court of Master Sommeliers in the UK, Fabien will be one of only 275 master sommeliers in the world awarded this prized certification since 1969. His extensive knowledge, contacts with renowned chateaux in France and passion for education is what you get when you enter into a transaction with Somm Escape – as if the premium champagne wasn’t enough! Jesper reiterates that without Fabien, it would be impossible to purchase some of the more prestigious vintages. “Salon is rated one of the best champagnes in the world and is such an exclusive house that they do not even harvest the grapes unless it has been an exceptional year. Since 1921, they have only produced 44 vintages with no more than 60,000 bottles per vintage. We managed to get our hands on a few bottles, and they sold out within a couple of days,” he said.

Fabien landed in Malta with Mark Weingard’s team, having worked in Thailand for four years and one more on the new Iniala Harbour House and Residences. He has been working as a wine consultant, assisting with wine lists at restaurants and helping importers improve their portfolios before taking his F&B experience into this new venture.

Both Fabien and Jesper are driven by their passion for champagne, and have steered clear from the conventional importation of wines. “Our focus is to change the mindset of champagne drinkers in Malta. We want our customers to get the full enjoyment out of their investment, and this can only come with education,” Fabien said.

Fabien and Jesper believe there is a great market for this product in Malta, as people are willing to spend money on gastronomic experiences and are in fact travelling overseas to get it. “What we intend to do is bring some of these ve-star experiences right to Maltese homes, and make people in Malta understand that champagne is not just for special occasions; there is a champagne for every occasion.”