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Essi Avellan’s personal champagne site offers you a brand new source of unbiased champagne opinions. Discover Essi’s vast library of recent tasting notes, Essi’s blog, essential champagne information, latest news, as well as the results of the champagne awards to which her palate has contributed.
About Essi
My palate is one for purity, elegance and vivacity. Regarding champagne, I love what is in the glass but I also love what lies beyond. Champagne is an intriguingly complex and diverse region. A world of luxury and a truly fine wine. Still, where champagne is, fun begins. But knowing more makes it even greater fun. This is the Essence of Champagne.Essi Avellan
Essi has a mind like a steel trap! And she is uniquely qualified. Of all the Champagne specialists I know, Essi is the best and most consistent taster I have encountered, and I have tasted thousands of Champagnes with her, so that is no throwaway statement.Tom Stevenson, wine writer and champagne specialist
One senses a new voice – convincing, precise, analytical and mercifully free of dogmatic judgment masquerading as incontrovertible truth. Put another way, Avellan wears her knowledge and authority lightly, born of quiet self-confidence in the accuracy of her own palate, which is one of the best in the effervescence world.Michael Edwards, wine writer and champagne specialist
In every sip of champagne you can taste a piece of history, culture, terroir and the person behind the wine. To me, this effervescent charmeur is the finest wine on earth. Champagne’s inviting image belies a multi-faceted region and an exceptional amount of human skill in the making. Hence my belief that understanding champagne makes us appreciate it even more. Thirsting to know more and more, to dig deeper and deeper into its secrets, I welcome you to join me for a bubbly tour of Champagne and champagnes.
À la Essi
- First taste: Laurent-Perrier noveltiesTwo weeks ago, I made my annual vins clairs visit to Laurent-Perrier in Tours-sur-Marne. After examining a great line-up of base wine samples from 2025, I explored the latest releases with Cellar Master Olivier Vigneron. While new in his official role, Olivier is far from a newcomer to the house – he has been part …
- Minne Champagne & Wine Club is a new, carefully curated champagne and wine clubMinne Champagne & Wine Club is a new, carefully curated champagne and wine club created as a welcoming meeting place for everyone who values learning, quality, and enjoyment. Suomeksi The club brings together exceptional expertise, Minne’s uncompromising wine vision, and a wine list that has been awarded multiple times by Star Wine List. The club …
Read more “Minne Champagne & Wine Club is a new, carefully curated champagne and wine club”
- The Star Wine List International Open: Minne Champagne & Wine – Best Sparkling Wine List 2026Since the opening of Minne Champagne & Wine Helsinki in 2023, Essi Avellan MW has worked with dedication to ensure that Toni Aikasalo and his team have her full support and benefit from her years of expertise in champagne and sparkling wine. This hard work has been internationally acknowledged, as Minne has been awarded the …
