As I bid farewell to 2022, I take account of the highs and lows of what has been a breakthrough year. First, I recognize while it has been one of my best years, there are others less fortunate who experienced difficulty, challenges beyond their control, loss of loved ones; my deepest 🕊️condolences go out to Champagne family De Souza who lost their father and best friend , our champion and most traditionalist Champagne winemaker a trail blazer in organic farming just passed yesterday , we are once again...

  Champagne Harvest September 2022 What a bumper harvest it’s been, the best in 15 years! Something to be happy about ! Winegrowers in the region are thrilled to have the first early disease free harvest in five years, which indicates the beginning of a great vintage. We are 5 weeks into post harvest and vintage 2022 is underway, the new still wines for great champagne to come are bubbling away, the old press is silent for another year, tanks and barrels are filled to the brim, and the traditional process of...

The world’s peoples are displaced, confused, scrambling, opinionated, split and afraid. We are more conscious of the vulnerability of our lives and our planet than usual. That is the legacy of 2021. I am amongst the ranks of the confused, concerned and sometimes fearful, but I have been fortunate enough to be able to live and work, much the same as I did before the pandemic. My journey and my plans may have been disrupted and delayed, but I have not lost sight on the pathway ahead, and what...

Every morning, I enjoy a reviving long black espresso coffee, in MY mug. This is the mug that always makes coffee taste better, whoever is doing the ‘making.’ I also have a favourite cup for tea, and the water glass beside my bed is washed and replaced every day. For champagne I have a Champagne YSC glass, read on to find out why. This is in a house where, with a husband and five daughters (and occasional our grandchild), we have dozens of mugs, cups and other drinkware. It...

I am Yvonne Christensen, entrepreneur, mother of five daughters (yes five!), wife, carer, photographer, and world traveller. I was born in the United Kingdom; however, my roots are in Nigeria where both my parents were born. I have lived in several countries other than the UK including Germany, Denmark and most recently Switzerland. I often think of myself as a nomad, roaming and learning as I travel around the globe. My children have been the centre of my life; however, now they are in school or living their...