Emperor Champagne, Singapore’s first champagne subscription service, has launched.
The Champagne region, and its eponymous product, is well known. But the ubiquity of mammoth brands overshadows boutique vineyards that are just as adept at taking advantage of the region’s famed terroir. With well over 300 villages that include at least 5,000 growers who make their own wine, it’s safe to say that the average appreciator won’t have the time or means to discover them all.
That’s where Emperor Champagne comes in. The subscription service was recently launched in Singapore with three subscription tiers. The “Lovers” tier is targeted at the millennial consumer who wants to learn the story of the champagne houses, where it comes from, and how it’s made. The “Connoisseur” tier offers two bottles a month for people who regularly entertain, while the $888 “Collector” tier brings three rare gems from the cellars in Champagne to your doorstep. Because of the bottles’ rarity (think Agrapart, Egly-Ouriet and Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rose vintage), membership in this tier is limited to 12 people.
In addition to the monthly shipment of curated premium cuvees, the service includes invitations to exclusive events with winemakers, special releases and priority access to tours in France.
The lady behind this, founder Kyla Kirkpatrick, is no ordinary champagne lover, having last been the brand ambassador for a number of champagnes in LVMH’s portfolio.
“After my first champagne masterclass, I was surprised to see repeat customers coming for the same class. I had to create new classes and look at champagne through different lenses,” she says. There are “people who really want to try rare and interesting champagnes and enhance their knowledge”. For the latter, she created Emperor Champagne in 2016.
“In other regions, sparkling wine is often an afterthought but the winemakers of Champagne don’t just knock out a sparkling wine when they feel like it. I know winemakers who know when a particular butterfly is missing from their vineyard. They live, breathe, and die for it. That’s what makes champagne so special.”
TEXT CHARMIAN LEONG
