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25.01.11
Bubbly Australia Champagne Expert is an International Hit
Australia’s leading champagne connoisseur, Bernadette O’Shea, is one of just two Australian wine experts to be honoured on the international stage at the prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Paris.
With twenty-five years’ experience and a palate that has tasted several million bubbles, Ms O’Shea is hoping to impress judges with her first book, Champagne & Chandeliers: Grand Dining Celebrations – an exquisite coffee table book detailing extravagant and memorable dining occasions throughout history from the worlds of politics, fashion, royalty and the arts.
She is nominated along with fellow countryman Max Allen, wine writer for The Australian and author of The Future Makers. The two Australians will be competing with experts from over 150 different countries to take home a coveted Gourmand World award in their respective Wine Book categories at the ceremony on 2 March.
Champagne & Chandeliers contains thirty-five stories of history-making moments in the world’s collective champagne experience. In her trademark exuberant style, Ms O’Shea revisits each event’s dinner of celebration in detail, matching the menus to classic champagne vintages from throughout the ages.
The book explores such historic dinners as the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana, where 1969 Krug was served to accompany the brill in lobster sauce, and the inaugural dinner on the Titanic, at which first class passengers could select from more than 70 different champagnes on offer.
Ms O’Shea’s eloquent tasting descriptions for each vintage make for delightful reading, as educational as they are uplifting and entertaining.
Fall back in love with champagne this Valentine’s Day and purchase Champagne and Chandeliers: Grand Dining Celebrations for a truly romantic and memorable gift for men and women that appreciate the finer things in life.
Champagne and Chandeliers: Grand Dining Celebrations is available to purchase online at www.champagneconsultant.com for $120.00 AUD and can also be found in selected book stores.
About Bernadette O’Shea
A full-time champagne consultant and educator, Bernadette O’Shea’s list of accolades is both impressive and inspiring. In 1984 she became the first non-professional woman to win the coveted Vin de Champagne Award, an award she currently co-judges.
From her base in Brisbane, Ms O’Shea enjoys a huge personal following of former and perennial students and travels professionally both in Australia and Champagne, France. She holds a French knighthood, Chevalier de l’ordre du Merite Agricole, for her contribution to the champagne industry as well as other French awards.
Added to these many achievements are personal commendations from champagne royalty Christian Pol-Roger and Frédéric Heidsieck:
“She speaks of champagne with such poetry and sensitivity that when you listen to her you hear the bubbles,” Mr Heidsieck said.
Christian Pol-Roger has praised Ms O’Shea’s, “outstanding knowledge of champagne as well as her natural talent for communicating.”
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