Amsterdam hosts a new Champagne tasting festival

A new Champagne-focused tasting event in Amsterdam is set to bring a lineup of houses from Reims, Épernay and nearby villages to the Rembrandtpark from May 21 to 25, as organizers say they are aiming to give visitors a direct look at the producers behind the bottles.

The event, called Fête, will feature a mix of large established houses and smaller growers, with selections that include Taittinger, Bollinger, Pommery, De Venoge, Ayala, Bliard-Labeste and Bonnaire. Organizers said the idea is to present not only the wines but also the history and production styles that shape them.

Taittinger, based in Reims, is known for blends that rely heavily on Chardonnay, which gives its wines a lighter profile and a fresh structure. The house also ages many of its champagnes longer than required by the appellation rules, a practice that can add balance and a more polished character.

Bollinger, also one of the best-known names in Champagne, uses oak barrels for fermentation and places Pinot Noir at the center of its blends. That approach tends to produce fuller wines with more texture and flavors often described as ripe fruit and toasted bread.

Pommery has long been associated with innovation. The house was among the first to market a Brut style champagne, helping define the dry style that became widely popular. Its cellars in Reims stretch for miles underground and remain part of the house’s identity.

De Venoge, located on the Avenue de Champagne in Épernay, has built its reputation on balanced wines and distinctive packaging. The house is known for being among the first to use illustrated labels and for its Princes cuvées bottled in carafe-shaped containers.

Ayala, based in Aÿ, focuses on dry champagnes with low dosage, meaning less sugar is added after disgorgement. The house says it uses only the first press juice from selected Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards.

Among the smaller producers featured at Fête is Bliard-Labeste in Hautvillers, where the family manages its vineyards and cellar work itself. Bonnaire, in Cramant in the Côte des Blancs, is another family-run house represented at the event. It works with grapes from its own parcels and is now run by brothers Jean-Etienne and Jean-Emmanuel Bonnaire, who represent the fourth generation.

The organizers said they traveled through Champagne themselves to select producers whose stories they wanted to bring back to Amsterdam. They have also been posting video material from their visits on Instagram ahead of the event.

Tickets are being sold for the five-day program in Rembrandtpark. The event comes as interest remains strong in Champagne tourism and producer-led tastings, where visitors increasingly want to understand where a wine comes from before they drink it.