Black Fizz? Champagne & Caviar mixed by Luvienz

Being in the industry of Champagne and Sparkling Wine there is an endless array of regions, styles and makers to taste and invitations to do so are somewhat pleasantly never ending. Though here I speak of a very different and intriguing invite that came my way from a good friend, Adrian Smith who is the global brand ambassador for the popular wine rating app Vivino – How would you like to come along and try some black Champagne that contains caviar… Pardon?!!

Here is a very different glass of bubbly on offer, the luxury and aspirational pairing of Champagne and Caviar simply mixed together to give us a glass of something very different and very much directed to the higher end of the price market for bubbles at over £800 a bottles. Luvienz is the brand here that has developed and taken this idea to market and it is with co-founders Guillaume Laborie (CEO) and Leevy Pennaneac’h (Chairman) that Adrian and I had our private tasting.

My tasting notes on the 5% sample we tasted (you can also get a more intensive 9% caviar version) was:

Colour: Dark mostly black / royal blue / grey. Contains very fine black specs which I assume to be the fused caviar.

Nose: Champagne aromas are there with yellow fruits, lemon zest and hints of the salty aromas you’d expect from caviar.

Taste: Crisp and acidic initially then hints of lemon zest, peach skins and pastry with smoothness coming through in the length where the caviar sensation hits you.

“The world’s most avant-garde beverage” so the founder say, it might get a few challenges within the industry, but it is in no way what you are imagining the sparkling wine* to be in that is a lumpy, gooey and salty taste ruining the Champagne – It is very different and pleasant – It will be the consumer who will decide if it is worth the money, though Luvienz has put great care and attention to detail in their packaging which I found most attractive. The founders have also been spending time on brand awareness to include boat shows and F1 with a number of celebrities seen drinking this black fizz!

*Though the drink is Champagne it cannot be advertised as Champagne for it contains caviar which does not conform to the Champagne Bureau regs.