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From the March 14 edition of Weekender: You know Moët is pronounced Moët, right? It's the diaresis, above the 'e', the two dots. They signify that the underlying 'e' is pronounced open, as in "bet".

Still confused?

You know, maybe, it's just easier - the next time you want to drink champagne - to reach for a bottle of Vadin-Plateau, instead. Proper French champagne, this; from France, from Champagne, from vineyards in heart of the Great Valley of the Marne, in the village of Cumières, near Épernay (which is near where Moët ('moh-et') comes from).

Much easier to pronounce, Vadin-Plateau is an old champagne family that dates back to a time when Australia didn't even exist, on a world map, drawn by Europeans, at least. Some 255 years ago, in 1765, monsieur Joseph Plateau became the first generation of the Plateau family to acquire vineyards near the village of Cumières, and the rest, as they say, is history ...

"Vadin-Plateau is my family's estate. I am the ninth generation to take care of this domaine. We work it like an artisan. We take care of our vineyards, so that we can get the very best grapes for harvest, each year," says winegrower, Yann Vadin of Vadin-Plateau.

Next week, Vadin will be paying Newcastle and the Hunter Valley a visit, chaperoned around town by total champagne tragic and Vadin-Plateau's Australian importer, Leigh Dryden, from Decant This. Dryden has scheduled a series of events and meet-ups, to showcase the highlights, challenges, and triumphs involved in producing vintage, grower champagne.

"We hope to get Australian champagne drinkers to look beyond a brand name, or marketing campaign, and explore what great champagne is really all about," Dryden says. "Its breadth, its complexity, its beauty; something that reflects the vintage and the wine's sense of place."

Perceiving provenance is an important trait in wine. It's what makes wine infinitely interesting.

"We farm seven different vineyards, across seven villages, each with their own, unique terroir [provenance; the combination of culture, climate and soil]. This is what makes our champagnes so unique," Vadin says.

"Yann's wines are alive," Dryden says. "He is focused on producing the true expression of the wine's sense of place, by showcasing the differences of aroma, flavour, and texture between one vineyard, and the next. Yann makes real wines, which are the future of champagne."

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