Domaine Chandon

I cannot recommend a tasting a Domain Chandon.

As a club member, my mother usually receives excellent service. This was like walking in on a crazy summer Saturday with no appointment. No, worse than that. We were sat in uncomfortable stools at the bar and the woman pouring wine for us couldn’t even be bothered to tell us what was in our glass. When we inquired further a man came over and said (almost accusingly) “I hear you have questions about the wine.” Of course, he couldn’t tell us what we were drinking either.

My mother had specifically gone to taste Chandon’s Garden Spritz. It’s infused with orange so it can’t legally be shipped to Maryland, where she lives. It’s like a mimosa in a glass, perfect for pool drinking. When she asked our wine pourer if she could try some that woman told her “no, it was too sweet. She didn’t want that now.” For serious???? Who did this woman think she was to tell my mother what she wanted. I could totally have seen someone saying “That’s a very sweet sparkling wine so I’ll be sure to pour it for you at the end; we don’t want to influence your palette while your still sampling bruts.” But this? No.

At the end(? - we’re pretty sure it was the end because we got up and left), we went downstairs to the gift shop to purchase bottles.

Chandon did send a survey where we told them about the experience and we received a lovely personal note back apologizing and inviting us in for an “elevated experience.” But how is my mother supposed to partake of that? She live 3000 miles away and comes in for her club tasting once a year. And they failed. She will be leaving their club.