Advanced Wine Tasting - Champagne Tasting

This season, elevate your celebration with a curated blind tasting that goes far beyond bubbles. From the storied Grand Marques to the quietly brilliant grower-producers, each Champagne will be tasted blind and paired with a complementary small bite to reveal its food pairing potential—without the influence of branding or reputation.

Throughout the evening, guests will explore the nuanced terroirs of Champagne, from the chalky slopes of the Côte des Blancs to the Pinot-driven powerhouses of the Montagne de Reims and the expressive blends of the Vallée de la Marne. We’ll delve into the impact of soil composition, microclimate, and winemaking while comparing traditional house styles with the precision and individuality of grower philosophies.

Whether you’re selecting bottles for a holiday soirée or refining your understanding of Champagne’s subregions and grape varieties, Alicia will offer you the opportunity to challenge your palate, deepen your knowledge, and discover which cuvée deserves a place at your festive table.

About the Sommelière

Alicia Barrett

Alicia Barrett is driven by a passion for crafting exceptional experiences through thoughtful, immersive wine education. With a background that bridges hospitality, retail, and nonprofit leadership, she brings a unique blend of business acumen and teaching expertise to the wine world.

Her journey began with a transformative trip to Burgundy that sparked a lifelong passion for wine and inspired her to pursue formal training at the global headquarters of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) in London. After returning to the United States, Alicia worked as a sommelier at the InterContinental Hotel Chicago and in fine wine retail while earning her WSET Diploma in 2020, a distinction held by just over 10,000 individuals worldwide.

As Head of Wine Education for Binny’s Beverage Depot, the Midwest’s largest wine and spirits retailer, Alicia spent six years developing one of the country’s most comprehensive retail wine education programs. She trained nearly 2,000 employees across 45 stores, elevating product knowledge, service standards, and sales performance across the company. Alicia also served as a WSET Instructor for the American Wine School. Her work has taken her around the world, collaborating with winemakers and trade professionals to design engaging, accessible, and commercially relevant wine education experiences. 

Presently, she is the Chicago-based educator for the U.S. Champagne Bureau training sommeliers, trade professionals and hospitality students at DePaul University on behalf of the region. She has founded her own company, Wine Connection, which specializes in bespoke wine tastings for corporate and non-profit clients.