Q: The affinity between Sir Winston Churchill and Champagne Pol Roger happened in 1944 and included Odette Pol-Roger?
Sir Winston Churchill began purchasing Champagne from Pol Roger in 1908. In fact, the Maison still has the first invoice addressed to Churchill, proudly framed on the wall in Épernay. However, he likely encountered Pol Roger earlier during his army service, as it was the Champagne served in all officers' messes in the British Army.
Churchill became more than just a customer after meeting my great-great-aunt, Odette Pol-Roger, at a luncheon hosted by Duff Cooper at the British Embassy in Paris in 1945. Their friendship lasted until Churchill's death. Odette would send him a case of Pol Roger Vintage 1928 every year as a birthday gift, and whenever Churchill visited Paris, Odette was always invited to meet him.
One of Churchill's few regrets was never fulfilling Odette’s invitation to visit Champagne and Épernay. Famously, he once declared: "Invite me to the harvest and I will come to press the grapes with my own bare feet!" Another well-known Churchill quote refers to Pol Roger as "the most drinkable address in the world", although he was specifically speaking about 44 Avenue de Champagne in Épernay which was Odette Pol-Roger’s residence!
The bond between the Churchill and Pol Roger families remained strong after Churchill’s passing and continues today. When he died in 1965, Odette requested that a black border be added around the White Foil label of Pol Roger bottles as a discreet gesture of mourning, a mark of respect that remained until the 1990s.
To further honour Churchill, Pol Roger created the Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, with the first vintage made in 1975 and released in 1983, ten years after his death. This cuvée was crafted in a style he would have loved, with an ultra-majority of Pinot Noir sourced from old Grand Cru vineyards (the precise recipe remains a closely guarded family secret).
Today, each new vintage is first presented by a member of the Pol Roger family to a member of the Churchill family, always launching first in the UK. My grandfather, Christian de Billy, presented the inaugural cuvée to Lady Mary Soames, Churchill’s daughter. Now, my uncle presents it to Randolph Churchill, Sir Winston’s great-grandson. There is no formal business arrangement between the families — just a gentleman's agreement built on mutual respect.
Q: Some say Sir Winston Churchill enjoyed a 'pint of Pol Roger Champagne a day' — is this correct?
That's partly true! Churchill apparently drank two bottles of Pol Roger a day — one around 11 a.m. with breakfast (as he stayed up late due to his obligations and love of literature), and another with dinner. It's estimated that he consumed between 42,000 and 44,000 bottles during his lifetime!
His wife, Clementine, once told him that two bottles were too much and urged him to switch to two halves. Churchill replied that two halves were still not enough! Thus, the imperial pint bottle was created — although it no longer exists today, thanks to EU regulations!
To reintroduce the pint bottle would require developing a custom mould and waiting four years for the second fermentation before the Champagne would be ready. So, as it stands, the pint bottle is not "coming home" anytime soon — but who knows, perhaps it’s a secret project in the making...
Q: Can you provide a list of each year that Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill (CSWC) was released?
Of course! The Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill has seen 21 vintages since its creation, with the 2015 vintage being the latest release. The 22nd vintage (2018) is scheduled for release in Summer 2025.
Here’s the full list:
- 1975
- 1979
- 1982
- 1985
- 1986
- 1988
- 1990
- 1993
- 1995
- 1996
- 1998
- 1999
- 2000
- 2002
- 2004
- 2006
- 2008
- 2009
- 2012
- 2013
- 2015
- 2018 (to be released Summer 2025)
Q: Have you tasted a range of CSWC vintages, and which is your favourite?
It’s a rare occasion to taste all vintages side by side, but I was fortunate to do so in October 2024. Pol Roger Portfolio organised a vertical tasting at 67 Pall Mall to celebrate the 175th anniversary of Champagne Pol Roger and Sir Winston’s 150th birthday.
We tasted every vintage, except the 1975, all served from magnums, except the 1988 vintage, which was served from a Jeroboam. As 1988 is my birth year, I was thrilled to take home the empty Jeroboam bottle!
Another highlight was meeting George Repard, Sir Winston Churchill’s great-great-grandson. The friendship between our families continues...
Fun Facts for Your Readers:
- Pol Roger vs Pol-Roger:
- Pol Roger is the name of the Champagne house.
- Pol-Roger is the family name.
Pol Roger founded the house in 1849. After his death in 1899, his sons, Maurice and Georges, requested special permission from the French president to change their surname to Pol-Roger in 1900, to honour their father.
- How did Sir Winston Churchill obtain Pol Roger Champagne during Prohibition in the US?
Alcohol was banned during Prohibition, except for:
- Religious purposes (such as communion wine)
- Medical prescriptions
Sir Winston Churchill had a prescription from his doctor, stating that he needed Champagne to regulate his blood pressure!
