The Bollinger - affectionately referred to as the "Bollie" - is my favourite champagne. Once you taste the dry, subtle bubbles from this bottle, you cannot drink any other champagne in this price range. But today, let me tell you a bit about its history and relationship with the James Bond franchise, and where best to enjoy this bottle in NYC.

Bollinger champagne has been the official champagne of the James Bond franchise since 1979. However, the bottle already makes its first movie appearance in Live and Let Die from 1973, and in the literary version, Ian Fleming writes of James drinking the Bollinger on Queen Elizabeth with four small slivers of steak on toast canapés, and a small bowl of sauce in Diamonds are Forever. That was 1956.

From a literary sense, James was a connoisseur of many champagnes. The very first Bond book, Casino Royale, he confers with the sommelier and orders the Taittinger Blanc de Blanc Brut '43, and later you find him with Veuve Cliquot Rose, Veuve Cliquot Brut, Dom Perignon, Pommery Rose, Krug, as well as Taittinger Rose.

However, it was in the late 1970s, after a handshake agreement over lunch between Christian Bizot (the 5th generation President of the Bollinger Champagne House) and legendary Bond producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, that it was decided that the international spy with exquisite taste preferred Bollinger.

And by the way, it is no coincidence that the British love Bollinger. In fact, Queen Victoria liked Bollinger so much that she granted Jacques Joseph Bollinger the first Royal Warrant (granted as a mark of recognition to people or companies who have regularly supplied goods or services to the British Royal Household) awarded to a Champagne house in 1884.

Where do I find my Bollinger in NYC? Well, Balthazar, of course!

IMAGES

* Lead-In Photo - Bollinger / Official Site

* Bollinger Goldeneye Ad - Bollinger with imaging by Heritage Auctions