A few months ago, Asia Tatler Dining sat down to lunch at The Pawn with The Press Room Group's wine director Kavita Faiella to inspect her new wine list. Once there, Faiella introduced us to some delicious "grower champagnes", essentially champagnes produced by the people who grow the grapes themselves. This definition may at first seem to include all champagne, but actually most grape growers sell their grapes to the big champagne houses. Therefore, the ones who keep their own grapes and make champagne out of them are a rarity, and are referred to as grower champagne or artisanal champagne. Our interest was piqued after the delicious specimens we tried that day, and so, in order to find out more about this new trend in wines, we interview sommelier Mathieu Pouchan of the new champagne speciality store, Champagne etc, in Central.

Asia Tatler Dining: Tell us more about Champagne, etc.: how many labels are sold at the store? What are some of the more unusual labels that are impossible to find elsewhere in Hong Kong?

Mathieu Pouchan: In Champagne etc we offer 200 labels including 40 different brands. The rarest Champagne we have, the ones you could not find elsewhere, include Pol Roger 1921 late disgorged; a Pommery collection of three vintages 1952-1969-1973 also late disgorged; and old vintage of Champagne Salon including one from 1969. We also have some small rare growers as Vouette et Sorbee.

ATD: Tell us a bit more about yourself: how did you become a sommelier? Do you specialise in champagne?

MP: I started working in restaurant as waiter and came from a wine-loving family. Working at the restaurant I had the opportunity to taste more and more different wine and open my palate to new tastes and decided to specialise as sommelier.

In the wine world, champagne has always been special. It's a wine that can be enjoyed at any time and any moment, just for its refreshing taste or to pair with the most delicate meal so if you want to be a sommelier, you have to know it deeply.

ATD: You have identified grower champagne as one of the trends of 2012: can you tell us more about the concept?

MP: The big house champagnes have been in Hong Kong for decades and will always be but Hong Kong wine lovers are curious and asking for new champagne styles and philosophy that growers can offer. The champagne growers are not restricted by brand style as the big houses are so they are more free to experiment the styles during wine making.

ATD: What is the main difference between grower champagne and champagne produced by the big houses?

MP: Champagne growers are another facet of the champagne world. A lot of farmers who used to sell their grapes to champagne house realised that their vineyard had quality potential and began to grow and make their own champagnes. As opposed to big houses who buy grapes from various vineyards, most of them are doing single vineyard cuvee and try to catch the essence of their vineyard. Grower Champagne is often more about terroir than style.

ATD: What do the initials RM stand for? Apart from that, is there any other way to tell from a label whether a champagne is a grower champagne?

MP: RM means Recoltant Manipulant, which can be translated as "Grower Maker", as opposed to a Negociant Manipulant, who is someone that buys grapes to make champagne. The intials RM are best clue to know it that the bottle is a grower champagne. On many bottles of grower champagne, the name of the grower and its location will also be written as "Larmandier Bernier, Vigneron a Vertus".

ATD: You have previously given your top five favourite grower champagnes: could you elaborate and tell us what food pairing would be perfect with each one, in terms of tasting notes and ingredients?

MP: It's my top five but it was really hard to choose between so many good champagne.

1. Larmandier Bernier Vieille Vigne de Cramant Grand Cru 2005

The chalky flavour and the really dry palate makes a perfect match for raw sea food as oyster.2. Cedric Bouchard Inflorescence Blanc De Noirs Val Vilaine NV

Also a dry champagne but more exotic. This would go well with a fish and mango tartare, the delicate taste and fruitiness of the champagne will be a perfect match.

3. Godme Champagne Brut Millesime 2002

A sea bass braised and served with oyster sauce. The chalkiness, ripe fruit and toasted flavour will be a great weeding with braised smoky flavoured and the sweetness and light salt oyster sauce taste.

4. Egly Ouriet Blanc de Noirs NV (Disgorged in Jul 2010)

This champagne has ripe fruits, almond flavour and full body due to the blend of old vintage and long bottle aging before release. This champagne can easily handle poultry or veal made with creamy mushroom sauce.

5. Jacques Selosse Cuvee Substance Grand Cru NV

This pure, mineral, buttered with light oxidative tones is deep and complex. As I could drink it just to enjoy his complexity it will also be great with foie gras terrines flavoured with cognac. The freshness of the champagne will balance the fattiness of the liver and the cognac flavour will match perfectly the light oxidative champagne aroma. Cheese as brie or camembert will be excellent too.