Bollinger… Bond’s Bolly

Forget the martini, James Bond ‘shakes and stirs’ me most when he orders a bottle of his champagne of choice, Champagne Bollinger.

Bollinger’s pinot-heavy blend famously fermented in oak barrels is a rich, strong, and masculine blend that is both fitting and deserving of the sexiest spy on the planet. And the two icons have enjoyed a long and strong partnership.

Champagne Bollinger’s Bond appearances

Bolly first touched Bond’s lips in the 1956 novel, Diamonds are Forever, but it wasn’t until 1973’s Live and Let Die that Champagne Bollinger joined the 007 film franchise.

Jérôme Philipon, president of Champagne Bollinger, confirms Bolly has been featured in 14 Bond films.

The champagne has a string of ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ appearances in Octopussy, Golden Eye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough, Die Another Day, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre.

And noticeable cameos in License to Kill (1989), when Timothy Dalton enjoys Bollinger R.D. 1979 in a casino. My favourite Bond, Daniel Craig, pops a bottle of 1990 La Grande Annee with Vesper in Casino Royale (2006). In The Living Daylights, Dalton accepts a proposition of Bollinger from a stunning stranger on a boat while Roger Moore takes time out to enjoy a glass at a party in A View to a Kill (1985).

But credit for the most Bond-worthy scene-stealing Bolly moments go to Roger Moore and Jaws in 1979’s Moonraker. Moore’s seduction of Holly Goodhead with the quote, “Bollinger? If it’s ’69, you were expecting me.” is legendary and Jaws, the film’s evil assassin, introduces a novel way to open a bottle of Bollinger R.D. using his teeth!

Fittingly, Moonraker marked the start of an exclusive and formal partnership between Bollinger and the 007 film franchise.

Celebrating the Champagne Bollinger and Bond partnership

And it’s not just James and his bevy of Bond-babes who get to enjoy the Bond-Bolly pairing. We all had a chance at our own 007 moment with Champagne Bollinger’s 2012 special release ‘002 007’ (a 2002 vintage) created to mark the 50th anniversary of Bond.

In 2015, Champagne Bollinger released a Spectre Special Edition (a 2009 vintage) to celebrate the Bond-Bolly partnership. The house also released a stunning SPECTRE Crystal Set 007 wine cooler. They made just 307 coolers which retail for around US$9,500!

My bottle of ‘002 007’ (pictured) was my first ever champagne collectors item, lasting just 2 years until my birthday in 2014. My Spectre Bolly is still stashed away for a worthy occasion but sadly the crystal set is just out of my reach… by about US$9,000!.

And now I might pop a bottle of Bolly and spend a few hours playing “spot the Bolly” in my favourite Bond films.

Sante!

Sources

www.champagne-bollinger.com