James Bond is a well-known martini man, but he also loves Champagne: Champagne Bollinger, to be specific. In real life, the Bollinger team is celebrating that relationship—and the upcoming 25th Bond film No Time to Die—with a limited-edition bottle.
“Bond is the quintessential partner for Bollinger, as the two share many values: excellence, authenticity, elegance,” Bollinger business development director Cyril Delarue told Wine Spectator via email. “It was only natural that the most British of Champagnes and the most British of secret agents should come together.”
No, Bollinger’s Special Cuvée 007 bottle doesn’t feature any hidden gadgets. But each bottle is adorned with “007” on its neck and collar, a nod to Bond’s famous codename. The wine comes in a gray box featuring Bond in silhouette next to one of his favorite rides, a vintage Aston Martin DB5. This is just the latest of Bollinger’s Bond releases over the years, following a bullet-shaped magnum cooler with secret compartments, a box inspired by Bond’s Walther PPK and several other secret-agent collectibles.
In fact, Bond and Bollinger go way back. Bond creator Ian Fleming first referenced the Champagne in his 1965 novel Diamonds Are Forever, and the bubbly made its film premiere in 1973’s Live and Let Die. In the late 1970s, after a handshake agreement with Bond producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, Bollinger became the official Champagne of the James Bond franchise (and the spy’s canon favorite too), beginning with its appearance in Moonraker. Bollinger released a limited-edition Moonraker box in 2019 to celebrate the collaboration’s 40th anniversary.
“The partnership between James Bond and Bollinger has evolved over the years and is now a recognizable part of both brands’ legacies,” said Delarue. No Time to Die, Bollinger’s 16th Bond film, arrives in theaters Oct. 8, but Bond fans can get their Bollinger Champagne Special Cuvée 007 Limited Edition NV ($79) now—as long as SPECTRE doesn’t get it first ….
And not only can fans now sip like Bond, but the Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa in Champillon, France, is inviting visitors to live a bit like the spy, too, with its new "Feeling Like James Bond" package: Guests can enjoy picturesque Champagne vineyard views from the hotel's new 007 suite, along with Vesper martinis (recipe courtesy of Bond himself), a bottle of Bollinger and even a tour of the Bollinger estate.
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