Wimbledon is back! Cancelled in 2020 for the first time in 75 years, the UK’s most celebrated tennis tournament is welcoming vaccinated attendees and those who provide a negative Covid test.

And how do Wimbledon-goers keep their hunger at bay during a long day of matches? In true English fashion, of course, with strawberries and whipped cream, and a glass of the best bubbly at hand. Each year, on average, the tournament attendees go through about 122,000 small baskets of strawberries—as you can imagine, that’s a lot of berries. And with their cream-topped fruit, the tennis fans are sipping on flutes of Champagne Lanson, the official Wimbledon champagne supplier since 2001.

Lanson, one of the oldest champagne houses, has been a longtime favorite of The Wine Chef. The winery, established in 1760, was one of only four that I visited during a brief stay in the Champagne region in 2014 (photo taken at Lanson).

What always impresses me while sipping any of the Lanson Champagnes is how they add liveliness to a meal—these are not heavy wines that tire the palate after a glass or two. They invite you to take the next sip, over and over again throughout a whole evening.

Lanson’s house style is known for its pure expression of fruit, in large part due to the wines’ vibrant acidity. The champagnes are rarely allowed to go through malolactic fermentation, a winemaking process in which tart malic acid, naturally present in freshly pressed grape juice, is converted to softer-tasting lactic acid. By avoiding ‘malo’ (as winemakers call it), and by sourcing some of the best grapes of the region, Lanson champagne retains its inherent freshness while developing a wonderfully rich aromatic expression. As an added benefit, the freshness of the wines make them supremely age-worthy.

How to make your own Wimbledon-watching party this week.

Simply turn on ESPN and do as they’re doing in London: prepare bowls of strawberries topped with homemade whipped cream (or even better, place it on top of pancakes) and pour glasses of chilled Lanson Le Black label Champagne.

Easy Whipped Cream Recipe
For best results, make sure whisk and bowl are very cold.
In a large bowl, whip 1 cup heavy cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar until soft peaks form. Make sure not to over-beat or cream will become lumpy.
Store any unused whipped cream in an airtight container for up to one day. When ready to use, rewhisk for 10 to 15 seconds.