Red Stars from Sara Underdown in Champagne and Adelaide

By Rachel Fellows

Published 08-October-2025

News

Star Wine List’s Champagne and South Australia Ambassador is adding three new Red Stars to our guides. She’s noticed a flurry of openings from the maisons of Champagne and a leaning towards “comfort food concepts” back home in Adelaide. We get the latest from both countries.

Wine writer Sara Underdown may be based in Adelaide but her heart, it seems, is over in Champagne. As the founder of VINE & BUBBLE, a Champagne-centric digital magazine, events and travel company now also incorporating a podcast, Sara was named a Dame Chevalier by the Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne late last year.

Typically travelling to the region three times per year (for vins clairs tastings in April, as a tour guide for guests in June, and then again for harvest in the early autumn), Sara is perfectly placed to recommend the best hangouts for wine lovers. She has one new French Red Star for our guide, “a great little wine bar with a young and creative team” and one of “a few new venues popping up in Reims.”

But she says that the area’s “biggest change is being driven by the maisons. Several have (and are) opening their own restaurants, cafés and bars to engage more directly with consumers. Examples include Taittinger, G.H. Mumm, Perrier-Jouët, Ruinart and, soon, Bollinger and Thiénot. They’re investing heavily in the right collaborations, people and infrastructure to create experiential luxury at the highest level, with refined dining options paired with Champagne and surrounded by beautiful aesthetics.”

And, of course, there’s her hometown of Adelaide, which now gets two new Red Stars.

“I’ve noticed a rise in creative comfort food concepts alongside wine lists that are accessible and affordable,” she says.

We asked Sara how she goes about picking her recommendations, and just what visitors – to both regions – need to know.

How can a venue impress you with its wine list?

“For me it’s always about diversity but also storytelling. Far too many times I’ve visited venues in cities or suburbs in Australia that offer almost a replica of their neighbour’s wine list, or might offer very little at all. A wine list is a lead indicator of a venue’s overall sophistication and it tells me straight away what kind of experience I should expect.”

Do you have any pet hates on wine lists or in service?

“Many! However, as a Champagne lover, nothing irritates me more than being served Champagne in a flute, especially when it’s at a fine dining restaurant. I will always ask for a white Burgundy-style glass or Riesling glass as a substitute.”

What’s the one thing visitors to Adelaide should do?

“If you’re only sticking to the CBD, head to Leigh or Peel Street to get a sense of our local soul. There’s a great after-dark energy that attracts a crowd of creatives, professionals and wine-savvy locals who know their Grenache from their Gamay. However, take a moment to escape the city to one of our incredible wine regions which are no more than 30 to 60 minutes away. For wine lovers, South Australia is a sensory playground, rich in terroir, storytelling and local produce.”

What are your top tips for wine lovers visiting Champagne?

“Read my recommendations on Star Wine List! All of my reviews are from personal and regular experiences and places that I enjoy with friends.

“Beyond that, plan well in advance by contacting producers that you’re interested in visiting. Not all will receive visitors, but they may well consider making an exception if you’re enthusiastic. Also, look beyond the more accessible maisons to smaller producers and growers – it will open your eyes to the diversity and wonder of the greatest sparkling wine of all.”

What are you up to at the moment – any new projects or plans?

“Always! I’m working on supporting a number of media and client engagement campaigns for Champagne houses in Australia. I’m increasingly being engaged to reach new audiences and create very special and exclusive experiences that customers cannot find anywhere else. It’s an exciting challenge but it’s a great business opportunity for me and those that I work with.”

Explore our guides to Champagne and Adelaide.