IT WAS Bollinger’s night at the Oscars in Alderley Edge last week.

The great Champagne house, one of the oldest and best known in the world, was the toast of the village after winning the Alderley Edge Champagne Oscar for the second time.

The red carpet was rolled out and a celebration dinner was held at the Alderley Edge Hotel which set up the honour along with Cheshire Life magazine to mark the reputed Champagne lifestyle of the village.

Among those to raise a toast were footballing legends Francis Lee and Mike Somerbee along with rock legend Peter Hook as well as a host of local celebrities and gourmets. There was a toast to the House of Bollinger and its historic roots in the vineyards of Ay which date back to 1750.

But it was to the inspirational Madame Elizabeth Bollinger, affectionately known as ‘Aunt Lily’ that glasses were raised to the roof.

Bollinger’s managing director, Simon Leschallas, who accepted the unique Oscar presented to the winner, said it was Lily who took the brand to the worldwide phenomina known today.

Lily took over the reins at 16 Rue Jules Lobet in the heart of the Champagne region when she was widowed in 1941 and as a cook she recognised its potential.

She believed that as with food you cannot make a great wine without the right ingredients and knew that chefs were driven to create new styles of cooking to match the complex personalities of the wines.

She expanded the vineyards, perfected the process of vinification and travelled the world taking the family business to the global market.

Lily is still remembered with great affection riding her bicycle across the vineyards.

But most of all she was known for her ‘joie de vivre’ which has become the hallmark of Bollinger.

The brand is synonimous with celebration of life, its achievements and milestones.

And I think she would have approved of the ‘Ab Fab’ generation of today which has adopted ‘Jolly Bolly’ as its own.

One of her more famous quotes, which might have been spoken by Patsy, Joanna Lumley, in the television series reads: "I drink it when I'm happy and when I’m sad.

Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone, when I have company I consider it obligatory.

I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and drink it when I am,

Otherwise I never touch it unless I’m thirsty.’

She died in 1971 but left her mark with the brand now among the most popular in the world.

Bollinger has 160 hectares of vineyards predominately Pinot Noir grapes and produces special cuvee, grand annexe, when exceptional harvest, RD vintage, Franchisee Vintage, prestige cuvee, Bollinger Rose and a still red wine Châteaux Champers La Châteaux infants.