win August 2016

win@thebarn.com

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[wine] More thoughts on stems for bubbles (& Bubbles!)

by James＠brewingnews.com

Wine folly "sabres (into) the subject" of stemware for sparkling wines. Well worth a click for the full content and the graphics. Short version: A high quality (crystal) white wine glass (e.g. Overture white or better) works very well for most sparkling wine. http://winefolly.com/tutorial/champagne-flutes-or-glasses/ Selecting The Best Glass For You There are some clear differences as to how the shape will affect your perception of how different sparkling wines taste. There are a few other considerations to keep in mind: Shape As the illustration suggests, glasses with smaller openings and bowls are less expressive than glassware with a larger bowl shape. So, if you drink more affordable sparkling wine on a regular basis, you may actually end up preferring the flute-style glass, because it will hide flaws and make the wine taste more spritzy. Material The glass material will either be crystal or standard glass. The major difference between the two materials is thickness. Standard glass requires a greater thickness for durability whereas crystal can be made thinner. Generally speaking, the less material that interacts with your palate, the less obtrusive it will be to the flavor. Thus, you should expect the finest Champagne glasses to be made of crystal (both lead and lead-free). There are many outstanding crystal manufacturers to seek out, but be sure to add Riedel, Spiegalau, Schott-Zwiesel and Zalto to your shortlist as some of the most trusted brands with sommeliers. Durability The biggest problem with Champagne glasses is that they are top heavy which increases their potential to slide off trays or get knocked over and break. If you’re already nervous around stemmed glasses, you’ll be even more uneasy around Champagne flutes. Champagne flutes are essentially the bane of people who talk with their hands. If this sounds like you, you might want to stick to a standard white wine glass. Maintaining Your Glassware One last consideration to make if you’re buying Champagne glasses is your willingness to hand-wash them (who loves dishes?). Standard glass is non-porous and can handle rigorous washing in a dishwasher, whereas fine crystal is more finicky. It’s like the difference between maintaining a Toyota Camry vs a Porsche Turbo. Again, the pragmatic solution isn’t always as exciting, but remember, it’s about the wine… What We Use Riedel Superleggero hand blown crystal glasses including CHampagne We were delighted to see that Riedel’s new high-end glassware collection, Superleggero , includes a Champagne glass that mimics the white wine glass shape. We drink sparkling wine at least 2–3 times a week at the office and we open everything from cheap bottles of Cava to prestige Champagne. What do we use? A high-quality crystal white wine glass. We’ve found that the white wine glass gives us the most honest assessment of the wine: it doesn’t hide flaws and it’s easier to stick your nose in (and clean up afterwards). In fact, when researching the latest trends on Champagne glassware for this article, we were delighted to see that several glassware manufacturers are using something similar to a white wine shape for prestige Champagne! -- James Ellingson cell 651 645 0753 Great Lakes Brewing News, 5219 Elliot Ave, Mpls, MN 55417 James(a)BrewingNews.com BeerGovernor(a)gmail.com

9 years, 3 months

[wine] Champagne Shortage looms

by James＠brewingnews.com

FYI from Decanter http://www.decanter.com/wine-news/frost-rot-and-mildew-cause-champagne-shor… Follow the link for far prettier formatting... Champagne shortage looms after frost, rot and mildew Caroline Henry August 9, 2016 163 shares Bad weather, rot and mildew in Champagne all mean that 2016 has been one of the lowest yielding Champagne seasons since the 1980s. image: http://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2… Champagne shortage TAGS:News Home Champagne shortage The growing season is the most complicated Champagne has known since the very difficult season of 1956, said Eric Rodez, winemaker at the family-owned Champagne Rodez in Ambonnay. In spring, late frosts hit the Côte des Bar region, where a quarter of the Champagne vineyards are. Jean Pierre Fleury, winemaker at Champagne Fleury in Courteron told Decanter.com the frost at bud break caused him to lose 70% of his potential harvest. Champagne alternative: Top UK sparkling wines The Aube was once again hit by hailstorms later in the season, and then by the mildew epidemic sweeping through Champagne. Olivier Horiot, a grower and vigneron at Les Riceys, estimates the sub-region’s yield will be averaging around 2,500 to 3,000 kg/ hectare, well below the 10,700 kg/ hectares the CIVC decided on in July. Grower Champagne: 10 estates to know Yields are set in function of sales forecast, as well as the actual crop potential in the vines, and in difficult years they are supplemented by the Individual Reserves held by growers and houses. Charles Philipponnat, General Manager at Champagne Philipponnat, said that to meet the 2016 yields, growers and houses will have to dig heavily in their reserves. ‘We estimate that our average yield in the Marne is closer to 8,000 to 8,500 kg per hectare, which is in-line with the official estimates of 7,200 kg/hectare for the whole Champagne region.’ Rot damage Mildew and grey rot have also been causing more damage. image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/… Champagne shortage Grey rot in Champagne. Image: Caroline Henry Grey rot was first observed at the end of July but spread very quickly with 65% of the vineyards showing minor grey rot outbreaks. Magister, an agronomic agency which monitors a large selection of growers and houses vineyards, confirmed that 99% of the vineyards monitored had mildew symptoms. 34% of the vineyards had more than 10% loss in yield due to mildew, and in 4% of the vineyards more than half the crop has been affected. Edited by Ellie Douglas. View This Infographic To Find Out How Patient Data Has Evolved Over The Years And How You Can Stay Ahead Getting a clear, comprehensive patient record can be challenging. This infographic from CDW and Intel showcases how patient data has evolved over the years. Ad by CDW and Intel Related stories: image: http://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2… << More weather related supply restrictions. >> Burgundy frost Burgundy hit by ‘worst frost since 1981’ Worst frost in 30 years may hit 2016 harvest. image: http://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2… Hail stones in Domaine Gonon vineyards, mâcaonnais Heavy hailstorm hits Mâconnais vineyards in Burgundy Hailstorm in Mâconnais, Burgundy, damages 100% of first buds in some places Spring hail also hits Cahors in south-west France… image: http://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2… Vineyards in Chablis, Burgundy Chablis prices to rise as weather hits 2016 vintage A major shortfall looms in Chablis, says expert... Read more at http://www.decanter.com/wine-news/frost-rot-and-mildew-cause-champagne-shor… -- James Ellingson cell 651 645 0753 Great Lakes Brewing News, 5219 Elliot Ave, Mpls, MN 55417 James(a)BrewingNews.com BeerGovernor(a)gmail.com

9 years, 3 months

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win August 2016