*Hi All:*
**
*not wine, but interesting nevertheless:*
**
*Make Your Own Grainbelt Commercial Viewing Party*
For the past five years, filmmakers of all stripes have paid on-screen
homage to signature hometown brew, Grainbelt Premium
<http://secretsofthecity.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c88948fefa165c564a682…>.
This annual contest invites fimmakers to create short commercials, which
range from ridiculous to slickly produced. Come down to the Ritz tonight
to watch all the entries on the big screen, then stick around to see who
won. The first place winner scores not only $1000, but also a year's
supply of Grainbelt Premium! Aptly hosted by Ian of Drinking with Ian,
this beer-soaked special event is the perfect hump-day escape,
especially when you factor in the cheap beer and free admission. See the
commercials online and vote for your favorites HERE
<http://secretsofthecity.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c88948fefa165c564a682…>.
/Doors at 6, Screening at 7, Ritz Theater
<http://secretsofthecity.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c88948fefa165c564a682…>,
345 13th Avenue NE, Northeast Minneapolis, Free/
FYI on some very special brews.
Update on Erte. I have a call in for a reservation for 6:30 on Thursday.
Most anything in the Cab/Brdx class.
Jim/Louise
Lori
Alicia
Annette Peters
Betsy
Russ/Sue are busy
Warren/Ruth are busy
Bob is out of town on family business
Thanks to all who replied.
----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> -----
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2009 12:15:39 -0600
From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
To: mba(a)thebarn.com
January 7, 2009
Tasting Report: Sip, Don.t Quaff
Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes 2006 ... ½
Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien, Switzerland 11% alcohol (25.4 oz., $34.95)
Bracing and complex, with bright, refreshing, tart flavors of citrus, spice and sour fruits. (B. United International, Redding, Conn.)
Pennichuck 2008 (33.8 oz., $17.95) ...
Pozharnik Espresso Russian Imperial Stout, Milford, N.H. 10%
Rich, smooth and full bodied, with balanced flavors of bitter chocolate, coffee and toffee.
BEST VALUE
Bavik Petrus Aged Pale (11.2 oz., $3.50) ... Belgium 7.3%
Golden, complex and refreshing with flavors of tart citrus and earth. (Win-It-Too, Santa Barbara, Calif.)
Jolly Pumpkin (25.4 oz., $9.50) ... La Roja Amber Ale, Dexter, Mich. 7.2%
Rich, robust and spicy with full, creamy carbonation and funky, earthy flavors.
Dogfish Head (12 oz., $4.60) ...
Burton Baton Imperial India Pale Ale, Milton, Del. 10%
Brown and cloudy, with well-balanced, lingering flavors of sweet malt and piney hops.
Allagash Odyssey (25 oz., $22.95) .. ½ Portland, Me. 10.3%
Aromas of coffee and smoke, with bright, lingering fruit flavors.
Harviestoun (11.2 oz., $11.95) .. ½ Ola Dubh Special 16 Reserve, Scotland 8%
Stoutlike with aromas of roasted malt, smoke, figs and tobacco. (B. United International)
De Dolle Oerbier (11.2 oz., $12.95) .. ½ Special Reserva 2007, Belgium 13%
Complex and refreshing with aromas of tart citrus and apricots. (B. United International)
Great Divide (22 oz., $12.95) .. ½ Yeti Imperial Stout, Denver 9.5%
Roasted malt aromas, creamy texture with complex flavors of fruit, brandy and licorice.
Captain Lawrence (25 oz., $21.95) .. ½
Smoke From the Oak Bourbon Barrels, Pleasantville, N.Y. 7%
Black with bright, fruity aromas balanced by flavors of roasted malt.
--
------------------------------
* Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
_______________________________________________
mba mailing list
mba(a)thebarn.com
http://www.thebarn.com/mailman/listinfo/mba
----- End forwarded message -----
--
------------------------------
* Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
January 7, 2009
Tasting Report: Sip, Don.t Quaff
Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes 2006 ... ½
Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien, Switzerland 11% alcohol (25.4 oz., $34.95)
Bracing and complex, with bright, refreshing, tart flavors of citrus, spice and sour fruits. (B. United International, Redding, Conn.)
Pennichuck 2008 (33.8 oz., $17.95) ...
Pozharnik Espresso Russian Imperial Stout, Milford, N.H. 10%
Rich, smooth and full bodied, with balanced flavors of bitter chocolate, coffee and toffee.
BEST VALUE
Bavik Petrus Aged Pale (11.2 oz., $3.50) ... Belgium 7.3%
Golden, complex and refreshing with flavors of tart citrus and earth. (Win-It-Too, Santa Barbara, Calif.)
Jolly Pumpkin (25.4 oz., $9.50) ... La Roja Amber Ale, Dexter, Mich. 7.2%
Rich, robust and spicy with full, creamy carbonation and funky, earthy flavors.
Dogfish Head (12 oz., $4.60) ...
Burton Baton Imperial India Pale Ale, Milton, Del. 10%
Brown and cloudy, with well-balanced, lingering flavors of sweet malt and piney hops.
Allagash Odyssey (25 oz., $22.95) .. ½ Portland, Me. 10.3%
Aromas of coffee and smoke, with bright, lingering fruit flavors.
Harviestoun (11.2 oz., $11.95) .. ½ Ola Dubh Special 16 Reserve, Scotland 8%
Stoutlike with aromas of roasted malt, smoke, figs and tobacco. (B. United International)
De Dolle Oerbier (11.2 oz., $12.95) .. ½ Special Reserva 2007, Belgium 13%
Complex and refreshing with aromas of tart citrus and apricots. (B. United International)
Great Divide (22 oz., $12.95) .. ½ Yeti Imperial Stout, Denver 9.5%
Roasted malt aromas, creamy texture with complex flavors of fruit, brandy and licorice.
Captain Lawrence (25 oz., $21.95) .. ½
Smoke From the Oak Bourbon Barrels, Pleasantville, N.Y. 7%
Black with bright, fruity aromas balanced by flavors of roasted malt.
--
------------------------------
* Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
Hi Alicia,
Thanks for the note. three and counting for erte.
Since you're getting the e-mails, you must be on the list.
You should be getting a monthly reminder w/ you log in and
password for the barn.
You should white-list the barn and/or wine AT the barn
to prevent inadvertant spam filtering of e-mail from the barn.
I can dig into it, but probably not before tomorrow.
Cheers,
Jim
On Mon, Jan 05, 2009 at 12:12:21PM -0600, Alicia Anderson wrote:
> Hi J,
> I would be interested for this Thursday. However, I won't be able to
> make the 18th - family conflict. I also cannot log into the barn website or
> get my password login updated. Can you help me with this?
>
> Cheers,
> Alicia
>
> On Mon, Jan 5, 2009 at 11:50 AM, Jim L. Ellingson <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>wrote:
>
> > Greetings,
> >
> > Hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday.
> >
> > Kallsen studio party was fantastic! Many thanks to Angella and Jason.
> >
> >
> >
> > I've penciled in Erte for Thursday. Cabs and/or Brdx style wines.
> >
> > What is the level of interest and participation?
> > Do we have a quorum? Alternative venue?
> > Sobolewskian wine designation.... "Cabs from producer's or regions
> > starting with the letters B, W, S, I or P."
> >
> > I'd like to make the reservation tomorrow (Tuesday) at the latest.
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Forwarded message from The 30 Second Wine Advisor <
> > wine(a)wineloverspage.com> -----
> >
> > Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2009 12:14:06 -0500 (EST)
> > To: jellings(a)me.umn.edu
> > Subject: 30SecWineAdvisor: My best value wines of 2008
> > From: The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine(a)wineloverspage.com>
> > X-Sender: <wine(a)wineloverspage.com>
> > X-Greylist: IP, sender and recipient auto-whitelisted, not delayed by
> > milter-greylist-4.0 (smtp-relay.enet.umn.edu [128.101.142.227]); Mon, 05
> > Jan 2009 11:12:33 -0600 (CST)
> > X-Spam-Score: 0 ()
> > X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.57 on 128.101.142.227
> >
> >
> > THE 30 SECOND WINE ADVISOR, Monday, Jan. 5, 2009
> > ________________________________________________________________________
> > TODAY'S SPONSOR
> >
> > * CONNOISSEURS' SERIES Looking for a very special gift for a close
> > friend, a special business associate ... or yourself? A subscription to
> > Connoisseurs' Series is a statement in elegance, taste and the finest in
> > California artisanal wine. Call 1-800-777-4443 to join or learn more.
> > http://www.cawineclub.com/connseries
> >
> > ________________________________________________________________________
> > IN THIS ISSUE
> >
> > * MY BEST VALUE WINES OF 2008 Here's my annual New Year's report on the
> > best - and the best values - of the wines I've reviewed during the past
> > 12 months.
> > * CONNOISSEURS' SERIES A subscription to Connoisseurs' Series is a
> > statement in elegance, taste and the finest in California artisanal
> > wine. Call 1-800-777-4443 to join or learn more. Here is my tasting
> > reports on a recent offering, the top-tier "Hommage" Cabernet from Clos
> > Pegase.
> > * THIS WEEK ON WINELOVERSPAGE.COM WineLovers Discussion Group members
> > discuss a punitive fine on a New York wine shop for the "crime" of
> > selling a gift bag for wine.
> > * ADMINISTRIVIA Change E-mail address, frequency, format or unsubscribe.
> >
> > ________________________________________________________________________
> > MY BEST VALUE WINES OF 2008
> >
> > Happy New Year! As we move into the year 2008, here's my annual New
> > Year's year report on the best - and the best values - of the wines I've
> > reviewed during the past 12 months.
> >
> > As I do at the end of every year at this time, I've sorted all my wine-
> > tasting reports of the year to reveal the specific wines that I've rated
> > best for both quality and value. These are the wines that showed
> > exceptional value at all price points, earning the admiring moniker that
> > online wine "geeks" call "Quality-Price Ratio" or, for short, "QPR."
> >
> > Many of the recent trends that we've recorded last year and the year
> > before seemed to continue in 2008: Artisanal, small-farm wineries came
> > under some pressure as international corporations buy up properties and
> > write distribution agreements with producers around the world. The
> > combination of continued warm weather in many wine regions and a
> > perception that the public wants big, fruity, highly alcoholic wines
> > that win high ratings points continues to make "international" wines in
> > this style ever more available.
> >
> > Curiously, only 51 of the wines I tasted during 2008 made my "honor
> > roll" for top rank in quality and value; this is down from 56 top-QPR
> > wines in 2007 and 60 the year befor that. While this trend isn't large,
> > it's consistent enough to suggest that it's becoming more and more
> > difficult to find wines of true interest at "everyday" price points.
> >
> > A decade ago it was still easy to find interesting wines at $5; a few
> > years ago the dividing line had risen to $10. Now I find that most of my
> > wines for everyday consumption range from $12 to $20. Will prices
> > continue to rise in the face of a possible global recsssion? The year
> > 2009 should be an interesting time for wine consumers.
> >
> > Looking more closely at my top quality wines of the year, as noted, 51
> > made the cut. Ten of those sold for $10 or less, the great value Cave de
> > Montagnac 2006 Picpoul de Pinet marking the low end at $7.99.
> > Surprisingly, I spent over $20 for only two of my top-value wines this
> > year; all the rest fell in the $10 to $20 range.
> >
> > Sorted by country or region, this year's QPR list includes 17 from
> > perennial winner France, 13 from Italy and - jumping up in the race this
> > year, perhaps because of the dollar's low valuation against the Euro, 13
> > from the United States (including 11 from California and one each from
> > Oregon and Washington State). Filling out the list were Australia, 3;
> > and one each from Argentina, Austria, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain.
> >
> > Here are all the top-value wines that I tasted during 2007, ranked in
> > order of the actual retail price that I paid. You may click each link to
> > view a more detailed tasting note in our standard "shelf-hanger" format.
> > In most instances, I purchased these wines from retail shops in and
> > around Louisville, Ky.; a few came from California Wine Club or were
> > hand-carried back from New York City, most from the excellent Chambers
> > Street Wines.
> >
> > For your shopping convenience, click to our QPR 2009 Page on
> > WineLoversPage.com,
> > http://www.wineloverspage.com/qpr/index.phtml
> > where I have reproduced this list with specific links for each wine in
> > the databases at Wine-Searcher.com, to help you compare prices and check
> > availability at selected vendors online.
> >
> > ________________________________________________________________________
> > WINES RETAILING FOR MORE THAN $20
> >
> > Mosby 2005 "Ossessione" Marche Rosso (Italy), $26.
> > Emilio Lustau Palo Cortado "Peninsula" Sherry (Spain), $21.99.
> >
> > ________________________________________________________________________
> > WINES RETAILING FROM $15 TO $20
> >
> > Francine et Olivier Savary 2006 Chablis (France), $19.99.
> > Matteo Correggia 2004 "La Val dei Preti" Nebbiolo d'Alba (Italy),
> > $19.99.
> > Kunde Estate 2004 Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (California), $18.99.
> > Hahn Estates 2006 Central Coast Meritage Red Table Wine (California),
> > $17.99.
> > Domaine Oratoire St. Martin 2005 C�tes du Rh�ne (France), $17.99.
> > Pedroncelli 2005 Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County "Mother Clone" Zinfandel
> > (California), $17.
> > A to Z 2006 Oregon Chardonnay (Oregon), $16.99.
> > d'Arenberg 2007 "The Hermit Crab" Adelaide Viognier Marsanne
> > (Australia), $16.99.
> > Ch�teau de Villeneuve 2006 Saumur (France), $15.99.
> > Domaine Alain Normand 2005 Macon La Roche Vineuse (France), $15.99.
> > Daniel Gehrs 2005 "Unoaked" Santa Barbara County Chardonnay
> > (California), $15.
> >
> > ________________________________________________________________________
> > WINES RETAILING FOR LESS THAN $15
> >
> > Bonterra Vineyards 2006 Mendocino County Zinfandel (California), $14.99.
> > Bonterra Vineyards 2006 Mendocino County Cabernet Sauvignon
> > (California), $14.99.
> > Omaka Springs 2007 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand), $14.99.
> > Vicentini 2005 "Terre Lunghe" Soave (Italy), $13.99.
> > Fratelli Pala 2006 "Crabilis" Vermentino di Sardegna (Italy), $13.
> > Ch�teau les Eymeries 2006 Bordeaux Blanc (France), $13.
> > Huber 2006 "Hugo" Nieder�sterreich Gr�ner Veltliner (Austria), $13.
> > Mas de Gourgonnier 2005 Les Baux de Provence (France), $12.99.
> > Riondo non-vintage Veneto Prosecco (Italy), $12.99.
> > Maison Lafage 2006 "C�te Sud" Vin de Pays des C�tes Catalanes (France),
> > $12.99.
> > Mionetto Valdobbiadene Prosecco Brut (Italy), $12.99.
> > La Tour Bois�e 2006 "Plantation 1905" Vin de Table Rouge (France),
> > $12.99.
> > Hayman & Hill 2006 "Interchange" Santa Barbara County "Reserve No. 22"
> > White Blend (California), $12.99.
> > Charles Smith Wines 2006 "Holy Cow" Columbia Valley Chardonnay
> > (Washington State), $12.99.
> > Peachy Canyon 2006 "Incredible Red" Paso Robles Zinfandel (California),
> > $11.99.
> > Chateau La Freynelle 2006 Bordeaux (France), $11.99.
> > Montpezat 2005 Coteaux du Languedoc Palombi�res (France), $11.99.
> > Foppiano Vineyards "Lot 96" California Red Wine (California), $11.99.
> > Shoofly 2007 "Buzz Cut" Wine of Australia (Australia), $11.99.
> > Baciami 2006 Albana di Romagna (Italy), $11.
> > Cantine Riondo "Pink" Prosecco Raboso (Italy), $11.
> > Domaine des Terres Falmet 2006 Cinsault Vin de Pays d'Oc (France), $11.
> > Marchesi di Barolo 2006 "Mar�ia" Barbera Monferrato (Italy), $10.99.
> > Laurel Glen 2006 "REDS" Lodi Red Wine (California), $10.99.
> > Cellier des Dauphins 2005 "Prestige" Cotes du Rhone (France), $10.99.
> > Red Heads Studio 2006 South Australia "Yard Dog" (Australia), $10.99.
> > Michele Chiarlo 2006 "Le Orme" Barbera d'Asti (Italy), $10.99.
> > Tiziano 2005 Chianti (Italy), $10.99.
> >
> > ________________________________________________________________________
> > WINES RETAILING FOR $10 OR LESS
> >
> > Domaine Andr� Brunel 2005 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Grenache (France),
> > $10.
> > Domaine La Tour Bois�e 2005 Vin de Pays d'Oc Cabernet Sauvignon
> > (France), $9.99.
> > Bodegas Norton 2006 "Lo Tengo" Mendoza Malbec (Argentina), $9.99.
> > Le Pavillon du Ch�teau Beauch�ne 2006 C�tes du Rh�ne Ros� (France),
> > $9.99.
> > Catherine le Goeuil 2005 C�tes du Rh�ne Villages Cairanne "Cuv�e L�a
> > Felsch" (France), $9.99.
> > Jos� Maria da Fonseca 2007 "Twin Vines" Vinho Verde (Portugal), $9.
> > Vinum Cellars 2006 "CNW Chard-No-Way" Wilson Vineyards Clarksburg Chenin
> > Blanc (California), $8.99.
> > Villa Pozzi 2007 Nero d'Avola Sicilia (Italy), $8.99.
> > "Via Firenze" 2005 Chianti (Italy), $7.99.
> > Cave de Montagnac 2006 Picpoul de Pinet (France), $7.99.
> >
> > ________________________________________________________________________
> > TODAY'S SPONSOR: CONNOISSEURS' SERIES
> >
> > Looking for a special gift for a close friend, a special business
> > associate ... or yourself? A subscription to Connoisseurs' Series is a
> > statement in elegance, taste and the finest in California artisanal
> > wine.
> >
> > These exceptional wines, selected each month by Connoisseurs' Guide
> > publisher Charlie Olken and California Wine Club Proprietor Bruce
> > Boring, give wine lovers the opportunity to sample the kind of rare,
> > limited-production California jewels that are often available only on
> > tightly allocated mailing lists.
> >
> > Connoisseurs' Series members may subscribe for monthly, alternate month
> > or quarterly packages. Each shipment includes two to four bottles of
> > California's top wines, with detailed background information. Monthly
> > shipments average $125-$175, including all shipping and handling.
> > There's no membership charge, no long-term commitment (cancel any time),
> > and every wine is guaranteed.
> >
> > Visit www.cawineclub.com/connseries or call 1-800-777-4443 to join or
> > learn more about Connoisseur's Series. Feel free to tell them that I
> > sent you ... and, if you join, please don't hesitate to contact me by E-
> > mail and tell me what you think.
> >
> > ________________________________________________________________________
> > Now, here's a look at an outstanding recent offering from Connoisseurs'
> > Series: An outstanding Napa Cabernet from Clos Pegase. Wine maker Paul
> > Hobbs and viticulturist Tom Prentice joined Clos Pegase in 2006,
> > focusing on its Calistoga Vineyard, declaring it "flagship of our super
> > premium sites," expressing a bold goal "to make the best red wine
> > possible." Hommage is among the first fruits of that venture.
> >
> > ________________________________________________________________________
> > CLOS PEGASE 2004 "HOMMAGE" NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON ($81 retail;
> > $74 per bottle for half or full case orders by Connoisseurs' Series
> > members)
> >
> > Very dark in color, blackish-purple, with a dark garnet edge. An
> > appealing mix of berries, cherries and a whiff of blackcurrant - plays
> > the melody line over a ground bass of spicy oak. Although it sees a full
> > 19 months in French oak, 85 percent of it new, the wine's first-rate
> > fruit and appropriate extraction keeps the balance in favor of fruit.
> > Flavors follow the nose, big and mouth-filling, nicely balanced by
> > fresh-fruit acidity. Tannins are present but smooth and palatable; the
> > wine's heady 14.7% alcohol is kept well restrained. Overall, an
> > impressive Napa Cabernet, drinking nicely but certainly a candidate for
> > cellaring. It went well with red meat, Kentucky natural free-range lamb
> > from Dreamcatcher Farm. Winery Website: http://www.clospegase.com (Jan.
> > 2, 2009)
> >
> > FIND THIS WINE ONLINE: Both of these fine wines were included in a
> > recent shipment from Connoisseurs' Series and are available for
> > additional orders by Connoisseurs' Series members. Call 1-800-777-4443
> > to join or learn more.
> >
> > ________________________________________________________________________
> > TALK ABOUT WINE ONLINE
> >
> > If you have questions, comments or ideas to share about today's article
> > or wine in general, you're always welcome to drop by our online
> > WineLovers Discussion Group. This link will take you to the forum home
> > page, where you can read discussions in all the forum sections:
> > http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village
> >
> > Everyone is free to browse. If you'd like to post a comment, question or
> > reply, you must register, but registration is free and easy. Do take
> > care to register using your real name, or as a minimum, your real first
> > name and last initial. Anonymous registrations are quietly discarded.
> >
> > To contact me by E-mail, write wine(a)wineloverspage.com. I'll respond
> > personally to the extent that time and volume permit.
> >
> > ________________________________________________________________________
> > PRINT OUT TODAY'S ARTICLE
> > Here's a simply formatted copy of today's Wine Advisor, designed to be
> > printed out for your scrapbook or file or downloaded to your PDA or
> > other wireless device.
> >
> > http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/2009/01/my_best_value_wines_of_2…
> >
> > ________________________________________________________________________
> > THIS WEEK ON WINELOVERSPAGE.COM
> >
> > * WINELOVERS DISCUSSION GROUP: New York wine shop fined $10,000 for
> > selling wine gift bags
> > A strict state law and seemingly punitive enforcement came together to
> > slam a heavy fine on a small wine shop in Rochester, N.Y., for the crome
> > of selling a gift bag for wine. WineLovers Discussion Group members
> > express their opinions, and you can, too:
> > http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=21254
> >
> > ________________________________________________________________________
> > LAST WEEK'S WINE ADVISOR INDEX
> >
> > The Wine Advisor's daily edition is usually distributed on Mondays,
> > Wednesdays and Fridays. Because of last week's holiday, however, we
> > published only on Monday and Wednesday.
> >
> > * Recession-busting bubbly (Dec. 31, 2008)
> > http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/tswa20081231.php
> >
> > * Old Barolo and wine-spill follow-up (Dec. 29, 2008)
> > http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/tswa20081229.php
> >
> > * Complete 30 Second Wine Advisor archive:
> > http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/archives.php
> >
> > * Wine Advisor Foodletter archive:
> > http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/food/archives.php
> >
> > ________________________________________________________________________
> > SUBSCRIBE:
> >
> > * WineLoversPage.com RSS Feed (free)
> > http://www.wineloverspage.com/rss/
> >
> > * 30 Second Wine Advisor, daily or weekly (free)
> > http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/index.shtml
> >
> > * Wine Advisor FoodLetter, Thursdays (free)
> > http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/foodletter.shtml
> >
> > ARCHIVES: For all past editions:
> > http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/archives.php
> >
> > CONTACT US BY E-mail: wine(a)wineloverspage.com
> >
> > SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: For information, E-mail
> > wine(a)wineloverspage.com
> > ________________________________________________________________________
> > ADMINISTRIVIA
> >
> > To subscribe or unsubscribe from The 30 Second Wine Advisor, change your
> > E-mail address, switch from weekly to daily distribution, or for any other
> > administrative matters, click
> >
> > to
> > http://www.wineloverspage.com/admin.php?id=20970&cs=7d1109b668af1f87d36d12e…
> >
> > We welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas for future columns. We do not
> > use this list for any other purpose and will never give or sell your name or
> > E-mail to anyone.
> >
> > All the wine-tasting reports posted here are
> > consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of
> > interest,
> > I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores and
> > accept no samples, gifts or other gratuities from the wine industry.
> >
> > Monday, January 5, 2009
> > Copyright 2009 by Robin Garr. All rights reserved.
> >
> > ----- End forwarded message -----
> >
> > --
> > ------------------------------
> > * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
> > * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 *
> > * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > wine mailing list
> > wine(a)thebarn.com
> > http://www.thebarn.com/mailman/listinfo/wine
> >
--
------------------------------
* Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
Greetings,
Hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday.
Kallsen studio party was fantastic! Many thanks to Angella and Jason.
I've penciled in Erte for Thursday. Cabs and/or Brdx style wines.
What is the level of interest and participation?
Do we have a quorum? Alternative venue?
Sobolewskian wine designation.... "Cabs from producer's or regions
starting with the letters B, W, S, I or P."
I'd like to make the reservation tomorrow (Tuesday) at the latest.
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THE 30 SECOND WINE ADVISOR, Monday, Jan. 5, 2009
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TODAY'S SPONSOR
* CONNOISSEURS' SERIES Looking for a very special gift for a close
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http://www.cawineclub.com/connseries
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IN THIS ISSUE
* MY BEST VALUE WINES OF 2008 Here's my annual New Year's report on the
best - and the best values - of the wines I've reviewed during the past
12 months.
* CONNOISSEURS' SERIES A subscription to Connoisseurs' Series is a
statement in elegance, taste and the finest in California artisanal
wine. Call 1-800-777-4443 to join or learn more. Here is my tasting
reports on a recent offering, the top-tier "Hommage" Cabernet from Clos
Pegase.
* THIS WEEK ON WINELOVERSPAGE.COM WineLovers Discussion Group members
discuss a punitive fine on a New York wine shop for the "crime" of
selling a gift bag for wine.
* ADMINISTRIVIA Change E-mail address, frequency, format or unsubscribe.
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MY BEST VALUE WINES OF 2008
Happy New Year! As we move into the year 2008, here's my annual New
Year's year report on the best - and the best values - of the wines I've
reviewed during the past 12 months.
As I do at the end of every year at this time, I've sorted all my wine-
tasting reports of the year to reveal the specific wines that I've rated
best for both quality and value. These are the wines that showed
exceptional value at all price points, earning the admiring moniker that
online wine "geeks" call "Quality-Price Ratio" or, for short, "QPR."
Many of the recent trends that we've recorded last year and the year
before seemed to continue in 2008: Artisanal, small-farm wineries came
under some pressure as international corporations buy up properties and
write distribution agreements with producers around the world. The
combination of continued warm weather in many wine regions and a
perception that the public wants big, fruity, highly alcoholic wines
that win high ratings points continues to make "international" wines in
this style ever more available.
Curiously, only 51 of the wines I tasted during 2008 made my "honor
roll" for top rank in quality and value; this is down from 56 top-QPR
wines in 2007 and 60 the year befor that. While this trend isn't large,
it's consistent enough to suggest that it's becoming more and more
difficult to find wines of true interest at "everyday" price points.
A decade ago it was still easy to find interesting wines at $5; a few
years ago the dividing line had risen to $10. Now I find that most of my
wines for everyday consumption range from $12 to $20. Will prices
continue to rise in the face of a possible global recsssion? The year
2009 should be an interesting time for wine consumers.
Looking more closely at my top quality wines of the year, as noted, 51
made the cut. Ten of those sold for $10 or less, the great value Cave de
Montagnac 2006 Picpoul de Pinet marking the low end at $7.99.
Surprisingly, I spent over $20 for only two of my top-value wines this
year; all the rest fell in the $10 to $20 range.
Sorted by country or region, this year's QPR list includes 17 from
perennial winner France, 13 from Italy and - jumping up in the race this
year, perhaps because of the dollar's low valuation against the Euro, 13
from the United States (including 11 from California and one each from
Oregon and Washington State). Filling out the list were Australia, 3;
and one each from Argentina, Austria, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain.
Here are all the top-value wines that I tasted during 2007, ranked in
order of the actual retail price that I paid. You may click each link to
view a more detailed tasting note in our standard "shelf-hanger" format.
In most instances, I purchased these wines from retail shops in and
around Louisville, Ky.; a few came from California Wine Club or were
hand-carried back from New York City, most from the excellent Chambers
Street Wines.
For your shopping convenience, click to our QPR 2009 Page on
WineLoversPage.com,
http://www.wineloverspage.com/qpr/index.phtml
where I have reproduced this list with specific links for each wine in
the databases at Wine-Searcher.com, to help you compare prices and check
availability at selected vendors online.
________________________________________________________________________
WINES RETAILING FOR MORE THAN $20
Mosby 2005 "Ossessione" Marche Rosso (Italy), $26.
Emilio Lustau Palo Cortado "Peninsula" Sherry (Spain), $21.99.
________________________________________________________________________
WINES RETAILING FROM $15 TO $20
Francine et Olivier Savary 2006 Chablis (France), $19.99.
Matteo Correggia 2004 "La Val dei Preti" Nebbiolo d'Alba (Italy),
$19.99.
Kunde Estate 2004 Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (California), $18.99.
Hahn Estates 2006 Central Coast Meritage Red Table Wine (California),
$17.99.
Domaine Oratoire St. Martin 2005 C�tes du Rh�ne (France), $17.99.
Pedroncelli 2005 Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County "Mother Clone" Zinfandel
(California), $17.
A to Z 2006 Oregon Chardonnay (Oregon), $16.99.
d'Arenberg 2007 "The Hermit Crab" Adelaide Viognier Marsanne
(Australia), $16.99.
Ch�teau de Villeneuve 2006 Saumur (France), $15.99.
Domaine Alain Normand 2005 Macon La Roche Vineuse (France), $15.99.
Daniel Gehrs 2005 "Unoaked" Santa Barbara County Chardonnay
(California), $15.
________________________________________________________________________
WINES RETAILING FOR LESS THAN $15
Bonterra Vineyards 2006 Mendocino County Zinfandel (California), $14.99.
Bonterra Vineyards 2006 Mendocino County Cabernet Sauvignon
(California), $14.99.
Omaka Springs 2007 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand), $14.99.
Vicentini 2005 "Terre Lunghe" Soave (Italy), $13.99.
Fratelli Pala 2006 "Crabilis" Vermentino di Sardegna (Italy), $13.
Ch�teau les Eymeries 2006 Bordeaux Blanc (France), $13.
Huber 2006 "Hugo" Nieder�sterreich Gr�ner Veltliner (Austria), $13.
Mas de Gourgonnier 2005 Les Baux de Provence (France), $12.99.
Riondo non-vintage Veneto Prosecco (Italy), $12.99.
Maison Lafage 2006 "C�te Sud" Vin de Pays des C�tes Catalanes (France),
$12.99.
Mionetto Valdobbiadene Prosecco Brut (Italy), $12.99.
La Tour Bois�e 2006 "Plantation 1905" Vin de Table Rouge (France),
$12.99.
Hayman & Hill 2006 "Interchange" Santa Barbara County "Reserve No. 22"
White Blend (California), $12.99.
Charles Smith Wines 2006 "Holy Cow" Columbia Valley Chardonnay
(Washington State), $12.99.
Peachy Canyon 2006 "Incredible Red" Paso Robles Zinfandel (California),
$11.99.
Chateau La Freynelle 2006 Bordeaux (France), $11.99.
Montpezat 2005 Coteaux du Languedoc Palombi�res (France), $11.99.
Foppiano Vineyards "Lot 96" California Red Wine (California), $11.99.
Shoofly 2007 "Buzz Cut" Wine of Australia (Australia), $11.99.
Baciami 2006 Albana di Romagna (Italy), $11.
Cantine Riondo "Pink" Prosecco Raboso (Italy), $11.
Domaine des Terres Falmet 2006 Cinsault Vin de Pays d'Oc (France), $11.
Marchesi di Barolo 2006 "Mar�ia" Barbera Monferrato (Italy), $10.99.
Laurel Glen 2006 "REDS" Lodi Red Wine (California), $10.99.
Cellier des Dauphins 2005 "Prestige" Cotes du Rhone (France), $10.99.
Red Heads Studio 2006 South Australia "Yard Dog" (Australia), $10.99.
Michele Chiarlo 2006 "Le Orme" Barbera d'Asti (Italy), $10.99.
Tiziano 2005 Chianti (Italy), $10.99.
________________________________________________________________________
WINES RETAILING FOR $10 OR LESS
Domaine Andr� Brunel 2005 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Grenache (France),
$10.
Domaine La Tour Bois�e 2005 Vin de Pays d'Oc Cabernet Sauvignon
(France), $9.99.
Bodegas Norton 2006 "Lo Tengo" Mendoza Malbec (Argentina), $9.99.
Le Pavillon du Ch�teau Beauch�ne 2006 C�tes du Rh�ne Ros� (France),
$9.99.
Catherine le Goeuil 2005 C�tes du Rh�ne Villages Cairanne "Cuv�e L�a
Felsch" (France), $9.99.
Jos� Maria da Fonseca 2007 "Twin Vines" Vinho Verde (Portugal), $9.
Vinum Cellars 2006 "CNW Chard-No-Way" Wilson Vineyards Clarksburg Chenin
Blanc (California), $8.99.
Villa Pozzi 2007 Nero d'Avola Sicilia (Italy), $8.99.
"Via Firenze" 2005 Chianti (Italy), $7.99.
Cave de Montagnac 2006 Picpoul de Pinet (France), $7.99.
________________________________________________________________________
TODAY'S SPONSOR: CONNOISSEURS' SERIES
Looking for a special gift for a close friend, a special business
associate ... or yourself? A subscription to Connoisseurs' Series is a
statement in elegance, taste and the finest in California artisanal
wine.
These exceptional wines, selected each month by Connoisseurs' Guide
publisher Charlie Olken and California Wine Club Proprietor Bruce
Boring, give wine lovers the opportunity to sample the kind of rare,
limited-production California jewels that are often available only on
tightly allocated mailing lists.
Connoisseurs' Series members may subscribe for monthly, alternate month
or quarterly packages. Each shipment includes two to four bottles of
California's top wines, with detailed background information. Monthly
shipments average $125-$175, including all shipping and handling.
There's no membership charge, no long-term commitment (cancel any time),
and every wine is guaranteed.
Visit www.cawineclub.com/connseries or call 1-800-777-4443 to join or
learn more about Connoisseur's Series. Feel free to tell them that I
sent you ... and, if you join, please don't hesitate to contact me by E-
mail and tell me what you think.
________________________________________________________________________
Now, here's a look at an outstanding recent offering from Connoisseurs'
Series: An outstanding Napa Cabernet from Clos Pegase. Wine maker Paul
Hobbs and viticulturist Tom Prentice joined Clos Pegase in 2006,
focusing on its Calistoga Vineyard, declaring it "flagship of our super
premium sites," expressing a bold goal "to make the best red wine
possible." Hommage is among the first fruits of that venture.
________________________________________________________________________
CLOS PEGASE 2004 "HOMMAGE" NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON ($81 retail;
$74 per bottle for half or full case orders by Connoisseurs' Series
members)
Very dark in color, blackish-purple, with a dark garnet edge. An
appealing mix of berries, cherries and a whiff of blackcurrant - plays
the melody line over a ground bass of spicy oak. Although it sees a full
19 months in French oak, 85 percent of it new, the wine's first-rate
fruit and appropriate extraction keeps the balance in favor of fruit.
Flavors follow the nose, big and mouth-filling, nicely balanced by
fresh-fruit acidity. Tannins are present but smooth and palatable; the
wine's heady 14.7% alcohol is kept well restrained. Overall, an
impressive Napa Cabernet, drinking nicely but certainly a candidate for
cellaring. It went well with red meat, Kentucky natural free-range lamb
from Dreamcatcher Farm. Winery Website: http://www.clospegase.com (Jan.
2, 2009)
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE: Both of these fine wines were included in a
recent shipment from Connoisseurs' Series and are available for
additional orders by Connoisseurs' Series members. Call 1-800-777-4443
to join or learn more.
________________________________________________________________________
TALK ABOUT WINE ONLINE
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THIS WEEK ON WINELOVERSPAGE.COM
* WINELOVERS DISCUSSION GROUP: New York wine shop fined $10,000 for
selling wine gift bags
A strict state law and seemingly punitive enforcement came together to
slam a heavy fine on a small wine shop in Rochester, N.Y., for the crome
of selling a gift bag for wine. WineLovers Discussion Group members
express their opinions, and you can, too:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=21254
________________________________________________________________________
LAST WEEK'S WINE ADVISOR INDEX
The Wine Advisor's daily edition is usually distributed on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays. Because of last week's holiday, however, we
published only on Monday and Wednesday.
* Recession-busting bubbly (Dec. 31, 2008)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/tswa20081231.php
* Old Barolo and wine-spill follow-up (Dec. 29, 2008)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/tswa20081229.php
* Complete 30 Second Wine Advisor archive:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/archives.php
* Wine Advisor Foodletter archive:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/food/archives.php
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Monday, January 5, 2009
Copyright 2009 by Robin Garr. All rights reserved.
----- End forwarded message -----
--
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* Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
December 24, 2008
WINES OF THE TIMES
Let the Good Times Tiptoe
By ERIC ASIMOV
THE corks will pop as usual this holiday season, and the bubbly will froth over into the glasses. Toasts will be offered, and the good times will still roll, but perhaps in a more subdued fashion.
Fewer of those bottles of sparkling wine are likely to be Champagne this December. All over the United States, people are spending less for wine, and aiming for a lower-key expression of seasonal joy. That means less Champagne.
Partly, this is an economic decision. .People are clearly trading down,. said Jon Fredrikson of Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates, a wine industry analyst in California. .People are still drinking wine, but it.s clearly at lower price points..
But emotions and appearances play an important role in the decision as well. Aside from a general shortage of celebratory occasions like mergers, closings, bonuses and office parties, many restaurateurs say that customers are avoiding even the appearance of celebration.
.People just don.t want to look extravagant today,. said Paul Grieco, an owner of Hearth, Insieme and Terroir in Manhattan. .They still want to drink, so they cut out the Champagne and go directly to whatever they.re drinking with dinner..
After several strong years, Champagne sales in the United States began to slip in 2007 as the weak dollar caused prices to rise. About 21 million bottles were shipped to the United States in 2007, down 2 percent from 2006, and the drop became precipitous in 2008. Through August, sales were down 17 percent over the corresponding period last year, according to Sam Heitner, director of the Office of Champagne U.S.A., a trade organization, and that doesn.t include the last three months of the year, when much of the Champagne is sold.
.We.re in uncharted territory,. he said.
Recognizing the concern over spending, the wine panel recently tasted 25 sparkling wines priced $10 to $20, the sweet spot these days for good wine values.
We restricted ourselves to dry sparkling wines, while ruling out sparkling roséand reds. For the tasting, Florence Fabricant and I were joined by the husband-and-wife team of Scott Mayger, the general manager of Telepan on the Upper West Side, and Beth von Benz, a wine consultant.
The good news is that outside of Champagne, just about any region in the world that makes wine makes sparkling wine, too. Among our 25 bottles were wines from France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Australia, as well as California, Washington state, New Mexico and Michigan.
Believe me, that.s just the beginning. I.ve enjoyed good bottles from Austria, Massachusetts and Georgia (the country, not the state).
I did set one more parameter: no prosecco. I like prosecco, but I enjoy it best in spring and summer, when its sprightliness seems to match the season. I didn.t rule out sekt, the sparkling wine of Germany, but maybe I should have. I.ve rarely met a sekt I.ve liked, and neither one in our tasting made our top 10. And I confess, I.m not much of a fan either of cava, the sparkling wine of Spain. One of the three in our tasting, the Reserva Heredad from Segura Viudas, made our top 10 at No. 9, though at $20 it was maybe not such a good value.
Perhaps in a different context, say, a cafe in Frankfurt or tapas bar in Barcelona, these wines might have been more appealing. But when they were mixed in with a bunch of bottles made in the fashion of Champagne, with some proportion of chardonnay and pinot noir, the main grapes of Champagne, we preferred those bottles, wherever they came from.
Our top bottle, the 2004 brut from Domaine Carneros, was, of course, from California. We found it elegant and delicious, and it just squeaked by two other far-flung bottles.
Our No. 2, the Contadi Castaldi, was from the Italian region of Franciacorta, which produces some excellent Champagne facsimiles. This one was particularly dry and light-bodied, with aromas of herbs, spices and flowers.
And our No. 3 was a sparkling wine from Burgundy, the toasty, refreshing Parigot & Richard blanc de blancs, made mostly from chardonnay.
While our price range was $10 to $20, most of the wines in the tasting were $15 to $20. One of the few exceptions, and the only one to make the list, was the Crént de Limoux blanc de blancs from Domaine J. Laurens, which at $13 was our best value.
Habituéof the bargain aisle may be familiar with blanquette de Limoux, a sparkling wine from the same region in southern France. This is generally even cheaper than the Laurens, and usually made from the mauzac grape. The crént is made of chardonnay and chenin blanc, which gives an added smoothness and elegance.
Other Champagne-style wines that we liked included three more from California, the Roederer Estate, long a personal favorite of mine, as well as the Piper Sonoma and the Gloria Ferrer.
Two other French wines rounded out our top 10. La Cravatine from Fabrice Gasnier was an oddity, a sparkling Chinon made from the cabernet franc grape. It was nonetheless light and refreshing, as was our No. 10, the herbal-scented crént d.Alsace from Lucien Albrecht, made from pinot blanc and pinot auxerrois.
Let.s be honest, none of these bottles will match a very good Champagne. But they cost half what you would pay these days for the least expensive Champagne, and they were enjoyable.
Even so, they may all still cost more than many people are willing to spend. Mr. Fredrikson said the greatest growth right now is in bottles $6 and under, which includes mass-produced sparkling wines that in my opinion are not worth the money.
There may be one bright spot for Champagne. Roberto Rogness, general manager of Wine Expo in Santa Monica, Calif., which offers an exceptional selection of sparkling wines, reports that even though cavas, crénts and other Champagne alternatives are selling .by the boatload,. Champagne sales seem to be holding their own. And Mr. Rogness is looking hopefully to next year.
.We.re starting to get feelers for inauguration parties,. he said.
Tasting Report: They Aren.t Champagne, but They Do Sparkle
Domaine Carneros by Taittinger Carneros Brut 2004 $20 ***
Toasty, creamy, elegant and lively with flavors of apple and lemon.
Contadi Castaldi Franciacorta Brut NV $19 ***
Dry and light with lovely floral, mint and spice aromas. (Importer: Blavod Extreme Spirits, Franklin, Tenn.)
Parigot & Richard Crént de Bourgogne Brut Blanc de Blancs NV $20 ***
Dry, refreshing with floral aromas and flavors of lime and brioche. (Willette Wines/A Becky Wasserman Selection, Manhasset, N.Y.)
BEST VALUE
Domaine J. Laurens Crént de Limoux Brut Blanc de Blancs NV $13 ** 1/2
Dry and textured with refreshing flavors of citrus and flowers. (Vigneron Imports, Oakland, Calif.)
Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut NV $19 ** 1/2
Light, dry and Champagne-like with flavors of lemon and grapefruit.
Fabrice Gasnier Chinon Blanc de Noir La Cravatine NV $17 **
Dry and frothy with lively citrus flavors. (Petit Pois/Sussex Wine Merchants, Moorestown, N.J.)
Piper Sonoma Sonoma County Brut Blanc de Blancs Select CuvéNV $17 **
Light and straightforward with flavors of lemon and apple.
Gloria Ferrer Carneros Brut Blanc de Blancs 2004 $20 **
Light and frothy with aromas of lemon, apple and mushroom.
Segura Viudas Cava Brut Reserva Heredad NV $20 **
Bright and lively with herbal, floral and citrus flavors. (Freixenet, Sonoma, Calif.)
Lucien Albrecht Crént d.Alsace Brut Blanc de Blancs NV $20 **
Light and crisp with aromas of anise, tarragon and peach. (Pasternak Wine Imports, Harrison, N.Y.)
--
------------------------------
* Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
Save you tracking the link.
A field guide to sparkling wines from around the world
Jon BonnéChronicle Wine Editor
Friday, November 30, 2007
A selection of sparkling wines from around the world. Chr... 2004 Steininger Cabernet Sauvignon RoséChronicle photo ... NV Gran Sarao Cava Brut. Chronicle photo by Craig Lee NV Caves Carod Freres Clairette de Die. Chronicle photo b... More...
Consider it a strange affect of the human condition: Wherever in the world wine is made, someone will try to add bubbles.
This manifests itself most obviously in Champagne, where climate and history conspired to make nearly all the local grapes into a pale beverage infused with natural fizz. Yet there's a similar drive almost everywhere - not only to make wine, but to make wine sparkle. In places as far-flung as India and Chile, tiny bubbles are the order of the day. With few exceptions, they are capped by the same ubiquitous Champagne cork and placed in the same shape of bottle, with its graceful slope and thick walls.
Wine buyers have taken notice. Once the sparkling portion of a wine list could be parsed simply by identifying the same familiar Champagnes, plus a domestic sparkler thrown in as a sign of local pride. Then Cava and Prosecco joined the roster. Now, these choices have become as complex as the rest of the wine list, and in the Bay Area it's no longer surprising to find, say, a Cremant du Jura at San Francisco's Slanted Door or a Scheurebe Sekt at Oakland's A Cote.
Successfully spotting these lesser-known wines has mostly been a task for the skilled bubbly-hunter (identified by the worn stem on his Champagne flute). It need not be so. The rest of us deserve a quick reference to identify these creatures. Therefore, we offer a handy field guide to bubbly beyond Champagne.
Cremant
Location: Throughout France
Grapes: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, plus local substitutions.
French fizz hardly starts or ends with Champagne. In all points you can find reasonable facsimiles marked by the word "cremant," which is simply the moniker given any French Champagne-like wine after the term "methode champenoise" was outlawed. Directly south of Champagne, there's Cremant de Bourgogne, no surprise since Burgundy and Champagne share the same roster of grapes and damp climate. To the east, Cremant d'Alsace hails from that slice of land once held by Germany and still enjoying residual sauerkraut benefits. Similar grapes are used as in Champagne, though Alsace has a fondness for Noir's Pinot cousins, Gris and Blanc. Perhaps the most interesting of the Cremants comes from the Jura, off the chilly mountain slopes that face Burgundy's Cote d'Or and share some of its limestone soils. Jura still wines are unlike anything else in France (its famous vin jaune is akin to an Alpine sherry), and its sparkling wines - harnessing local varieties like Saviginin and Poulsard - have many of the same stoic mineral qualities that enliven some harder-edged Champagnes.
Cremant de Loire, Vouvray brut and other Loire bubbles
Location: Loire Valley, France
Grapes: Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, other varieties.
Champenois grapes can be found in this fertile valley, but more than elsewhere they are trumped by local varieties, with Chenin Blanc as a dominant force and Cabernet Franc in a strong supporting role. The real beauty comes from towns like Vouvray, Saumur and Montlouis, well known to Chenin Blanc lovers. Wine merchant Alexis Lichine once called sparkling Vouvray "a Frenchman's substitute for Champagne," but one taste of a good Vouvray Brut reveals the flaws in that comparison. It is marked by Chenin's telltale smells of dry apple and pinecone, recast into a crisp, lively wonder. While sweet Vouvray tends to get all the fanfare, respected vintners like S.A. Huet take great pride in their sparkling wines.
Blanquette de Limoux
Location: Southern France
Grapes: Mauzac (aka Blanquette), Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc.
In the northern foothills of the Pyrenees mountains lies one of two French locales that claim a sparkling tradition predating Champagne. Documents detail the 1531 discovery of a sparkling wine method by a monk at the Benedictine abbey in nearby Saint-Hilaire. (One apocryphal claim places Dom Perignon here prior to his assignment in the north.) The resulting wine, made primarily from Mauzac with increasingly prevalent Chardonnay, is refreshingly austere, though sometimes rustic. There's also an "ancestral" version bottled each March according to the phases of the moon.
Bugey Cerdon
Location: France's Jura mountains, west of Geneva
Grapes: Gamay, Poulsard.
This rosés made with the methode ancestrale, in which wine with some sugar goes into the bottle to naturally finish its fermentation. The result is naturally sweet and light, with pretty berry flavors and alcohol well under 10 percent.
Clairette de Die
Location: Eastern Central France
Grapes: Muscat Blanc, Clairette Blanche.
The other place with a claim to predate Champagne sits along a remote 30-kilometer stretch of the Drome tributary of the Rhone river, between the northern and southern Rhone Valley. In 77 A.D., Pliny the Elder described sparkling wine from the area made by leaving vessels of still wine in the river all winter. Come spring, it had acquired a fizz. Nowadays, grape must is chilled below freezing in steel tanks and fermented to about 3 percent alcohol, then bottled and allowed to continue fermentation. Unlike most sparkling wines, there's no added dosage at the end. The result, with about 7 percent alcohol, is like a refined sweet Moscato.
Cava
Location: Spain, mostly Catalonia
Grapes: Macabeo (aka Viura), Parellada, Xarel-lo, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir.
Spain's contribution to bubbly has taken on such a popular identity of its own that its 1970 decision to abandon the term "Champañcan be judged a wise one. Cava means "cellar" in Catalan, and if inexpensive fizz like Prosecco is made quick and cheap in a closed tank, Cava signals a Spanish commitment to do things the hard way - retaining traditional Champagne-style winemaking for a wine that rarely tops $15. Though Cava hinges on its own unique trio of grapes - Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel-lo - Chardonnay joined the ranks in 1986 and Pinot Noir is now allowed as well. Beyond the biggest names, Freixenet and Cordoniu, lies a proliferation of smaller producers making distinctive wines.
Prosecco
Location: Veneto, Italy
Grapes: Prosecco.
This tart, wan grape has found fame in bubbles as the Veneto's sparkling wine and has gained worldwide favor. The Bellini cocktail, and Prosecco's supporting role in it, are no doubt a partial cause, as is its carefree image and price. Most Prosecco is made in bulk using the Charmat method (see Bubbly Glossary, Page F7), unencumbered by pretense and meant as a casual, refreshing drink. Having fully exploited the Prosecco market, some producers like Mionetto have turned to other formulas, like its Sergio Roséfrom red Lagrein and Raboso grapes.
Italian brut
Location: Mostly northern Italy (Lombardy, Veneto) but also in the south
Grapes: Everything under the sun.
Oceans of Prosecco and Asti Spumante have left an impression that Italian bubbly is cheap stuff. For evidence this isn't so, look no further than Franciacorta, the Lombardy appellation for fine traditionally made sparklers from the same range of grapes found in Alsace and Burgundy - Chardonnay, plus Pinots Noir, Gris and Blanc. Ambitiously, they often fetch as much as good Champagne as do the long-aged reserve bruts from Trentino-based winemaking giant Cavit. Similar wines have pervaded Italy. In Sicily, bruts hail from Tasca d'Almerita and Murgo, while in the Veneto, Prosecco firm Carpene Malvolti makes brut from Kerner (a cross of Riesling and Schiava). Should you ever spy the brut made by Barbaresco maestro Bruno Giacosa, grab it immediately.
Sekt
Location: Germany and Austria
Grapes: Whatever grows.
Beer is still the bubbly drink of choice, but in 2005, 8.5 percent of German households' beverage budgets went to sparkling wine, which explains why author Frank Schoonmaker once called it "a national drink." Sekt really just describes any fizzy wine, and in Germany at least, much sekt is made in tanks from French or Italian grapes and sold cheaply. But diligent vintners now strive to create great sekt (often labeled brut) using Champagne-style methods. Dry Riesling sekt can be dramatically refreshing - highlighting that grape's high-acid nature, with the merest dab of sweetness and a lean, stony texture not often found in Champagne. Spatburgunder (German Pinot Noir) and Scheurebe have made inroads.
Across the border in Austria, considering that as Liesl was denied her first taste of Champagne in "The Sound of Music," perhaps she should have asked for something closer to home. The Austrians will seemingly add bubbles to virtually anything. Gruner Veltliner and Riesling are merely a departure point. Schloss Gobelsburg harnesses both of those and adds Pinot Noir. Willi Brundlmayer employs Chardonnay and three flavors of Pinot (Noir, Gris, Blanc). Austria's beloved Zweigelt gets the occasional cameo. A Cabernet Rosérut was spotted not long ago.
American sparkling wines (the other guys)
Location: United States
Grapes: Mostly Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, some Pinot Meunier, with variations.
The major players - California's French transplants at Domaines Carneros and Chandon, Mumm Napa and Roederer Estate, plus Schramsberg, Iron Horse and so on - have long been a familiar sight. But many smaller wineries across the land have joined the bubbly parade. In California, look no further than Point Reyes Vineyards, whose Blanc de Noirs hails from its own tiny Marin County plot. In Napa, winemaking wizard Dick Peterson crafts his Richard Grant Blanc de Noirs with Pinot Noir cuttings originally from England (see below). Up north, Oregon's familiar Argyle brand has been joined by Domaine Meriwether and California expat Tony Soter. In Washington state, Spokane's Mountain Dome makes its long-aging vintage bruts. And of course there's New Mexico's Gruet (see page F5).
There's progress, too, on the other side of the Mississippi, though Eastern bubbly rarely travels far from to its native habitat. New York has transcended its reputation for mass-market plonk (Taylor, anyone?) to produce outstanding fizzy drinks in both of its winegrowing regions (Look for Lenz, from Long Island's North Fork.) Rhode Island's Sakonnet Vineyards makes its own "Champagne," while Michigan's Larry Mawby dedicated his L. Mawby winery to the stuff. Rare is the American winery that makes 10 types of sparkling wine, much less one on the shores of Grand Traverse Bay.
Australian sparkling wine
Location: Australia
Grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, some Pinot Meunier
Australian bubbles were once largely confined to bargain brands like Seaview (a long-ago favorite in my house) or to the puzzlingly popular sparkling Shiraz, which served primarily to further deepen Australia's image as red-wine haven. But cooler sites in Victoria and Tasmania have been home to a thriving fine-bubbly sector for more than 20 years. Moet & Chandon chose Victoria's Yarra Valley as home to its Australian project in 1985, while vineyards in Victoria's Pyrenees mountains and in Tasmanian Pinot Noir regions like Pipers River are growing fruit for refined, small-production sparklers in a style faithful to Champagne.
English sparkling wine
Location: England
Grapes: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay.
After centuries of shipping vast amounts of bubbly across the English Channel, the British finally acknowledged that the same block of Kimmeridgian limestone under Champagne also covers a good chunk of southern Britain. Fledgling vineyards have cropped up across the South Downs, south of London, with a helping boost from global warming, the most famous being Nyetimber (actually founded by two Americans), plus Chapel Down and Ridgeview. Wine expert Steven Spurrier was even planning a vineyard on his Dorset property. The reward of tasting English bubbly is matched by the challenge of finding it. I spent two years on the hunt before persuading a Dallas liquor store to sell me a few bottles.
Soviet Champagne (Sovetskoe Shampanskoe)
Location: Russia and the former Soviet states
Grapes: Chardonnay, Aligote, other.
The Russian taste for Champagne has been legendary since the armies chasing Napoleon occupied Reims and Epernay in 1814. In 1876, Louis Roederer, hearing of Czar Alexander II's love of the fizz, commissioned a special clear bottle and created Cristal. Catering to the sweet "gout rousse," Champagne houses left far more sugar in bottles destined for Russia. Later, in the Soviet era, with crippling import tariffs, the state chose to produce its own knockoffs from primarily Ukrainian or Georgian grapes. With the fall of Communism, Western fizz returned but the thirst for Shampanskoe hardly slaked. Now private firms now churn out surprisingly decent semisweet sparkling wine that can be found on these shores for about $10. Surprisingly, it's easier to find than English bubbly.
Bubbly tasting notes
Given the relative obscurity of many of these wines, it's impressive how many are available at Bay Area retailers and restaurants - a sign that bubbly lovers are becoming more adventurous. A few were obtained from farther afield, but all are available within California.
NV Boslita Sovietskoe Shampanskoe Semi-Sweet Sparkling Wine ($9) This "Soviet Champagne" actually hails from Kaunas, Lithuania's second largest city. An acquired taste to be sure, but with more eloquence than some of the Ukrainian versions often found here. Up-front notes of apple juice and porcini, and palpably sweet, with a curt ending but it remains approachable. A peppery bite wraps up the package.
NV Caves Carod Freres Clairette de Die ($17) Brothers Alain and Marcel Carod took charge of their family's winery in 1973, working just over 120 acres from their facility in Vercheny, where France's Drome river curves northward from its eastern track. About 75 percent Muscat, with Clairette making up the rest. Offers up soapstone and fresh blossoms, with lifted scents of sweet orange and mulberry, then vanilla roundness and a lean, sunny ending to balance its natural sweetness. It's surprisingly versatile, like a nuanced Moscato.
NV Francois Pinon Vouvray Petillant Brut ($19) The limestone and slate soils on Pinon's estate, and his farming without chemical pesticides or fertilizers, give many of his wines a purity of flavor that's increasingly hard to find in Vouvray. Here, solid crisp apple flavors infuse a fully dry effort that lingers on the palate, with the bubbles adding the perfect edge.
NV Gran Sarao Cava Brut ($9) From the three standard Cava grapes plus 10 percent Chardonnay, this brings a surprising weight to the table. Rustic scents of lemon and damp herbs lead to a zesty kick on first taste that highlight quince and pear, a soft, fine mousse and a subtle, warm finish that reveals its depth.
NV Jansz Tasmania Premium Brut Rosé$20) Winemaker Natalie Fryar blended lots from the Heemskerk vineyard in northeastern Tasmania. The result is lean and racy, with more fruit toward the finish and a hit of sweet strawberry cream amid solid mineral notes. The sweetness is restrained and the weight palpable, which takes it beyond refreshing and into more serious territory.
NV Point Reyes Vineyards Blanc de Noirs North Coast Sparkling Wine ($24) Steve and Sharon Doughty first established a 2-acre plot off California's Highway 1 in 1990, harnessing the cool coastal influence in Point Reyes Station. This all-Pinot effort is woodsy and quiet, with watermelon candy and slightly sweet overtones. A bit straightforward, but refreshing.
NV Renardat-Fache Cerdon du Bugey Rosé$20) Alain Renardat-Fache uses the methode ancestrale for this slightly off-dry petillant (semi-sparkling) wine that's a perennial hit with lovers of the obscure. The latest shipment (from the 2006 vintage) is more forceful and better than ever, with bright citrus accents hovering the layered strawberry and mint leaf. There's a mineral leanness, with unusual nuances from the mix of Gamay and Poulsard.
2004 Solter Spatburgunder Brut Rosé$20) Helmut Solter got training in Champagne, but his sparkling wine house is located in Riesling country - Rudesheim, at the heart of Germany's Rheingau. Its Pinot Noir-based effort offers dusty, mossy strawberry scents, with a distinct spun-sugar sweet spot and a haunting chalky mineral note. It's dry, but a high dosage (from a bit of beerenauslese Riesling) notably softens its edges.
2004 Steininger Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé$27) This family in the major winemaking town of Langenlois, in Austria's Kamptal region, has put its hands to all variety of sparkling wines, including a Gruner Veltliner Sekt and a red Zweigelt Sekt. This creation (found in a Santa Monica wine shop) is a rarity even within the Steininger portfolio. Lovers of Cabernet's herbaceous, woody qualities will be intrigued, as this is packed with them, plus cranberry around the edges, coriander and black mustard seed. Intriguing, if a touch bizarre. The pairing that comes to mind is smoked beef tongue with horseradish; if either food or wine sound appealing, you've found your match.
NV Taltarni Vintage Selections Brut Taché$22) From a mix of vineyards in the Australian states of Victoria and Tasmania. A surprisingly fine bead, with sugar cherry scents. The 51 percent Chardonnay takes over as you taste it with lean citrus to offset fresh berry notes. A dose of Pinot Meunier adds freshness and the balance is impressive, with little Champagne-like toastiness but lots of fresh fruit.
NV Andre & Mireille Tissot Cremant du Jura ($23) Benedicte and Stephane Tissot biodynamically farm their family's plots around the Jura village of Montigny-les-Arsures. They produce a number of benchmark Jura wines, but this sparkling blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is remarkably dense, gripping the palate with a hard-edged mineral focus and little perceptible sweetness. Austere, but still very versatile.
Serving sparkling wine
Though tradition once dictated the flat, round coupe being the Champagne glass of choice, it's now widely accepted that the tall, tapered flute best displays the wine's bubbly nature. The narrow opening at the top helps reduce exposed surface area and better holds in the wine's mousse and keeps it fizzy.
Champagne flutes highlight the bubbles but somewhat mute the wine's aromas, as they leave little room to swirl the glass or smell the wine. A white wineglass will reduce the fizz somewhat more quickly, but also heightens the aromas, as it allows you to better smell the wine. It can also help smooth out aggressively fizzy wine or enhance an aged one in which the layers of scents are more interesting than the bubbles. Some Champagne hounds prefer their bubbly to be less bubbly with certain dishes and will go so far as to serve it in bowl-like Burgundy glasses.
Though sometimes dismissed as a sommelier's parlor trick, the act of decanting a sparkling wine occasionally has its place, especially for an older Champagne that may have already lost some of its fizz but needs exposure to air in order to blossom. Some Champagne makers also endorse the practice if you're opening his or her wine on the young side, as it will help bring out the secondary characteristics.
Bubbly glossary
Bead: The streams of bubbles themselves are often called the bead, and the size and quantity can help determine the wine's texture and the quality of winemaking.
Blanc de blancs: White wine from white grapes. In Champagne this denotes an all-Chardonnay wine, though elsewhere it can also represent a blend of white grapes.
Blanc de noirs: Two of the three traditional Champagne grapes (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier) are red, but treated as white grapes in the winemaking process and leave little or no color in the wine. Blends made entirely from red grapes are labeled this way, though the term can be used for any white (or almost white) wine made entirely from red grapes. Should not be confused with roséwhich in sparkling wine often describes a wine made from both white and red grapes, with some still red wine added in later that gives it color.
Brut: The common term for a fully dry Champagne or sparkling wine. Typically, it describes a wine with less than 15 grams per liter of sugar left in the final wine. However, a wine with 5 grams per liter is very different than one with 14, much as a recipe with 1 cup of sugar would taste different than one with 3. And other factors in the wine - the acidity level, the blend of fruit, the aging time - can further impact perceived dryness.
Charmat: A more industrial method used in making cheaper sparkling wines. Sugar and yeast are added to a tankful of still wine and the second fermentation takes place in bulk, with bottling after the wine is finished.
Demi-sec: Actually rather sweet, with 33-50 grams per liter of sugar. This is the realm of wedding-cake wines.
Disgorgement: The removal of yeast cells and sediment from the wine just before it is sealed in cork. After riddling is complete (see below), the bottle neck is frozen, creating a plug of solids, which is pushed out by the wine's natural pressure when a bottle cap is removed. The wine then quickly receives dosage and is sealed.
Dosage: Part of the Champagne-style process in which a small amount of sweet liquid is added to the wine just before corking. The extra sugar helps balance out the wine and keep a consistent flavor profile across multiple batches and vintages, preserving its specific style. Usually the liquid is a mix of wine and sugar syrup, though not always; a few sekt producers in Germany and Austria use late-harvest sweet wines as their dosage.
Extra brut: An even drier style than brut, with 6 or less grams per liter of sugar. If a wine has less than 3 grams per liter, and no sugar was added in the dosage, it can be called brut nature (also brut zero, zero dosage and so on).
Extra dry: A slightly sweet style of wine, just above brut. However, extra-dry wines can have from 12-20 grams per liter of sugar, so that some bruts could in fact be slightly sweeter than certain extra dry wines.
Frizzante: A semi-sparkling wine, with less carbonation than a Champagne-style effort. The terms petillant (French) and spritzig (German) are similar.
SFGC Top 100
Sparkling Wine
This year we kept a close eye on value in domestic sparkling wine. It's heartening to see that the quality of nonvintage blends is getting better than ever, though that makes us even more inclined to opt for the blended wines over more expensive vintage bottlings.
NV Domaine Carneros Cuvee de la Pompadour Carneros Brut Rosé$36) Though the Domaine Carneros wines can sometimes feel a tad subdued, veteran winemaker Eileen Crane seems to have brought a bit more edge to the winery's fine roséwhich gives it lovely vibrancy. Clean notes of strawberry and peach are highlighted by a chalky mineral tone. Lifted acidity and the weight of 58 percent Pinot Noir fruit yields a wine with significant depth and versatility.
2002 Roederer Estate L'Ermitage Anderson Valley Brut ($45) The latest release of Roederer's top-end vintage effort is in fine form, showing terrific refinement. It opens with aromas of pastry dough, ripe apple, gray mineral and a raspberry tang. Fantastically nuanced on the palate - an appropriately rich texture, not too toasty or yeasty, plenty complex but not sacrificing its fruit. Its higher-acid style will give it years to develop.
NV Schramsberg Mirabelle Brut Roséorth Coast Sparkling Wine ($25) Once again the Davies family's Diamond Mountain winery delivers with its nonvintage offering, this time the roséRich strawberry, roasted orange and spun sugar lead to lively, tangy peach flavors. Great tenacity on the palate, thanks in part to 48 percent Pinot Noir that adds depth.
NV Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut ($23) It's still hard to believe that this Mendocino offshoot of the Champagne house delivers so much for the money. This widely available bottling is fresh and leesy, with green apple and crushed rock aromas. Buoyant acidity and squeezed orange flavors mix with wild berry, an ever-present edge and a refined bead. Winemaker Arnaud Weyrich uses just a touch of malolactic fermentation, which adds a welcome bit of extra body.
. Jon Bonné
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* Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
FYI/FYE.
Champagne: A quick-and-dirty buying guide
The Chronicle/Craig Lee
Since there are few questions more frequently asked than what my favorite Champagnes are, it's a worthwhile time to revisit some guideposts.
Champagne seems to bring out the sort of brand loyalty -- and hence fear of change -- you find only in jeans and cars. Don't take my Levis, my Acura or my Bollinger, dammit. So with that in mind, here's a quick-and-dirty guide to the labels I look for. You may not find some of your familiar names here, but at least a few of these should appear on any good wine store's shelves.
If you're wondering why some very popular names aren't here, the answer is simple: I drink enough Champagne to be a complete tightwad about it, and many (but not all) big-name houses make wines that are too simple and too sweet for the money. If you're paying the premium to drink real Champagne, it should be a complex and compelling treat.
OK, first to the negociants: I'm unabashedly a fan of the British taste in Champagne: lots of flavors of toast, pastry, nuts and Sherry, typically from exposing the wines to a bit more oxygen and using more of the aged reserve wines in the blend -- hence why, in raised-nose company, I'd call it an oxidative style. The epitome of this style is beloved Bollinger, with Pol Roger doing admirable duty too. Less extreme, and to my taste often a bit more elegant for it, is the smaller Gosset, one of Champagne's most storied houses. If you're stepping up a bit, the lavish and leesy profile of Ruinart speaks to a certain opulence. These are all somewhat big wines, meant for heartier food and certainly ample in structure to last through a meal.
Now let's dial back the nuts and Sherry a bit -- if you prefer your bubbles not to resemble a tapas bar, that is -- to a more fruit-driven, precise style. There are many Heidsiecks in the realm, all with solid quality. I waver between two -- Charles Heidsieck and Heidsieck Monopole (the first owned by spirits firm Remy Cointreau, which also owns Piper-Heidsieck, the latter by Champagne firm Vranken, which also owns the very solid Pommery label, notable for its eloquent Cuvee Louise and its single-serve Pop) -- Charles a bit more flashy, though with gorgeous expression in vintage wines like its 1995 Blanc des Millenaires, Monopole somewhat stoic but so very fresh in its blue and yellow package. Both great. Along those lines, keep an eye out for the recently reinvigorated Ayala, now owned by none other than Bollinger, especially its laser-precise Zero Dosage. Ayala gets extra points for putting disgorgement dates on the bottle, which may bust the impression of all-bottlings-created-equal, but allows those of us forking over the cash to make more reasoned buying decisions. Also notably restrained in its style is Taittinger, which has won it its share of fans over time.
For just a bit more flash (but just a bit), the nonvintage wines of Louis Roederer continue to deliver in their subtle, nuanced style with just a hint of yeasty wildness lurking. Of course the vintage wines and, ahem, Cristal follow in that somewhat timeless mold. (If only the nonvintage was disgorgement-dated.) Henriot follows a similar path, though with somewhat more focus on Chardonnay. In that style, but with a bit more overt fruit to its nonvintage bottling thanks to about one-third Pinot Meunier, is Deutz. The nonvintage can benefit from a couple years of proper aging, and vintage Deutz -- especially the Blanc de Blancs and the top-end Cuvee William Deutz -- have tremendous cellar potential. Not that you needed that for New Year's.
To me, Jacquesson falls nicely in that on-the-road-to-opulent category too, though almost as a bridge to the grower realm; the Chiquet brothers' commitment to specific vintage expressions is really a treat. And as I've noted before, the Philipponnat label finds just the right balance between lean red-fruit precision and toasty opulence that, when I encounter the Royale Reserve nowadays, makes me always think of a poor man's Krug, to say nothing of Philipponnat's extraordinarily age-worthy Clos des Goisses. There is, of course, Krug, for those with the means. And Salon takes the opulence even further without losing precision, though at nearly $300 a bottle, it had better outperform.
Now to those indispensible grower folks. There is no shortage of love for the heavy hitters of the category, Egly-Ouriet (imported straight through Berkeley) and Pierre Peters (a superstar in Terry Theise's portfolio, along with Pierre Gimmonet). Certainly I have no quibble there, though I don't get to taste either as much as I'd like. Given their relative scarcity on shelves, you may have about the same luck. If you find a bottle of Egly's Vignes de Vrigny, all from Pinot Meunier, it's a unique wine worth experiencing, showing an austere side of that usually fruity grape.
But there are so many others. Aside from Leclerc Briant, our house Champagne is usually the NV Blanc de Blancs from Franck Bonville, in magnum when we can. (Both are imported through K&L, and available locally, when in stock.) The Larmandier-Bernier label is exceptional, including its Terre de Vertus bottling, undosed and a stoic expression of terroir from that Cote des Blancs village. Two other growers imported locally (through Martine's Wines) are Diebolt-Vallois and Gonet-Medeville, both consistently excellent and worthy of cellar time (especially the Diebolt, which can be a bit subdued when young.) The same is true of Agrapart, the Avize-based Chardonnay specialist.
Gaston Chiquet (cousins of the owners of Jacquesson) is on my hot list with a bullet. Chiquet took a while to leave an impression, but repeated encounters with its vintage Special Club effort (a series of top cuvees made by a close-knit group of growers) keeps convincing me to buy more and tuck them away. The 1998 was as fresh and focused (especially for that vintage) as the 1999 is opulent and monumental. Along those lines, another name encountered in our recent recommendations, but equally notable for their consistently good Cuvee Ste Anne, is Chartogne-Taillet, like Chiquet a player in the Theise book. (Those of us fortunate enough to keep tasting the full range of the Theise-imported wines get to play favorites. The Aubry and Jean Milan are also fantastic, if less my thing. Aubry's Campanae Veteres Vites, from now-obscure other Champagne varieties like Arbanne, is always fascinating, if primarily an intellectual thrill.)
Of course, there's Vilmart, the powerful, typically oak-aged Champagnes from Rilly-la-Montagne. I was a late convert to Vilmart's style, but the rounded texture it can show when young is lost like baby fat as precision and complexity take over. I'll pretty much buy Vilmart whenever I see it, if only because of its rarity and depth. (This is how some people feel about the utterly cultish Jacques Selosse, but we don't see much Selosse in these parts.) One of Vilmart's lesser known stars is its nonvintage roséthe Cuvee Rubis, our New Year's Eve Champagne from last year. The nonvintage Rubis brings a fruitier edge and intensity to the subtle house style, like strawberries through a fiber optic cable.
And that brings us to the smile-inducing topic of Roséhampagne. The big discovery this year was Mandois, a small house in Pierry that takes a similar oak-minded approach as Vilmart, though with sometimes different results. Its Brut Rosérande Reserve is an extraordinary wine, made from a blend of white Champagne, saignépink wine and red wine. The irresistible earth notes of Pinot come shining through. Other excellent, if lesser known names in Rosénclude Louis de Sacy, and of course the utterly beloved Billecart-Salmon, though I find Billecart's pink wine too soft-edged, even though I adore the regular Brut and the vintage wines. (To ponder imponderables: Would Billecart's roséave caught on so well if the name didn't include "Salmon"?)
OK, now I'm thirsty, so I'll stop there. Now's your turn. What names do you look for when you're in the Champagne aisle?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/wine/detail?&entry_id=33711
One more thing on Champagne
You'll shoot your eye out, kid ...
Associated Press
You'll shoot your eye out, kid ...
OK, make that two or three.
One: More a point of clarification than a "thing," about the way I use the word Champagne. Some comments and e-mails about my past few articles and blog posts insist that I've omitted, say, Freixenet or Piper Sonoma from my lists. Just to put on my style-tyrant cap for a brief PSA: If I use the word Champagne, I'm using it to refer to the regulated wine made in that region of France and entitled to use the name. There are lots of iffy claims to geographic legitimacy, but Champagne is one with very clear lineage. Other sparkling wines may be really good, but they're sparkling wines (except for the few American Champagnes grandfathered in under current trade protections, which shouldn't be too hard to differentiate from the Frenchie stuff). Calling other wines Champagne does a disservice to hard-working winemakers elsewhere who are trying to create their own unique bubbly, and of course to the Champenois, who have the history as well as that mix of chilly weather and chalky soils that make for lousy summers but great wine. If anywhere has the right to use the name Champagne, etymologically, it's Campania. (And no, sparkling Aglianico Brut shouldn't be called Champagne either.) When I talk about my favorite Champagnes, that doesn't mean I'm ignoring your favorite non-Champagne bubbly. I'm just being precise.
Two: If you're looking for great non-Champagne sparklers for the holidays, fear not. You might check our handy field guide to bubbly from last year. There's also the sparkling picks in our Top 100 Wines. And don't forget two of our superstar bargain bubblies from earlier this year: The NV Dibon Brut Cava ($9) from Spain and the NV J. Laurens Cremant de Limoux ($12). Both still around and both hard to beat. (The Laurens just got another star turn in the New York Times, even.)
Three: If ever you wanted to know about the velocity of a Champagne cork (yes, yes, a laden or unladen cork?) a German researcher claims to have calculated it, according to Decanter: "Friedrich Balck of Clausethal Technical University in northwest Germany found that a vigorously shaken bottle of Champagne, with a pressure of 2.5 bars, expelled its cork at 40 kilometres per hour (km/h) -- 24.8 miles per hour." So not that you'd would want to get in front of a rampant cork -- 25 mph is still speedy for a hard object -- but we can safely say that "Faster than a speeding Champagne cork" isn't actually that fast. A fixed-gear bike barreling through 18th and Delores will do far more bodily harm.
Otherwise, to all our readers: Have a wonderful holiday -- with great cheer both in beverage and non-beverage form. I'll be back in a few days with more year-end wine thoughts.
Posted By: Jon BonnéEmail) | December 24 2008 at 11:30 AM
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* Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
FYI:
December 28, 2008
Journeys
In San Francisco, a Cocktail Is Not Just a Drink
By GREGORY DICUM
THE bartender at the Alembic took my order for a mint julep. He unfolded a small canvas sack, which he filled with ice and laid on the bar. He took up a black bat and began whaling on the pouch, reaching above his head to pummel the bag over and over again.
He mounded the resulting gravel-sized ice in a silver cup into which followed 12-year Old Fitzgerald bourbon and simple syrup. He snapped a generous bunch of dark mint sprigs and planted it in the ice. He concealed a small straw inside the bouquet, such that my first experience of the now-frosted cup was a clean, soaring nose of pure mint. A bracing, richly sweet wash of bourbon followed close behind.
It was the best mint julep I have ever had. By far.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, a growing scene of local distillers and bartenders capable of wielding their elixirs to maximum effect has emerged. With wry flair, they combine technical perfection with subtle, deniable showmanship and an eagerness to experiment with Northern California.s agricultural bounty. .The West Coast does liquids well,. said Alembic.s bar manager, Daniel Hyatt, reflecting on his contribution to the region.s fluid scenes.
Anchor Distillery in San Francisco makes gin and rye whiskies in tiny lots. Distillery No. 209, on Pier 50, makes only gin. But St. George Spirits, across the bay in Alameda, is the only one open to the public.
When I visited this fall, the air was redolent with Montmorency pie cherries finishing their mash in a chilled steel tank. Shining copper stills, industrial macerators and barrels filled a huge, light-filled hangar on a former Naval base (the vodka is named for it: Hangar One). Within an hour the cherries had become eau de vie, dripping from a stainless steel pipe while JöRupf, the founder, offered tastes to an impressively informed group of about 30 visitors.
Absinthe Verte, perfected by Lance Winters, Mr. Rupf.s distilling partner, is one of the handful of American absinthes on the market again after a centurylong drought. The spirit epitomizes the fervid scene in the Bay Area: it is at once classic, with a 19th-century aesthetic, and innovative . something that had not been available at all, much less in this highly cultured form.
The bar that best reflects this dichotomy is Bourbon & Branch. Styled a modern-day speakeasy, it is in a space in the seedy Tenderloin neighborhood that was once an actual speakeasy. A password (get it online with your reservation) is required to enter the den of wood, leather, distantly twinkling tinplate and oceans of brown liquors. Twenties jazz plays quietly, and guests are greeted with small glasses of champagne punch on linen coasters.
If it all seems a bit pompous . a reservation at a bar? . it works. Even on a Friday evening, Bourbon & Branch is an intimate setting for the contemplation of fine cocktails. It draws a diverse crowd of aficionados who are rewarded with exquisite drinks: the Sazerac is not too sweet, its rye bite balanced with a lemony nose. The 1794 (really a Boulevardier) is delicious. My Democrat, a concoction of peach and bourbon, was tasty but lacked heft. I sent it back and the bartender happily fixed the problem with a splash of bourbon.
The bar features a seasonal menu of what Brian Sheehy, one of the owners, calls .market fresh cocktails,. as well as two that change every day. Bourbon & Branch has become the nexus of a tight-knit community, with alumni opening bars and developing menus throughout the city. Last month, Mr. Sheehy and co-owners opened Cask, a store selling craft spirits and bartending paraphernalia.
Todd Smith, who helped start Bourbon & Branch, developed the bar at Beretta, in the Mission District. I visited on a Thursday, the day Mr. Smith still works the bar. It was hot, so I led a small group of obliging friends through an extended flight of gorgeous drinks. A lucid pink Nuestra Paloma, of tequila, elderflower and grapefruit, glowed in the sun. The Agricole Mule was a tangy song of Martinique rum, sweet but not cloying housemade ginger syrup, lime and mint. The almond viscosity of fresh orgeat made by Small Hand Foods, a Berkeley company that specializes in craft cocktail ingredients, offset the phenolic astringency of St. George absinthe in the Gaby de Lys.
We continued with a Pisco Punch that married satisfying pineapple gomme richness with pisco.s depth. The Airmail was beautiful . the cocktail version of latte art . and mixed the tickle of prosecco with honey.s roundness. It gave way to the best thing we drank that day: a refreshing Rangoon Gin Cobbler that tasted like a liquid Dreamsicle.
The Clock Bar, which opened this summer in the Westin St. Francis on Union Square, is one of Michael Mina.s endeavors . a counterpart to his eponymous restaurant across the lobby. His hand is visible in the bar food: treats like lobster corn dogs or black truffle popcorn are $12.
But I was there to drink, and the St. Francis Cocktail was an unfortunate start. Why call a martini anything but? And why sully Anchor.s Junipero gin with Noilly Pratt? (Here I might as well reveal my own martini recipe: two thirds Junipero, one third Vya dry vermouth, stirred with ice and served up with a single Armstrong martini olive. After that, a martini in which every ingredient is produced little more than an hour.s drive from Martinez, Calif., one of the drink.s putative birthplaces, there.s hardly any point in doing it any other way.)
The Clock Bar is cool, with black wood setting off a gleaming floor and a magnificently lit bank of bottles. The place filled quickly with a crowd of stunned-looking hotel guests perched on black leather cubes and boisterous locals on their way to dinner.
The bar redeemed itself with its gin rickey: with a pellucid lime-ness that shone on the palate, it was the standout of the evening. I ordered a Boulevardier made with Bulleit bourbon and Carpano Antica Formula vermouth. Though swamped, Merran, the bartender, took the time to re-twist a lemon peel after the first broke. The flame of an orange peel outlined her face in brief, diabolical light.
The Alembic sits on a tawdry block of Haight Street, near Golden Gate Park. Yet it is a pleasant neighborhood bar (and restaurant) of high, mustard-yellow walls and generous skylights, with a casual air arising from civilized and knowledgeable regulars.
Mr. Hyatt, who often works the bar, divides his menu into canonical and new school: Sazerac, pisco sour, and Ramos gin fizz face inventions like the Gilded Lily, a surprising drink of Plymouth gin, Yellow Chartreuse and orange flower water under a glittering slick of gold dust.
But it is with the Old-Fashioned, a drink with roots easily 200 years old, that the Alembic achieves cult status. When I visited, a cheerful, bald man at the bar was having one made with Anchor.s single malt Hotaling rye.
.Old-Fashioneds are too fruity,. observed the woman sitting next to me. She was drinking . and let me try . a Southern Exposure of Junipero gin, mint and lime with a surprisingly savory undertone of celery juice.
.Not here,. said the man at the bar. He waited until her date had returned to order an Old-Fashioned for her.
I ordered one as well, made with Buffalo Trace bourbon from the single barrel the Alembic owns. It was warmly syrupy, coating a few sharply cubic lumps of ice. It lay on my tongue like a soothing balm.
I went outside to take a call, and a woman stopped to look at the menu.
.Have you tried the Old-Fashioned?. she asked me.
.There.s one waiting for me on the bar,. I said, tasting again my sweetened lips and a fragrant allspice aftertaste.
.It.s so ... . She smiled slightly and paused, unused to saying the word she had in mind unironically. .It.s so sophisticated..
WATERING HOLES
St. George Spirits, on the former Alameda Naval Air Station (2601 Monarch Street, Alameda, Calif.; 510-769-1601; www.stgeorgespirits.com) offers free distillery tours weekends at 1 p.m. The tasting room, where flights begin at $10 (which buys the glass that you can take home), is open Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 7 p.m., Sunday noon to 6 p.m.
The Alembic (1725 Haight Street; 415-666-0822; www.alembicbar.com) is a bar and restaurant. Specialty cocktails are $9; hours noon to 2 a.m.
Reservations are required at Bourbon & Branch (501 Jones Street; 415-346-1735; open daily starting at 6 p.m.). Get them at www.bourbonandbranch.com. You can also sign up for classes at the Beverage Academy, where the mysterious rites of the cocktail are passed on from the masters. Seasonal, .market fresh. cocktails are $12.
Cocktails at Beretta (1199 Valencia Street; 415-695-1199; www.berettasf.com) are $9. It fills up fast so get there early (opens 5:30 weekdays and noon on weekends) if you hope to talk cocktails with the bartenders.
The Clock Bar is off the lobby of the Westin St. Francis (335 Powell Street; 415-397-9222; www.michaelmina.net/clockbar) Open 4 p.m. Classic cocktails start at $11.
Cask is a recently opened store that specializes in artisanal spirits and obsessive barware (17 Third Street; 415-424-4844; www.caskstore.com)
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* Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
Greetings,
Recall we're invited to Kallsen Studio on Wednesday.
Event begins at 8. Louise and I plan to be there.
Bring a wine or two and perhaps a cheese or other light nosh.
I'll propose a trip to Erte on 8 January for Cabs (red and ready).
There will be a modest "corkage fee" for the table. $5/person or less.
Joyce is setting up a Champagne dinner at Mufuletta on Sunday 1/18.
Details to follow.
Joyce
Lori
Russ/Sue
Jim/Louise
Cheers,
Jim
December 28, 2008
Italian Makers of Prosecco Seek Recognition
By AMY CORTESE
IN 1984, Fabio Zardetto, chief winemaker at his family-run vineyard in northern Italy, leapt at the chance to become one of the first bottlers to export prosecco, the sparkling wine, to the United States.
At first, his efforts on behalf of his bubbly fizzled. .I had to push people to taste the prosecco,. recalled Mr. Zardetto, now 50. .I would run behind them with a glass saying, .Please, taste this.. .
When they did try it, he said, they were pleasantly surprised. Sales of Zardetto prosecco grew to 100,000 cases in the United States in 2007, from 50 cases in 1984.
With its fresh flavor, pleasing bubbles and gentle price tag . it typically sells for $10 to $20 a bottle . prosecco has gained many fans worldwide. Global sales have been growing by double-digit percentages for 10 years, to more than 150 million bottles last year. And with consumers in an economizing mood this holiday season, prosecco is an increasingly popular alternative to Champagne, which has been soaring in price.
But prosecco is also encountering some growing pains. From its traditional home in northern Italy, it is now waging a war against outsiders, just as Champagne, its more elite cousin in France, has done for so many years.
A host of producers elsewhere in Italy and as far away as Brazil are trying to cash in on the drink.s newfound popularity. Because prosecco is the name of a grape, like chardonnay or cabernet, anyone can use the name.
Today, about 60 percent of all prosecco . some eight million cases . comes from producers outside the traditional prosecco-growing region of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene, a cluster of villages about a half-hour.s drive north of Venice. The newcomers are not held to the same strict production standards as the traditional producers, which are tightly governed under Italian wine laws.
One product, Rich Prosecco, is made by an Austrian company whose ads feature Paris Hilton. In some, she is naked and spray-painted gold. What.s worse to some producers, the product is sold in a 6.8-ounce can, in gas stations as well as stores, for around $3.
.It.s absolutely vulgar,. says Vittorio Zoppi, marketing manager for the prosecco consortium.
Claus Jahnke, a sales and marketing executive at Rich, says he is puzzled by the reaction to the product, which uses Italian grapes. .We have invested a lot of money in advertising and P.R. to launch Rich and promote prosecco,. he says. .We gave this famous grape a helping hand in conquering the world..
The Italian winemakers worry that upstarts will weaken prosecco.s image just as it is taking off.
.If everyone around the world plants prosecco, we will lose the value of the name,. says Ludovico Giustiniani, vice president of a consortium that represents about 150 wineries in the traditional prosecco-producing region.
Over months of discussions, the consortium, along with a broader group of growers and producers, has hammered out a plan that would create an official prosecco production zone tied exclusively to northern Italy. Only wine produced in that region could be labeled as prosecco. If the plan is approved by the Italian government . a decision is expected by early 2009 . prosecco would then be eligible for .protected designation of origin. status under European laws intended to protect regional products from Champagne and port to Serrano ham.
.It will let prosecco be an Italian product . and nothing else,. says Giancarlo Moretti Polegato, the owner of Villa Sandi, one of the area.s prominent wineries.
That is the theory, at least. Protection from the European Union would extend only across its 27 member countries, and, as Champagne producers have discovered, a lot of policing is still required.
The Champagne region of France has been officially designated since 1927 as the authentic home of the wine that bears its name, but its trade organization still spends millions of dollars battling producers of items as varied as sparkling wine, bubble bath and bottled water that also use the word.
.We have to spend a lot of money and energy protecting our product,. says Sam Heitner, director of the Office of Champagne USA, a trade group that represents the interests of Champagne producers.
That spending is on display in Times Square, where a giant screen flashes an ad by Mr. Heitner.s group for holiday revelers. A bottle, labeled .American Champagne,. is covered by a red, Venetian-style carnival mask. It.s part of the group.s .Unmask the truth. campaign, which notes its opposition to the name.s use by United States producers.
Producers of prosecco may also be in for a long fight.
PROSECCO.S success can be seen in the steep-hilled villages surrounding Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.
The area has grown from a sleepy agricultural area to one of Italy.s wealthiest enclaves, dotted with shiny new wineries and farmhouses that have been transformed into rustic inns to support a growing wine tourism trade.
Prosecco sales from this area alone were 370 million euros last year. And a hectare (2.47 acres) of vineyard in the most coveted spots, like Cartizze, sells for more than $1 million. Prosecco from Cartizze, a panettone-shaped hill in Valdobbiadene where 140 growers farm about 250 acres, fetches about $40 a bottle.
The vines are tended and harvested by hand. Machines cannot navigate the vertical angles, although helicopters are occasionally used when a vineyard needs to be sprayed. The soil and the mix of warm days and cool nights make for an especially flavorful prosecco . an affinity given official weight in 1969, when the region was awarded the status of denominazione di origine controllata, or D.O.C., Italy.s version of a wine appellation.
The region.s turn of fortunes, though, is relatively recent. Although prosecco grapes have been cultivated here for three centuries, in the early days they were made mostly into still wine for local consumption. The vines shared the steep hillsides with more valuable cows and sheep.
It was only after a new method for producing sparkling wine became widespread in the mid-1900s that things began to change.
Champagne and other sparkling wines typically get their bubbles when they are fermented a second time, with added sugar and yeast. The yeast feeds on the sugar and converts into alcohol and carbon dioxide. When the bottle is opened, the escaping gas gives the wine its bubbles and characteristic .pop..
Champagne re-ferments in bottles, an expensive and labor-intensive process. But the new production methods allowed prosecco makers to re-ferment their wine in large tanks, a process that kept prices down. That, and prosecco.s light, delicate flavor and low alcohol content, made it an especially versatile wine.
IN Italy, prosecco is enjoyed year-round . and practically around the clock. .The only moment we don.t drink it is for breakfast,. Mr. Giustiniani says.
That approachability has helped propel the popularity of prosecco . in the 1960s throughout Italy, in the .80s in Germany and neighboring countries and in the .90s in the United States, which today is prosecco.s No. 1 market outside of Italy.
Perhaps no one pushed harder to establish prosecco in the United States than Mionetto, a winery founded in Valdobbiadene in 1886 and now one of the area.s largest, with sales of 40 million euros a year.
Seeing the tremendous growth potential in the 1990s, this winery began expanding aggressively. It established Mionetto USA to control distribution in North America and has spent millions of dollars promoting prosecco and the Mionetto brand. Today, the company has the leading market share, roughly 33 percent, in the United States, with 168,000 cases a year of its D.O.C. and non-D.O.C. prosecco.
Still, says Sergio Mionetto, who took over as chief winemaker from his grandfather in 1956, .we believe we.re just at the tip of the iceberg..
At the bustling Union Square Cafe in Manhattan, where the house prosecco is Mr. Mionetto.s top-of-the-line Sergio (named after himself), prosecco by the glass outsells Champagne two to one, says Stephen Paul Mancini, director of wine and spirits at the restaurant. .Prosecco is an extremely popular product for us,. he adds. And some retailers report that prosecco is flying off shelves this holiday season.
Prosecco is also catching on in new markets, like China, India and Vietnam, causing producers to think even bigger.
.Prosecco can be the best-selling sparkling wine of the world,. says Gianluca Bisol, a 21st-generation winemaker and general manager of the Bisol winery, in Valdobbiadene. He figures that prosecco can overtake Champagne in sales volume in the next 25 years or so.
The problem is that others saw the potential, too. It started with the relative newcomers in the plains of northern Italy. Growers there are less regulated than their D.O.C. kin; they were granted the Italian wine system.s least-stringent designation, known as I.G.T., in 1995. They can produce almost double the volume of wine per hectare, and quality can vary.
In the flatlands, winemakers can use machines to harvest and tend to their vines, at about a tenth of the cost, Mr. Bisol and others say. .For these reasons,. Mr. Bisol says, .this area that didn.t exist 25 years ago now accounts for 60 percent of prosecco production..
A more recent worry for the consortium and newer growers is that countries like Brazil, Romania, Argentina and Australia have begun to plant prosecco. Brazil, in particular, has embraced the grape, perhaps not surprisingly, given that its main wine region is populated by northern Italian immigrants.
Close to 2,000 acres of prosecco are planted in Brazil, Mr. Bisol says.
.The Brazilians like parties,. Mr. Bisol says. .They drink a lot of prosecco.. The homegrown prosecco could cut into Italian sales there: Brazil is already the fifth-largest export market for Italian prosecco.
Closer to home, German and Austrian producers have taken to buying tanks of Italian prosecco produced in the plains and shipping it to their countries to be bottled. Or canned, in the case of Rich Prosecco.
When Ms. Hilton traveled to northern Italy to promote Rich Prosecco two years ago, .it was a big scandal for the area,. Mr. Bisol says. .The winegrowers were very angry.. She has not returned, he says.
Gü Aloys, a hotelier and entrepreneur in the Austrian resort town of Ischgl who introduced Rich Prosecco in 2006, plans to take it to the United States next year. And Mr. Jahnke, the sales and marketing executive at Rich, said the company was following the developments with the Italian producers. proposal to the Italian government.
THE threat of foreign-brand prosecco has prompted northern Italian producers, of both D.O.C. and I.G.T. prosecco, to work together to protect their turf. They say they believe that their proposal will raise quality and prevent others from calling their products prosecco.
The plan would create a broad new D.O.C. designation to govern the hundreds of I.G.T. prosecco producers that have sprung up across eight northern Italian provinces in the plains from Treviso to Trieste. The producers would have to comply with strict quality controls, including lower yields per hectare and stronger oversight.
The region of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene, meanwhile, would be elevated to Italy.s highest designation for wine regions, known as D.O.C.G.
The key is to link prosecco to its traditional home.
.We don.t want to end up with something like pinot grigio,. says Primo Franco, owner of the Nino Franco winery in Valdobbiadene, referring to another white wine grape from the Veneto region that today is grown around the world.
Because prosecco is also the name of a northern Italian village where the grape is believed to have originated, the consortium can make an argument, too, that prosecco is a place name that can be protected just like Chianti, Champagne and others.
By bringing all of northern Italy.s prosecco makers into the fold, the winemakers hope to do more than give prosecco a territorial identity. They also want the muscle power to meet growing demand and achieve their goal of matching or even besting Champagne, which today produces some 300 million bottles a year. About 150 million bottles of Italian prosecco are produced a year.
Prosecco producers say they believe that with the new plan, they can double their output to 300 million or even 400 million bottles a year, while providing consumers with a guarantee of quality.
.Champagne is the king of the bubble,. Mr. Bisol says. .But prosecco maybe can be considered the small prince..
In recent weeks, the winemakers have been scrambling to nail down a final proposal to the Italian government before a year-end deadline. The producers hope to be eligible for a streamlined European Union system that goes into effect in August. If all goes well, the new prosecco protections will be in place for the 2009 harvest.
But that is just a start. European Union regulations are valid only for members, and deals have to be struck with countries outside of the union, like the United States or Brazil, on an, ahem, case-by-case basis. For now, says Mr. Moretti Polegato of Villa Sandi, .everybody involved in prosecco production is happy..
You can almost hear the corks popping.
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* Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
