Everybody loves Champagne. It’s a treat that is generally poured in small fluted glasses and raised during toasts at special occasions. But what a lot of people don’t realize is that they are not drinking Champagne. Read more Champagne Champagne...
It’s true that Champagne is a sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is Champagne. Only sparkling wine produced in the small French region of Champagne may legally be labeled ‘Champagne.’ And because of this region’s northern location and cool...
Having just wrapped up the holiday season when a lot of Champagne and sparkling wines are enjoyed, I came across a Blanc de Blanc Champagne. At first it seems that ‘Blanc de Blanc” is just a fancy name for a French Champagne. But, this is just anothe...
Last time we learned that the word ‘Cuvée’ means a blend. And, with Champagne it’s not only made from a blend of grapes but most often it is also a blend of wines made in different years. Therefore, these are non-vintage (NV) dated Champagnes. By bl...
One of the most confusing subjects for American consumers is trying to understand wines from France. The wine labeling system in France is mostly based on region or appellation, not by the type of grape used to produce the wine. So, here are some b...
For a lot of people, half the fun of opening a bottle of sparkling wine is popping the cork such that it flies across the room. Or an even more dramatic way is using a saber to knock the top off the bottle. And, the big spray that goes flying out of ...
It was recently brought to my attention that each bottle of champagne includes a code on its label indicating the type of producer who made the wine in the bottle. The codes will start with two letters followed by a series of numbers. The numbers...
Here are some fun facts about Champagne as we head towards New Year’s Eve: Champagne is not made from Champagne grapes Champagne is typically produced from three grapes — Chardonnay, Pinot Noir (Yes! A red wine grape!) and Pinot Meunier (another re...
As we continue through the holiday season, the question of ‘which wine to buy?’ is constantly on our minds. And, the answer in any situation can always be ‘Sparkling wine!” Yes, sparking wines are maybe the most versatile wines out there. For brunch...
Champagne is probably the best known wine in the world. And, there’s a lot to know it about this wine. Here are some fun-facts about Champagne: Champagne is not made from Champagne grapes Champagne is typically produced from three grapes — Pinot ...
During a recent stroll through the produce aisle of my favorite grocery store, I saw a display labeled “Champagne Grapes.” They are beautiful bunches of small red-ish grapes. And, they look really good. But, the first thing that came to my mind was ...
The wine world is confusing enough. Then, you find yourself standing on the wine aisle trying to figure out what the different styles of Champagne and sparkling wine mean. And, it’s not straight forward. Champagne and most sparkling wines will have...
I recently received a gift that came in at small flat box. Knowing that good things come in small packages, I lifted the box only to find it to be very heavy. Odd. But, what was even more odd was once I opened the box and removed its contents, I ...
While recently reviewing a sparkling Rosé Brut from Chile, the tech notes mentioned the addition of ‘Expedition Liqueur” after fermentation. It might come as a surprise to some that ‘liqueur’ is added to sparkling wine. But, it’s actually a common pr...
Everybody loves sparkling wine. It’s festive. And this is the time of the year that a lot of sparking wine is served. Sparkling wine consumption in the U.S. surges during the holiday season. It is estimated that more than 40% of sparkling wine purch...
The Pinot Noir grape is a red grape most famously known for the production of red Burgundy. And today’s new world Pinot Noir wines, especially from California and Oregon, are wonderfully delicate light bodied red wines with flavors of cherry, raspber...
Champagne is a great drink. It’s most often consumed in times of celebration. Champagne and joy naturally go together. But “Champagne” is often misunderstood. And splurging on a $100 bottle may result in disappointment. First, let’s take a step back...
When pairing wines with food, the general goal is to make sure that the flavors of the food don’t overwhelm the wine and cover up all of the wine’s wonderful flavors. And the basic rule of wine pairing says that you should have a red wine with beef a...
Last time, the topic of sparkling wine was introduced. And Champagne is the first thing that comes to most people’s mind when ordering or purchasing a sparkling wine. It is synonymous with celebrations and splurges. As mentioned last time, only s...