Tag Archive: Champagne

Watch two guys taste Champagne

Written on January 3, 2010 by William Wilson in Resources, Your Wine Education
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Watching two wine enthusiasts do a blind tasting of Champagne might sound like as much fun as watching paint dry. Or maybe as exciting as watching golf on television. Of course, if you’ve played golf, you have a bit more appreciation for what’s on your TV. The same goes for wine tastings–if you have tried Champagnes (or any other wine for that matter) then watching experts go through the process is not as dull as it sounds to non-winos.

Jamie Goode (who is one of the definite A-list wine writers and bloggers) sits down with his brother-in-law on New Year’s Eve to taste a group of Champagnes and sparkling wines. It’s amazing how much you can learn by watching a session like this. For example: Jamie observes that the citrus quality to one of the wines means it’s probably a blanc de blanc style.

Watch, enjoy, and learn!

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Champagne and sparkling wine–everything you need to know

Written on January 1, 2010 by William Wilson in Resources, Wine, Worthy Wine Sites
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Champagne and sparkling wines like Cava or Prosecco are great wines to celebrate with. The good folks over at Snooth have assembled a comprehensive guide to sparkling wines. I highly recommend it.

More importantly, though, I recommend that you erase any idea from your mind that sparkling wines are only for special occasions. Any wine that you enjoy is a good enough wine to drink any time you want. This includes sparkling wines, and even Champagne. You do not need to wait for a special occasion to enjoy a bottle of sparkling wine. Indeed, opening a sparkler can turn an ordinary Tuesday night into a special night–for no other reason than it’s Tuesday.

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Dump your Champagne flute

Written on October 25, 2009 by William Wilson in Wine
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For decades, maybe even centuries, the Champagne flute has been touted as the best way to enjoy Champagne. Fortunately, this way of thinking may be on the way out. Dr. Vino has a post about comparing Champagne served in a flute with Champagne served in a white wine glass, among other topics. It’s refreshing to see this issue raised, and I find hope in the fact that one of France’s major Champagne houses, Charles Heidsieck, is pushing the idea of changing to a standard wine glass.

Of course, this all begs the idea of whether wine glasses really do make a difference. The answer is a definite yes. I did a little experiment one time to find out. I poured some Australian Shiraz into a wine glass, and poured another portion in a regular water glass. The differences were very noticeable. And, in my view, the wine in the wine glass tasted better.

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My first taste of Cristal Champagne

Written on August 10, 2009 by William Wilson in Wine
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Cristal, by Champagne Louis Roederer, is legendary among wine enthusiasts. Dom Perignon has the popular name as an elite Champagne, but those in the know understand that Cristal is at the next level.

I bought a bottle of Cristal today. I felt it was time to properly celebrate the birth of our first child, and you only have one first-born child. A bottle of Cristal seemed like a great way to splurge.

We probably should have saved it for a special meal, but tomorrow is Liam’s four-week date, so we figured tonight is as good a night as any. We had a simple pasta casserole, but it was made memorable by the Cristal.

People talk about Cristal as having a certain depth that most Champagnes hint at but don’t quite reach. That description is appropriate. This wine, from the 2000 vintage, had a rich fullness that nicely balanced its crisp acidity.

Is Cristal worth its high end price tag? Probably, but I’d actually be more inclined to buy a couple of bottles of another high end Champagne for the same amount. Don’t get me wrong–this was an excellent way to celebrate our son’s birth. But as an everyday Champagne, Cristal is way beyond what a daily wine should be. For the right event, I would buy and enjoy another bottle in a heartbeat (assuming the funds were available).

In any event, this bottle of Cristal will be the topic of very fond memories. The Monday evening may have been routine, but our celebration was not.

Welcome to our world, Liam. You’re in for a heck of a ride!

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Drinking any special wines this evening?

Written on January 20, 2009 by William Wilson in Wine
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Here in the U.S. we are celebrating the inauguration of our new president, Barack Obama. For some of us, it’s a cause for celebration…for others, not so much. Catherine and I were supporters of President Obama’s campaign, so we are definitely up for a celebration this evening. 

In thinking of what to drink, Champagne leaps to mind. Champagne is the iconic wine of celebration (although as I have said before, one need not wait for a special event to open up a Champagne or other sparkling wine). For an event of this rarity, however–the inauguration of our first African-American president–any old Champagne just won’t seem to do. 

Therefore, we’re going to open up a bottle of Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle this evening. I’ve only had it once before, so I am looking forward to trying this again. I have one bottle down in the basement, and we’ve been saving it for a special occasion. 

I should mention here that most of the bottle will end up being consumed by me. Catherine and I have learned that we are expecting our first child in mid-July, so with her doctor’s blessing, she will have just a little bit of the Grand Siècle. My wine consumption will be reduced for several months as well–I don’t fancy going around raving about a wine while she is unable to partake. 

If you’re celebrating anything this evening, leave a comment and let us know what you’re looking forward to drinking!

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