sparkling wine

Best Wine Clubs (with video)

Filed under: Wine

The best wine clubs in the U.S. include several award-winning wineries that produce some of the best wine this country has to offer. Luxist examined the benefits of some of the best, most popular ones, including those from Domaine Carneros, St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, Duckhorn Vineyards, Far Niente and Cakebread Cellars. There are certain advantages to be had when subscribing to a wine club offered directly from a winery. Here is what we learned:

St. Francis Winery & Vineyards
Located just outside the historic town of Kenwood, St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, is known for its intensely flavored and complex award-winning wines. St. Francis grows 100% of its grapes in Sonoma County and was among the first to plant Merlot in the Sonoma Valley, enduring many a raised eyebrow for daring to plant a blending grape on prime soil. In June, the winery was a Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Nominee for Best Domestic Red Wine.

Wine Club:
St. Francis offers three different wine clubs. Called "The Patrons Society", the difference between the three options are selections and shipping schedules. Its "red wine club" ships four, six or eight times per year. The "white wine club" includes six-bottle shipments four times a year (February, May, September and November). The Zinfandel Wine Club ships three bottles per shipment over a six month schedule (February, March, May, June, September and November).

Benefits of Membership:
Members are given the ability to sample small production wines before they are released to the public. Often, the wines are so exclusive, that only wine club members have the opportunity to purchase them, as most never hit store shelves.

Discounts:
Members receive a 20% discount on all Artisan wines and a 25% discount on all Sonoma County tier wines. They also receive a 20% discount on all retail merchandise and on reserve wine & food pairings for two (reservations required).

Freebies:
Complimentary wine tastings at St. Francis' Visitors Center and opportunities for "members only" activities at the winery. Members also receive recipes from the winery's Executive Chef, David Bush, for foods that pair well with the wines. Invitations are extended to members for St. Francis regional events around the country.

Cost:
Price varies, depending on size of shipment and does not include tax and shipping (which costs $14 to $21 for a three bottle shipment by UPS Ground). The white wine club ranges from $80 (for a four bottle shipment) to $91 (for a six bottle shipment). The zinfandel wine club ranges from $96 to $108 (for three bottle shipments). Click here to sign up for the wine club. For more information, call (800) 650-5437.

Gallery: St. Francis Winery & Vineyards

The dining room at St. Francis Winery & Vineyards

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Clos de Goisses, Champagne Worth A Ten Year Wait?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Champagne Philipponnat one of the major owners of Grand and Premier Cru vineyards in the region is releasing the 2000 vintage of its single vineyard, Clos de Goisses prestige cuvée. Clos des Goisses – a Grand Cru site – has a southern facing slope and 45° incline creating a lovely, warm sheltered spot to nurture grapes into perfect form. As the ripest vineyard in the region, it is able to produce a vintage almost every year, contrary to the Champagne norms of making vintages every three to four years.

The 2000 vintage is a blend of Pinot Noir (65%) and Chardonnay (35%) and can be aged up to 30 years. There is no malolactic fermentation and the 2000 vintage reflects the warmth of the year with bright, fruity nearly tropical flavors. Oak (just under 50%, no new oak) was partially used in the fermentation process for the first time at Philipponnat, to add complexity. The harvest was reduced to just 20,000 bottles out of a potential 55,000 bottles to cull out the best possible blend.

Why the wait for a 2000? Charles Philipponnat says: "we have always believed in long aging before release and prefer to keep our Clos de Goisses cuvée for 8 to 10 years to allow the wine to develop complexity without losing any freshness."

Champagne Philipponnat is distributed in the U.K. via Les Caves de Pyrène, and the 2000 Clos des Goisses will have an RRP of £125. In the U.S. it will be available at select locations including Zachys where it will sell for $155.

Tags: champagne, champagne philipponnat, chardonnay, france, pinot noir, sparkling wine, wine

Woodbridge Creates An Inexpensive Sparkling Wine

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

You can't drink champagne everyday but with the new value priced sparkler from Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi you can enjoy bubbles without any guilt. The Woodbridge Brut Sparkling Wine marks the first time in brand history that a sparkling wine has been added to the extensive Woodbridge portfolio. Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Brut Sparkling Wine uses the Charmat method to create a Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine with Chardonnay grapes harvested early in the season to retain their liveliness. The wine goes through a secondary fermentation for 3-5 weeks in small pressurized tanks to produce its distinguishing sparkle by introducing specially selected yeast from the Champagne region of France to the base blend. The sparkling wine is then aged sur lie for 1-2 months and prior to bottling, a final dosage of sugar is added to balance the wine within the Brut level of sweetness (typically between 0 and 15 g/l of residual sugar).

The resulting wine has bright apple, pear and citrus notes. At under $10 a bottle it's a budget option for tossing into a mimosa or bringing along on picnics and other summer events. The Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Brut Sparkling Wine will be available nationally beginning June 1, 2010.

Tags: brut wine, california wine, robert mondavi, sparkling wine, woodbridge

The Classicist: Cheers to the 1st Ever Independent Champagne Invitational

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Events, The Classicist

On April 16th -18th in New Orleans, more than 50 of the nation's top sommeliers will be on hand to pour some of the world's most sought after wines at the Independent Champagne and Sparkling Wine Invitational (ICSWI), the nation's first ever conference devoted exclusively to independently produced champagnes and sparkling wines. Industry experts will educate attendees, pouring wines produced in the grower and independent spirit ranging from the superb high-end cuvées of the Grande Marques to the terroir-driven jewels of the small producers. ICSWI sommeliers will represent cities and regions from across the nation, with restaurant representation including Per Se, The French Laundry, NYC's Eleven Madison Park, Aspen's The Little Nell, and Blue Hill at Stone Barns. All have broad wine industry experience including winemaking, retail, restaurant management and buying for private collectors.

Today, there are over 19,000 independent growers in the Champagne region, accounting for nearly 88% of all vineyard land in the region, with around 5,000 of these growers producing wine from their own grapes. These "fizz farmers" if you will are master artisans, controlling what happens on their farm every day unlike at some of the more large-scale industrial operations at the corporate labels. Worldwide, independent Sparkling Wine production includes Cava in Spain, Asti and Prosecco in Italy, Cap Classique in South Africa, Sekt in Germany and the sparkling wines of California. All together, there are thousands of champagne and sparkling wines to chose from, making the grower category ideal for authenticity, quality, value and ultimately choice. Smaller vineyards allow more site specific wines to be created for a truer reflection of terroir, and their extraordinary attention to detail is reflected in each grower's unique product.

Gallery: Independent Champagne

Tags: champagne, New Orleans, NewOrleans, sparkling wine, SparklingWine, vineyard, wine

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French Champagne Loses To British Sparkling Wine in International Competition

by Deb West (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

The Bollicine del Mondo is an international wine contest organized by Italy's leading wine magazine Euposia. Held at the famous restaurant Antico Bottega del Vino in Verona, Italy the contest revealed a surprise winner in the sparkling wine category. The winner this year was Nyetimber's Classic Cuvée 2003 produced in Sussex. It is probably the very first time a British wine maker has held the honors of producing the best bubbly in the world.

The contest winner was chosen in a blind taste test by a panel of winemakers, oenologists, sommeliers and journalists and beat out such established makers such as Bollinger and Louis Roederer. There were 52 entries in the category and Nyetimber was the only producer to have two wines make it into the top 17. The Nyetimber 2001 Blanc de Blancs, which was also entered, came in 12th ahead of seven of the champagnes.

Certainly there has been a growing appreciation recently of sparkling wines that are made outside the Champagne region of France. In fact, many people never have been exposed to the lovely sparkling wines that come from other countries such as Prosecco from Italy and Cava from Spain. Not only are these wines often just as good as Champagne but their price tag is significantly lower. The sparkling wines from England are no exception and retail for around £25 to £30.

Another point of interest is that the grapes used in the winning wine are grown on vines in the south of England whose soil composition is very similar to that of the Champagne region. In fact Luxist reported in 2007 that French champagne maker Roederer was investigating buying land in the very area that the winning vineyard is located. Stuart and Sandy Moss who own the vineyard specifically chose the 120 acre estate for this reason and started cultivating the three classic champagne varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

Tags: british, champagne, competition, england, France, sparkling wine, SparklingWine, wine, winning

New Conference Celebrates Sparkling Wine

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Events

If you like your bubbly there is a new conference devoted just to champagne and sparkling wine. The Independent Champagne and Sparkling Wine Invitational (ICSWI) is both a public and industry conference entirely dedicated to sparkling wines. The event, which will take place April 16-18 in New Orleans, will offer a serious and educated look at the sparkling wine grower producer world, but also include plenty of bubbly fun. There will be both educational seminars as well as events like "Bubbles and Blues on Bourbon Street", or "The Bubbly Block Party on Rue Royal", or a Seminar on mixing sparkling wine-based cocktails with award-winning mixologists.

For the event a general pass is $850 and includes the welcome reception, a daily seminar, Grand Tastings, and The Bubbly Block Party on Rue Royal. The Premier Cru pass for $1,350 adds in The Mad Scientist Mixology Party, Winemakers Dinner, and The Finale Champagne Brunch and the VIP Grand Cru pass for $1,900 adds in a VIP welcome reception, special entrance and seating, VIP Winemakers Dinner, Rarities Charity Dinner and Silent Auction.

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Tags: bubbly, champagne, sparkling wine, SparklingWine, wine

Celebrating the Season with Vigna Dogarina

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Many people have discovered prosecco as a pleasing, budget-conscious alternative to champagne when it comes to celebrating festive occasions. Not all proseccos are created equal, however. Finding bottles labeled with "DOC" (Denominazione Origine Controllata) or "DOCG" (Denominazione Origine Controllata Garantita) is a guarantee of quality, meaning that the grape used and the wine making process originated in a specific region. Vigna Dogarina's DOC prosecco comes from the most prestigious prosecco region in Italy, Valdobbiadene, located in the Veneto region and is available in two varieties, Brut and Extra Dry, retailing for $16 to $20 per bottle. Vigna Dogarina Brut has a delicate floral perfume and pleasant notes of wisteria. It is the driest prosecco of the range and the low residual sugar level brings out an appealing freshness and acidity with hints of green apple. The Extra Dry features fragrant floral qualities accompanied by attractive notes of acacia and meadow flowers, wild apples and honey. Its slightly higher residual sugar allows a rounder and softer effect on the pallet and brings out floral and fresh fruit aromas.

Tags: champagne, holiday wines, HolidayWines, Italy, prosecco, sparkling wine, SparklingWine, Veneto, Vigna Dogarina, VignaDogarina

Va De Vi Sparkling Wine

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Va de Vi is the latest wine from the Gloria Ferrer winery in Sonoma. The new méthode champenoise sparkling wine is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with a trace of Muscat. The wine has aromas of ripe apple, Asian pear and Bing cherries with flavors of peach, Meyer lemon, fresh berries and vanilla. The cuvée ferments in stainless steel tanks and the spends a year and a half aging on the yeast. It sells for $22.

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Tags: gloria ferrer, GloriaFerrer, sparkling wine, SparklingWine, va de vi, VaDeVi, wine

Martini & Rossi Launches Sparkling Rosé

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Martini & Rossi, the Italian winemaker founded in 1863 and famous for its iconic vermouth, has launched a new sparkling rosé in time for summer.

Cultivated in the finest growing areas of the Piedmont and Veneto regions in Italy, it's made with handpicked Moscato Bianco, Malvasia and Brachetto grapes.

Light, crisp and aromatic with hints of citrus, elderflower and soft peach, it's a relatively inexpensive way to add a touch of luxury to summer cocktails and al fresco dining.

Available in a 750 ml bottle and 187 ml 4-packs, the new rosé completes Martini & Rossi's "sparkling trio," which includes a naturally sweet Asti and an extra dry Prosecco.

Tags: Italy, Martini Rossi, MartiniRossi, Prosecco, rose, sparkling wine, SparklingWine, vermouth

Paris Hilton's Prosecco Going Cheap

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Paris Hilton once dipped herself in gold for an ad campaign to promote Rich Prosecco, a sparkling wine in a can but that may not have been enough. The Sun reports that 30,000 units of the canned wine are sitting in a warehouse in Serbia. They say that a Stockport auctioneer has been given the task of offering up the wine at discount prices. So far the cans are only offered in batches of at least 5,000 and they expire in May.

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Tags: paris hilton, ParisHilton, rich prosecco, RichProsecco, sparkling wine, SparklingWine

Cooper's Hawk Winery Toasts Michelle Obama

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Another Illinois-based business getting a boost from the Obamas is the Cooper's Hawk Winery. The Cooper's Hawk Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine will be served for the official toast to the new first lady at the Illinois State Society's Illinois Inaugural Gala in Washington D.C. on Monday. The winery, which has restaurants in Orland Park, Burr Ridge, Wheeling and South Barrington, will also be serving red and white wines throughout the event. The Blanc de Blanc sells for $13.99 a bottle and most of the Cooper's Hawk wines are in the under $25 range. The winery purchases grapes from across the United States including Washington, California, Illinois and Michigan and produces over 125,000 gallons of wine a year.

[via Chicago Tribune]

Tags: coopers hawk, CoopersHawk, inauguration toast, InaugurationToast, michelle obama, MichelleObama, sparkling wine, SparklingWine

The Perlage System For Champagne By The Glass

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

How do you preserve an open bottle of sparkling wine? The silver spoon trick? A champagne stopper? A little foil hat? I've tried all of those and more with varying results so I'm intrigued by the Perlage system which promises to preserve open bottles of sparkling wine for weeks "with no loss of quality, taste or effervescence." It works by returning the headspace of the opened bottle to exactly the same composition and pressure of gasses that existed before the bottle was opened by first taking out the oxygen and then repressurizing with carbon dioxide. A bottle is place in the Perlage enclosure, air is taken out and it is resealed and pressurized with carbon dioxide. When you need another glass you can pour from the bottle while it is still inside the safety shell. The Perlage System comes in two versions a commercial one designed for restaurants and bars that can be connected to their existing CO2 systems or one for home use with disposable CO2 cartridges. It sells for $295 for the home version and is in use in over 1,000 restaurants worldwide so far.

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Tags: champagne, perlage, sparkling wine, SparklingWine, stopper

Karma Partners with Virgin America for High Fliers

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wine

Karma, the elegant California brut-style sparkling wine in modern single-serving bottles, has partnered with Richard Branson's California-based Virgin America airlines on upscale cocktails for high fliers. Created by San Diego native Patrick Wilson, the premium ready-to-drink treat is packaged in a glass bottle resembling a champagne flute.

Virgin America flights feature moodlighting, custom-designed leather seats and the only on-demand, in-flight food ordering system via a video touch-screen at every seat. Karma, made from hand-selected California grapes, is clean, crisp and dry with subtle hints of melon and pear. Wilson decided to package it this way to further the concept that every day should be a celebration. We're with him there.

Tags: Airlines, Champagne, Karma, Sparkling wine, SparklingWine, Virgin America, VirginAmerica

Did The Brits Invent The Bubbly?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

For years the invention of Champagne has been attributed to Benedictine monk Dom Perignon, shown above. Now new research suggest that it was British scientist Christopher Merrett who first invented the process and bottle for making Champagne. The Daily Mail reports that Merrett used techniques from the cider industry to control the second fermentation which adds the fizz and he also pioneered the use of stronger glass needed to prevent the bottle exploding. He gave a paper to the Royal Society in 1662 describing a process of adding sugar and molasses to make a wine taste sparkling. This was over 30 years before Dom Perignon's work at the Abbey of Hautvillers at Epernay. The research comes from author James Crowden, whose new book, Ciderland, looks at the history of cider in the West Country.

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Tags: champagne, christopher merrett, ChristopherMerrett, methode champenoise, MethodeChampenoise, sparkling wine, SparklingWine

Champagne Lightens Up

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Rising fuel prices have some curious and wide-ranging consequences. The Financial Times reports it may be making your Champagne bottles thinner. Champagne bottles traditionally weigh more than a bottle of still wine in order to contain the pressure of sparkling wine. Bottles used to be smashed against ship bows for launching are thinned for easy breakage. But thinner bottles take less energy to create and are cheaper to ship.

G.H Mumm, the Champagne house owned by Pernod Ricard has completed a trial production run of bottle which weigh 835 grams (around 1.84 pounds which is a couple of ounces lighter than regular bottles which are 900 grams). The lighter bottles will be put in caves where the bottles will age.

The lighter bottles will save money on fuel because more of them can be loaded on each truck. Pommery, which already uses the bottles, says that if all the Champagne houses switched to lighter bottles there would be 3,000 fewer trucks on the road each year.

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Tags: champagne, glass, glass bottles, GlassBottles, green, mumm, sparkling wine

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