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River City Food and Wine (Free subscription) | 11/23/2009
For this month's Supper Club R and K hosted and gave us a menu to ponder. As well as a splendidly set table. First Course: Tabula Rasa Unleavened bread, shepherd's cheeses, olives, figs and dates with 2008 Coteaux du Languedoc Picpoul de Pinet Second Course: The Bird or the Egg? We discovered that both arrived at the same time. Quail egg over polenta and greens with pork fat caramelized red onion confit...
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Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Clara Valley wines (Free subscription) | 11/21/2009
The Santa Cruz Mountains has a long tradition of sparkling wines; Paul Masson's rose "Oeil de Perdrix" (Eye of the Partridge) won many accolades and he was even granted a licence to continue production "for medicinal purposes" during Prohibition. Barry Jackson has been making sparkling wine under the Equinox label for 20 years. The wine has traditionally been a 100% Chardonnay "Blanc...
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Australian Wine Review (Free subscription) | 11/11/2009
Here are the gold medal winner from the Air New Zealand Wine Awards. I'm listing them here in full as they paint an interesting picture of who wins what at NZ wine shows: Sparkling Deutz Marlborough Cuvee Blanc de Blancs 2006 (Pure Gold) Hawkesbridge Marlborough Methode Traditionnelle 2006 Gewurztraminer Curio d'Auvergne Vineyard Wairau Valley Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2008 Forrest The Valleys Wairau...
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Élevage (Free subscription) | 11/10/2009
Nothing so pressing for a full post, so let's hit it three dot style... There's another train wreck over on the Robert Parker bulletin board today with unspecified allegations of additives in zinfandel and unreported blending in pinot noir. Of course these things happen, but it gets tiring seeing insinuations that such things are common, without proof, then endlessly beat to a pulp in an alleged defense...
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Brooklynguy's Wine and Food Blog (Free subscription) | 11/06/2009
Last night, after a night of many a Poulsard with friends (more on that soon), I wanted to open a bottle of good Champagne to close out the evening. But what to open? My companions included a guy who until recently worked at Michael Skurnik wines, so nothing from Terry Theise. A woman who works at Chambers Street Wines, so nothing that they sell. And a prominent Sommelier at a great NYC restaurant,...
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Slashfood (Free subscription) | 11/03/2009
Filed under: Champagne , France , Wine of the Week Photo: Vitteaut-Alberti. by Kristine Hansen Generally, crisp and celebratory, wines like cava, brut, Champagne and American sparkling wines probably won't turn any heads if you bring them to an occasion that calls for bubbles. But Crémant, a French sparkling wine, can make a fashionable entrance. Although still a nouveau import to many areas...
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Vinography (Free subscription) | 11/01/2009
Who knows what it is, exactly, about sparkling wine that entices us so. But go to any wine region around the world, and you're bound to find someone making sparkling wine there (for better or worse). Most, even the best contenders, have a hard time holding a candle to the benchmarks of Champagne. There are a select few regions and producers outside of France, however, that manage to make sparkling...
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Chicagoist (Free subscription) | 10/21/2009
Pop-open the bubbly - It’s Wednesday! The holiday season is upon us and in typical true-blooded American fashion we begin the season of over-indulgence - more food, more booze, larger waistlines. We also take the opportunity to pick up an extra bottle of something special - maybe a nice bottle of bubbly. But why wait for a special occasion to pop open something that sparkles? Cava, Prosecco,...
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Brooklynguy's Wine and Food Blog (Free subscription) | 10/14/2009
The other day I was fortunate enough to meet Emmanuel Lassaigne, son of Jacques, and now the wine maker at Champagne Jacques Lassaigne . Jenny & François import these wines for the east coast, and they organized a tasting in a small and very comfortable setting that actually encouraged conversation, instead of merely offering a glass and a spit bucket. And converse we did - I spoke with...
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Brooklynguy's Wine and Food Blog (Free subscription) | 09/08/2009
I used to write about sparkling wine every Friday in a sets of posts that I called Friday Night Bubbles . Every week for over a year, typically alternating between Champagne and other sparkling wines. It got expensive, but what made me stop this series was the fact that I wasn't satisfied with the quality of most sparkling wines at the $20-$25 price point. I decided that I'd rather spend my $25 on...
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Pelz On Wine (Free subscription) | 09/07/2009
Lobster is in season right now, and our local grocery store had Maine lobster on sale for a laughable price, so I decided to invite friends over for dinner to cook up some lobster and enjoy it with some good wine. So I ventured out 30 minutes before dinner and got a hold of 6 nice lobsters and prepared them three ways. With Appetizers - Sheep's Cheese Puffs (Thanks Shannon and Dave - delicious) - Lobster...
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Kaizenlog (Free subscription) | 09/06/2009
The first sparkling wine ever made in South Africa according to traditional French methods, Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel, is a great alternative to Champagne. The elegant citrus aromas of Chardonnay are followed by a surprising freshness on the palate. A delicate, complex Blanc de Blancs with a sophisticated dry finish. Kaapse Vonkel, meaning ‘Cape Sparkle’ is a [...]
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Good Wine Under $20 (Free subscription) | 09/02/2009
In a recent post I highlighted the value represented by wines from Alsace . While most associate Alsatian wines with still Rieslings and Gewürztraminers, Alsace also makes terrific sparkling wines that can stand up to any rival in terms of taste, elegance, and price. My latest recommendation in sparkling wine from Alsace is the very good QPR N.V. Lucien Albrecht Crémant d'Alsace Blanc...
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Brooklynguy's Wine and Food Blog (Free subscription) | 08/28/2009
I'm sorry to do this, to ask you to read about a wine that it so awfully difficult to find, and if you can find it, so terribly expensive. But this is a special wine, one that I may well never have the chance to drink again, one that has inspired much debate, a rare wine from an iconic producer. The other night Peter Liem came over for dinner, and so I had my first Selosse experience. It was pretty...
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Decanter.com (Free subscription) | 08/21/2009
Armand de Brignac, the Champagne endorsed by hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, has launched a non-vintage Blanc de Blancs, retailing at £400.
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