Learn About Wine Blog

On December 29th, 2011, Ian Blackburn, CEO and Founder of LearnAboutWine.com and Wine Cloud Inc. hosted a fancy Champagne event featuring top of the top lists.

Details are below:

Champagne Session

Tasting Rare & High Quality Bubbles - Toast Goodbye to 2011 – Hello 2012!

Thursday, December 29th 7pm at Downtown LOFT 218

File Under: Seated tasting class, rare and high quality champagne, fun tasting event, become an expert in Champagne in one day, limited seats available …
Taste great wines – watch us Sabor open a bottle –  learn about the grower terroir wines (RM) and Negociant branded wines (NM) – and what is the latest in Champagne news and information.

Revised Wine List (12 wines total)… cheese and appetizers served.

THE WISE – 1990 was an incredible vintage

Dom Perignon “Oenotheque” Vintage 1990 – Valued at $500 – BOOM!

Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 1990 – magical

THE HIP – smaller producers of insane quality

Vilmart – Grand Cellier, Brut Premier Cru

Pierre Peters – Les Chetilllons, Cuvee Speciale “Le Mesnil” Blanc de Blancs, Grand Cru 2002

Just Added – Paul Bara – Bouzy, Grand Cru 1989 – A $200 value!

Champagne Supreme – Top Producers you can trust

Champagne Lanson – poised to take what is rightly theirs

Heidersick and Co.  - best champagne for the dollar

Krug – when we sell out at 20 guests – we turn the regular Krug into 1989 Vintage!!!!

The BUBBLES from another mother – Not Champagne but truly extraordinary

Gruet Blanc de Noirs – WINE SPECTATOR TOP 100 – 2011

Cava Avinyo Reserva Brut – Best Cava ever?

Le Vigne di Alice Doro Valdobbiadene D.O.C.G. Brut – Best Prosecco ever?

Cleto Chiarli “Vecchia Modena”  - not your Grandmothers Lambrusco!

To see the Champagne Map: CLICK HERE

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is often referred to as the king of white grapes; a traditional grape responsible for producing the white wines of Burgundy and it is known for its noted importance in the production of Champagne.

STYLE:  Chardonnay can be bone dry crispy with clean acidity, when unoaked, as seen in Chablis, or full bodied/baked apple and oaky/buttery style as found in barrel fermented versions of the New World, like Sonoma County.  Flavors can depend greatly on winemaking techniques. Stainless steel fermentation allows much more focus on acidity and mineral, with hints of lemon, pear and or apple.  When allowed to go through malolactic fermentation (MLF), with battonage (lees stirring) and barrel aging; a softer, richer, and toasty style can emerge.

In North America, California produces largest quantity of and most popular style of Chardonnay.  The first successful production of commercial wines using Chardonnay started early1940s.  In 1976 “The Judgment of Paris” crowned Chateau Montelena victorious in a field of French wines and rocketed California Chardonnay to popularity in America.

ORIGIN: The origin of Chardonnay appears to come from Croatia (yes them again) with a seemingly extinct varietal called Gouais Blanc (although once I post this – someone may tell me of a producer still making it). The Romans then planted a cross-version of Gouais and a Pinot varietal in a “Jardin” (garden) and it adopted the name “Chardonnay” … perhaps the Jardin was in the town of Chardonnay (which is in the Macon)?

Chardonnay is also planted in Austria, Australia, Argentina, Chile, Hungry, Italy, Israel, Lebanon, New Zealand, Oregon, and South Africa.

AKA Aubaine, Beaunois, Gamay Blanc, Melon Blanc