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So I got to drink Champagne.

TN

Hey baby, want a hot dog?
Jul 9, 2002
14,301
1,353
Jimtown, CO
not sparkling wine, but the stuff from Champagne. My Aunt brought some from her cellar back home in Germany.
I have never been a fan of any sparkling wines but this stuff has me hooked...& it definitely has a different buzz to it too. I see why it is reserved for celebrations. :D
 

narlus

Eastcoast Softcore
Staff member
Nov 7, 2001
24,658
63
behind the viewfinder
i never really gave a damn about champagne; most of the time it was nasty crap like Korbel, or asti spumante. maybe if i was lucky a cava from spain. moet was the highest quality i'd ever had. but, for our 1st anniversary, my wife's parents splurged and bought us a bottle of Dom. damn was that tasty. of course, it's over $100 a bottle so that's the one and only time i've had it. but i've been able to find some good stuff like taittenger for high 20s or so.
 

RhinofromWA

Brevity R Us
Aug 16, 2001
4,622
0
Lynnwood, WA
TN said:
It is not Champagne unless it comes from Champagne.
Damn! Throw TN in a suit and he gets are snobby. :D

It is like when I order a "Coke" in a resteraunt and they say they "only have Pepsi, is that OK?"

Shut up and bring me a freaking cola! :)

It is like saying pass the Katchup and the bottle says Catsup....you kow what the other person is saying so pass it! lol

Wine snobs are funny.
 

MikeD

Leader and Demogogue of the Ridemonkey Satinists
Oct 26, 2001
11,669
1,713
chez moi
Wicked hangovers.

PS. Did it taste just like coca-cola? C-O-L-A, cola?
 

I Are Baboon

The Full Dopey
Aug 6, 2001
32,382
9,285
MTB New England
I've only tried that crap-like Korbel, Moet, etc and I like it, but then again I am easy to please. I've never tried that snobby Euro-stuff. :D

I like alcohol. Beer, wine, liquor, champagne....it's all good. :)
 

narlus

Eastcoast Softcore
Staff member
Nov 7, 2001
24,658
63
behind the viewfinder
I Are Baboon said:
I've only tried that crap-like Korbel, Moet, etc and I like it, but then again I am easy to please. I've never tried that snobby Euro-stuff. :D
check the provenance of the next Moet bottle you see...it's from France.

Piper-Heidseck is another decent brand to look for.
 

Tenchiro

Attention K Mart Shoppers
Jul 19, 2002
5,407
0
New England
If it is only champagne if it comes from champagne, why do we call cheddar by name if it is not from Cheddar?
 

narlus

Eastcoast Softcore
Staff member
Nov 7, 2001
24,658
63
behind the viewfinder

amydalayna

Turbo Monkey
Aug 16, 2005
1,507
0
south lake tahoe, ca
narlus said:
this pisses me off:

:mumble: :mumble: :angry: :angry:
hey. i'm with you. i live in california, but got married in mass.
before i knew it was illegal to ship wine and such there i went out and bought cases of some tasty old vine zinfandel out here. couldn't ship it and had to drink it all myself.
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
This is the best quote in that article:

"It is an absurdity on a moral point of view," Paillard told Lechmere. "It's sad that the USA, now a great wine country, continues to protect a few producers who are abusing the identity of others instead of using honest labeling for true consumer information."

Any one who uses "champagne" to describe domestic sparkling wine is being sloppy (at best) or intentionally misleading. I don't care if they were grandfathered in and remain allowed to do it.

The French describe wines by region, whereas in the states we focus on what's in the bottle. So you buy a bottle of "Cabernet Sauvignon," not a bottle of "Napa Valley." And somewhere on the label it will usually tell you the percentages of different varietals that are actually in the bottle. It will also often tell you where it came from, sometimes down to the specific vineyard. I like this approach better because I like to taste the different varietals and it's interesting to see how the winemakers balance the principal fruit with others. It's also a great way to let the fruit of a particular vineyard show unique character. It's truth in labeling and ultimately helps develop a better understanding of different fruit. The wine is the product of the vineyard, with minimal manipulation from the winemaker.

The French would take the same wine, call it Bordeaux, and not tell what's actually in it. All you know is where it comes from. This allows them to mix in different varietals to acheive a balanced wine without telling you how they did it. There's nothing really wrong with it, but instead of expressing the character of a particular grape or vineyard, they usually seek to produce a wine that is generally consistent with their reputation and that of the region. In my opinion this means less individual character. The wine is the product of the winemaker more than the product of the vineyard.