Champagne Friday: Stopper Study

By: Gary Westby | K&L Champagne Buyer

The Seal: An Essential Part of Champagne

Happy Champagne Friday! This week is all about stoppers. After all, Champagne could not exist without a perfect seal! Trapping carbon dioxide inside the bottle during the second fermentation is the step that makes Champagne sparkle- and it is very likely that this was first done by mistake.

Champagne is one of the highest acid fine wines in the world, and the climate is cool enough that often fermentations would stop for lack of heat after the harvest. The high acidity in the wine can easily mask a touch of residual sugar, and in the days before lab analysis, it would be easy to bottle something that had some sugar left. Add a tight seal and – bang! Bubbles or a broken bottle! 

In today's video, we will examine the first crown cap that Champagne receives at bottling, the cork it receives after disgorgement and finally to the stopper that often is put into it when we don’t finish the bottle. Along the way we will look at corks before they are inserted, corks from the past, silicon plugs on the ends of corks and synthetic/ composite “corks” that producers use to minimize cork taint. If you've never stopped to consider the stopper, you'll be surprised to learn there's more to it than you think.

A great bottle to have in the door of the fridge is the Baron Fuente "Grande Reserve" Brut Champagne for $23.99. Baron Fuente is a negociant that owns almost 90 acres of vines and purchases another 90 acres "sur pied," meaning that they pick the grapes. This is an important distinction since many negociants buy "sur lattes" meaning in bottle!

Baron Fuente "Grande Reserve" Brut Champagne ($23.99) This delicious Champagne is composed of 10% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 60% Meunier and had been aged three years on the lees. It is fermented at relatively cold temperatures in stainless steel with 100% malolactic fermentation. The wine has a very light, white gold color for the blend which is predominantly black grapes and a very pretty, tight bead. On the nose it is flowery and exotic, with a doughy richness to anchor down the wildflower elements. On the palate the wine is well balanced, light and finishes very cleanly. This Champagne is a spectacular aperitif.

I hope you give it a try. If you don't finish the bottle, you can just stopper it up and save to enjoy later, on its own or in a Champagne cocktail like the Negroni Sbagliato, one of my favorites!

A toast to you!

-Gary

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Check out more educational wine & spirits videos from the experts at K&L on YouTube!

How many corks does it take to stopper a bottle of Champagne? In today's video, Gary invites us to "stop" and consider the stopper, one of the most essential yet oft-overlooked components in Champagne production, storage, and consumption, from start to finish.

{Terra Ignota} Stunning Sparklers From The Southern Most Region Of Australia - Tasmania

We have just taken stock of some great new wines from ground breaking winery Jansz in Tasmania. This wind swept isle off the southern coast of the Aussie mainland has quickly built a reputation as one of the most exciting genuinely cool-climate growing regions in the world. The region hangs its hat on elegant and refined Pinot Noir, bright, crisp Chardonnay and wildly aromatic and defined Riesling. Sparkling wines made from the traditional Champagne varietals are also catching the eye (or taste buds) of consumers and critics alike. In fact the Jansz NV "Premium Cuvee" recently took top honors at the Decanter International Wine Awards for Best International Sparkler! Jansz was Tasmania's first sparkling wine to be made according to the traditional Méthod Champenoise and, is the only Tasmanian specialist solely devoted to the art of sparkling winemaking. For more information about the winery please check out the link: http://www.jansztas.com/

The Jansz NV "Premium Cuvee" is packed with pears and stone fruits. A rich toasty mid-palate from extended maturation on the lees and a bright citric, mouthwatering finish. A direct purchase from the importer makes this fantastically priced for a wine of this quality at $19.99!

We also have the Jansz NV Premium Sparkling Rose,$19.99, this wine possesses bright Pinot Noir red fruited notes, strawberries, sweet toasty grains, Graham Cracker and pie crust. The finish again has a hint of zippy cranberry acid that keeps you coming back for another sip.

Much has been written about the state of Australian wine in the US market recently, and I for one believe that the cool-climate peripheral regions will lead the charge in the recovery of Australian wine sales (or at least lead the charge in changing the perception of Australian wines) in the USA.

 In Tasmania and across the Bass Straight on the Mornington Peninsula and Macedon Ranges in Victoria, grapes are being grown in a climate comparable to that of Burgundy or even Champagne. Dedicated growers and winemakers are producing wines of brightness, high acidity and elegance. Stay tuned to the Terra Ignota Blog series for more of these wines coming your way; and for now grab some of these world beating bubbles from Jansz and see what you think!

Cheers!

-Ryan

Ryan Woodhouse

NZ & Aussie Wine Specialist

K&L Wine Merchants - Redwood City

Contact

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Terra Ignota is Latin for "Unknown Land". It was the name for the South Pacific region during intial mapping and exploration of Australia and New Zealand. As we are going to be exploring new and exciting wines from this region, we think this is a fitting title for our blog series on wines from this part of the world. Stay tuned for more!

Champagne Friday: Negroni Sbagliato

By: Gary Westby | K&L Champagne Buyer

As this is the first Friday of summer, I thought it would be the perfect time to share the recipe and for one of my favorite Champagne cocktails, the Negroni Sbagliato, or “Wrong Negroni”. I usually like to make Champagne cocktails with Champagne that has been sitting in the fridge with a stopper in it for a while, and I would encourage you to do the same. This drink is a little bit bitter, and an excellent aperitif.

Since the list of ingredients is very short (5 if you include the ice) the little details shown in today's videos are quite important in making it the best it can be.  I hope you will try it!

Here are the ingredients:

1 tall glass full of fresh ice

2 ounces red vermouth (I used Cocchi Vermouth Torino)

2 ounces Campari

3-4 ounces Champagne (I used J. Lassalle 1er Cru Brut Champagne)

1 Fresh Orange Twist

A toast to you,

-Gary

Check out more educational wine & spirits videos from the experts at K&L on YouTube!