A Tasting of Pinot Meunier
7/28/12 -
We are perennially obsessed with Champagne. We love it in all styles and from all sub-regions, and we constantly find ourselves wondering how we can further provoke a similar love amongst our customers. Of course we acknowledge that a bottle of Champagne is a commitment; this is a category in which “intro” level wines begin in the mid-$30 range. We suspect that it is not merely price that makes Champagne a bit daunting; the region’s geography isn’t as straightforward and linear as some – take the Cote d’Or, for example, where villages run contiguously from north to South. Champagne is, rather, a mass of vineyard land with a few isolated outcroppings, where subtle terroir distinctions prompt growers to plant a majority of one grape variety or another. In contrast to many of our other favorites, Champagne is, on some level, a “made” wine in the sense that the vigneron cannot simply let the wine ferment, nothing added, nothing taken away. The addition of bubbles through a second fermentation in bottle, instigated by yeast and often a small quantity of sugar (the “dosage”), further changes the tasting equation. For some, bubbles can feel like a distraction from the pure earth and mineral flavors of the base wine (known as “vin clair”). For us, bubbles add lift, creaminess, complexity, and food friendliness. An often repeated maxim amongst Champagne lovers is that “Champagne pairs with everything.” We couldn’t agree more. In the interest of education, we are presenting a second summer Champagne tasting designed to help us as well as our customers better understand these wonderful wines. At this tasting, we’ll be showing Champagnes based on the lesser known Pinot Meunier grape variety. Many of our favorite Champagne growers will be featured: Laherte, Laval, Jose Michel, Pascal, as well new selections. This special tasting will take place from 4-6pm on Saturday, August 4th. We hope to see you there! -Sophie
