We have been importing Champagne Aspasie for 18 years now; it was our first direct import Champagne. Many of you reading this have met the Paul Vincent and Caroline Ariston at our tent event tastings and some of you have even visited them in the picturesque village of Brouillet where they live, grow their vines and make their inimitable Champagne.
Read MoreAs most of you are probably already aware, we do massive amounts of employee tastings and education. Each Tuesday, we have a morning hour long tasting that revolves around a specific sector (Burgundy, Bordeaux, Chile, you get it). In the afternoon, we supplemental tastings that are ½ hour long and are meant to be more fun. I’ve been trying to sneak more and more Champagne tastings into these because almost all of our (except one notable exception who shall not be mentioned) staff here in SF LOVE Champagne. I had planned on doing a look at soil and location on Tuesday, 4 June, but, one of our young “newbies”, Andrew Tobin, sommelier, came to me a few days previous and started asking all kinds of questions about our newly re-stocked Launois champagne.” Where is this winery?” “What are the differences between the various bottlings?” “What do they taste like?” So, on and so on. As I began to answer his questions, I thought of all of our new hires up here who had absolutely no info about these wines.
Read MoreEarlier this week, our northern California heatwave started to break, and Cinnamon and I decided to celebrate with a bottle of 1995 Le Brun de Neuville "Grand Vintage" Brut Champagne on our patio. Cinnamon made a simple summer meal of olive oil marinated halibut on the grill and some pesto pasta with sundried tomatoes and asparagus. I love aged vintage Champagne as a dinner wine; they have the complexity that makes for a special occasion, but sill have the refreshment to be served on a hot summer night. It was a success, and I woke up excited to share the experience
Read MoreThere are plenty of Champagne geeks in the world and plenty of natural wine geeks but they don’t always get excited about the same wines. Recently Gary put a wine in front of me that fits both bills—the 2011 Fleury Sonate Extra Brut Champagne Sans Soufre, made by one of the OG biodynamic producers in Champagne.
Read MoreI love grabbing some sushi to go and drinking Champagne on a Tuesday night. Most luxurious things in this world involve a lot of ritual, and are worth it; making fresh blini for caviar or dressing up for fine dining for example, but grabbing sushi on the way home is an easy treat. Some Tuesdays call for that.
Read MoreLast night, we were treated to a once in a lifetime opportunity at K&L, a Masterclass on Champagne Billecart-Salmon led by Mathieu Roland-Billecart.
Read MoreIt is a common notion that Champagne is reserved for special occasions. If you ask me, there are just too many fantastic Champagnes and not nearly enough special occasions. The sheer number and diversity of Champagnes out there call for all sorts of occasions, not simply the special ones.
Read MoreLast night, my wife and I were guests of Vincent Chaperon, the new Chef de Cave of Dom Pérignon. He invited us for a dinner celebrating the release of the 2002 Dom Pérignon Plénitude 2 Brut Champagne, or P2 for short. It was great to see Vincent again and congratulate him on his new role, taking over for long time Chef de Cave Richard Geoffroy.
Read MoreThis Easter, Cinnamon and I enjoyed a real treat- the newest Krug "Grande Cuvée", which is the 167th edition of this iconic wine. I love the excitement that a Krug edition based on a famous vintage brings from our customers, but I think that in many ways, the Krug editions based on less famous vintages are even better, so I was very impatient to open this wine….
Read MoreJust when you thought there couldn’t be another IPA, a new style emerged. Over the last year, Brut IPA became the hot new beer for brewers to play around with. The style, which was created by brewer Kim Sturdavant of SF’s Social Kitchen in late 2017, is refreshing, crisp and completely dry. It became an immediate hit with hop heads who crave the big aromas and flavors but are looking for something without all the heaviness. And with the return of the sun, it’s a perfect summer beer.
Read MoreBollinger is a place that somehow seems both untouchably historic and welcoming. They are a global enterprise, but the team is tightly knit, the wines made with heart.
Read MoreI just returned home to California after a two week trip in Champagne. After 46 appointments and tasting 506 wines, I am a little tired but completely inspired by the work of the Champenois. About 1/3 of the wines that I tasted were vin clairs, the still wines from the 2018 harvest that I tasted before the bottling. This vintage, which was much lauded at the time of harvest, I believe is a turning point in Champagne.
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