This New Year's Eve- Drink the Stars!

Champagne is synonymous with celebration. Tomorrow night, many people will be raising their glasses and toasting to the New Year with Champagne. But what is the history of this sophisticated drink, and what do all of those terms such as Cuvee mean? And what is the difference between Champagne, Sparkling Wine, Cava, Asti and Spumante?

Let's begin with the grapes. There are three primary grapes used in the production of Champagne: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The primary types of Champagne and terms you may sometimes see on the labels include, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs and Rose. Blanc de Blancs literally means white from white. Basically this is a white Champagne made from a white grape, Chardonnay. These are lighter, drier Champagnes that pair well with light courses such as soups, salads and seafood dishes. Blanc de Noirs are white Champagnes made from black grapes (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier). These are fuller-bodied Champagnes that tend to go well with meats and cheeses. Pink or Rose Champagnes are made by one of the two following methods: adding a small amount of still Pinot Noir wine to the base wine (or Cuvee) prior to the secondary fermentation, this is known as the traditional method. Or the Maceration Method, which involves the pressing of the grape skins and allowing them to soak with the juice of the grapes before the fermentation process. This is what gives Champagne (or Rose wines) their pinkish color.

Champagne is made traditionally (Methode Champenoise or Champagne Method) by introducing the wine through a process of in-bottle secondary fermentation to produce the carbonation (bubbles). This is usually done in the same bottle as it is sold. Only those "sparkling wines" produced in the Champagne region of France are allowed to be called Champagne. The name is legally protected in the European Union by the Treaty of Madrid (1891). Although many other countries also produce sparkling wine, the term used to describe it varies from country to country. Spain uses the term Cava. Italy calls it Spumante, or Asti if it is made from the Muscat grape. Prosecco is an Italian dry sparkling wine made from the Prosecco grape, and a more affordable alternative to Champagne. Even other wine regions in France such as Burgundy and Alsace use the term Cremant and not Champagne. The United States uses the more generic term, Sparkling Wine.

Some of the most prestigious and well-known Champagne Houses in France include House of Roederer's Cristal, and Moet & Chandon's Dom Perignon. Cristal was created by Louis Roederer in 1876 for Czar Alexander II. Legend has it that the name Cristal came from the color of the clear, crystal bottle, which the Czar insisted on, so that the contents of the bottle could be seen and nothing would be hidden in the bottle such as a bomb. Russia was experiencing political instability at that time and Czar Alexander was worried about assassination attempts. There was recent controversy from a 2006 interview that Frederic Rouzaud, managing director for Louis Roederer gave The Economist, in which he stated that he viewed the attention from rappers with "curiosity and serenity", and when asked if he thought the association between hip-hop artists and his Champagne would harm the Cristal brand, he replied, "that's a good question, but what can we do? We can't forbid people from buying it. I'm sure Dom Perignon or Krug would be delighted to have their business".

A less controversial, but just as famous and prestigious, is Moet & Chandon's Dom Perignon. It is named after a Benedictine monk who served as cellar master in the Abbey of Hautvillers, in the town of Epernay. He is mistakenly credited for "inventing Champagne". In reality, he worked hard to avoid the re-fermentation process because back then, in-bottle fermentation caused many problems by causing the bottles to explode during warm weather. Dom Perignon was the first Prestige Cuvee, released for sale in 1936 with the 1921 Vintage. Another misconception surrounding this monk is that when he tasted the first sparkling Champagne, he said, "Come quickly, I am drinking the stars!" It seems that quote first appeared in an 1800's advertisement.

Regardless of who invented Champagne, and who is drinking it now, one thing remains. Champagne is the drink of celebration and festivities. Whether you are enjoying a bottle of Cristal or a more affordable sparkling wine, you no longer need to be a Czar to enjoy it.

This New Year's Eve, may you drink the stars and celebrate the beginning of a great new year.

Cheers!

The French Paradox

You may be a wine connoisseur and be informed on the health benefits of red wine. But this is a blog for wine lovers who like me, are just beginning to dip their toes in the water (or maybe the wine barrel). So let’s go back in time 18 years. In 1991 CBS aired a segment in 60 minutes on the health benefits of drinking red wine. The so called French Paradox was a term coined by Dr. Serge Renaud, to describe the mystery of why the French have a lower incidence of coronary heart disease despite the fact that they have a diet rich in saturated fats. It seemed that greater red wine consumption, and more importantly, a chemical component in the skin of red grapes, and subsequently red wine called resveratrol, was the clue. Studies have found that resveratrol helps prevent blood clots, damage to blood vessels, and reduces bad cholesterol. Red grapes also contain powerful antioxidants which regenerate your body's cells and aid in cutting your risk of cancer. So, of course after that segment aired, consumption of red wine in the United States increased by 44%.

But it seems that large consumption of red wine alone is not the magic bullet. Believe me, I’ve tried. Turns out much of this longevity is attributed to lifestyle choices. Yes, red wine helps, but also the fact that the French walk almost everywhere, have a more "Mediterranean lifestyle" which means they consume more fish, less fast food. Now, while this is no substitute for medical advice, and you should always consult with your doctor. I say, go out there, get yourself some red wine, and drink to your health. Cheers!

Save Your Wine Bottle Corks, Save the Planet

Every year, the majority of the 13 billion cork wine stoppers that are sold end up in landfills. Did you know that your cork wine stoppers can be recycled?

Let's begin with the cork tree itself. Unlike the lumber industry, which cuts down trees and depletes forests, cork trees are harvested, not cut down. The tree bark is used to make the cork and then it regenerates itself. The bark is renewable and sustainable and harvesting it does not harm the tree.

Natural cork is biodegradable, renewable and 100% natural. Recycled cork can be used to make cork floor tiles, safety mats, boat decks, place mats, building insulation, sports equipment and even shoe soles. The corks can also be used to replace wood chips around playgrounds, as packaging material and landscape topping.

According to ReCork America, it takes approximately 100,000 sparkling wine corks and about 267,000 wine corks to produce 2,000lbs of cork. So you winos out there, get busy saving the planet!

Now, not all wine stoppers can be recycled, or are good for the planet for that matter. Synthetic corks (those foamy plastic, cork-wanna-be's) which are made from petroleum based products, and of course aluminum screw caps end up in landfills.

There are several wineries, wine retailers, restaurants and organizations that are collecting used corks from their day to day business and participating in the cork recycling program. I encourage you to support these businesses and their efforts to protect the environment. You can find them here.
At this time, ReCork America hasn't published what their plans are for recycling the corks. As of right now they are just storing them in their warehouse in Napa. If you are anxious to put your wine drinking to good use and start saving the planet (I am proud of you!), you can send your corks via UPS or USPS to:

Yemm & Hart Ltd. Wine Cork Recycling 425 N. Chamber Dr. Fredericktown, MO 63645

You can also join Terracycle's Cork Brigade, and send them your corks. Or even join the fight to save Miguel (who is Miguel?) and sign a pledge of support of natural cork wine stoppers.

It doesn't take too much effort. There are some easy things you can do to help protect the planet (and drink wine while you're at it). 1) Make sure you buy only wine with cork wine stoppers, NOT screw caps or synthetic corks. And 2) save your corks and send them to the organization of your choice.

So, drink up, save your corks and save the planet. Cheers!

An Introduction to Wine

As I sit here enjoying a glass of Domaines Barons de Rothschild Los Vascos 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, I want to welcome to the launching of Vino de Venus: A Wine Blog. For those of you wine aficionados, this will be a great way to increase your wine knowledge, try a few known or unknown wines, and explore the Wine regions of the world. For those of you who are new to wine or just beer drinkers period, know that not only do wine & beer go hand in hand (and I am not just refering to government licenses) but this site will help you see wine in a new light and find a few that you will enjoy drinking.

If you are reading this, more than likely you are a wine enthusiast. Or a friend or relative. But you are in luck. Through this site you will be learning wine basics, from the different types of varietals, to why the goofy rituals such as studying the color of a wine, to swirling the glass and describing the aromas and flavors that go with them. But we will do this in simple terms, no wine snobs here! If you have a favorite wine that you love or a great story about enjoying wine, feel free to write a comment on it.

For now, I'll give you some of the well known and a few lesser know varietals that we will be exploring more in-depth later. Maybe one of these will spark your interest and will prompt you to buy a bottle and try it out. Starting with White Wines:

You've heard of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Moscato. How about trying Albarino, Chenin Blanc, Gewurtztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Gruner Veltliner, Marsanne, Roussanne, Torrontes and Viognier.
For reds you've probably tried Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah & Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Malbec and Zinfandel. But have you tried a Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Grenache, or Nebbiolo? Those are just few of the topics we will be exploring.

If your head is already spinning (and not because of too much wine), know that it is ok. For now just remember: it's not about how much a bottle of wine costs, or how many points it got by Robert Parker (we'll talk about him later), just drink what you like and like what you drink. Wine is about the story, the enjoyment and the people you share all of that with.