Champagnes

It’s the festive time of year, so I have compiled a comparison of several Champagnes, or sparkling wine to be more precise. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I look forward to more feedback from you all and suggestions for wine, food, and anything else.

Name: Bollinger Special Cuvee Brut

Country/Region: France/Champagne

Bouquet: Slightly earthy and yeasty, hints of apple and peach.

Color: Golden

Range: Dry

Bubbles: Fine bubbles

Taste: Tastes of green fruits and honey, good finish, very easy drinking.

My wife’s favorite

Price: $50 - $60

Rating: Very Good

Recommendation:  Recommended, good Champagne. The price is a little high but it is still a very good and enjoyable Champagne. For our family, it is a special occasion wine only, due to the price.

Name: Dom Perignon 2003

Country/Region: France/Champagne

Bouquet: Mild, floral scent.

Color: Light silvery to golden

Range: Somewhat dry with a hint of sweetness

Bubbles: The finest bubbles I have experienced.

Taste: Very mild and very subtle, hints of citrus and vanilla. Good finish and has a good mouth feel.

Rating: Good

Price: $140 - $150

Recommendation:  This is a good wine, unfortunately I can’t recommend it as I don’t think it is worth the price. While the mouth feel is great and the bubbles are extra fine, the taste comparatively subtle, I can’t help but feel that it is overrated and relies more on reputation than substance.

Name: Moet & Chandon

Country/Region: France/Champagne

Bouquet: Bold, yeast and minerals.

Color: Golden Straw with a hint of green

Range: Very dry

Bubbles: Fine

Taste: Bold tastes of apples, citrus, while the wine is bold, it also includes subtleties with hints of nuts and minerals. The wine has been described as toasty, which seems to be a good fit. Lingers well in the mouth with a great aftertaste.

Rating: Very good

Price: $40 - $50

Recommendation:  This is very good wine and in my opinion the best wine for the price. Strongly recommended.

Name: Mumm Napa Brut

Country/Region: Napa/USA

Bouquet: Mild bouquet with hints of oak, yeast and vanilla.

Color: Golden Straw with a hint of green

Range: Medium dry

Bubbles: Medium            

Taste: Decent flavor and hint of apples and yeast. The wine has a decent taste but has a weak finish and doesn’t linger well.

Rating: OK

Price: $20 - $22

Recommendation:  An OK wine and acceptable value for money without being outstanding, recommended for the $20 price range.

 Name: James Serra Cristalino Brut

Country/Region:  Spain

Bouquet: Nice mild bouquet, slightly fruity and a hint of yeast.

Color: Golden

Range: Fruity, slightly dry.

Bubbles: Fine to Medium

Taste: Hints of lemon, definitely has citrus overtones. Nice mouth feel and great taste. The only drawback I can distinguish is no real length to speak of compared to the higher end Champagnes.

Rating: Very Good, exceptional value for money.

Price: $7 - $8

Recommendation:  Strongly recommended, represents excellent value for money, possibly the best value for money wine I have experienced. When I was first referred to this wine I was told “don’t let the $7 price tag fool you” and it is true, this wine is much better than the price would indicate. This is an example where price doesn’t always dictate the quality of the wine. It is not quite at the same level as the $40 wines but it is not too far off. For under $10, you can’t go wrong.

Big Bend Red Artisan Blend

 

Wine: Red blend
Country: USA	Region:  California
Rating:  Good	Price: $15
Recommendation: Recommended, the wine is mellow, subtle and drinks well with or without food. For a cold winter's night we had a Red Blend and a throw together meal that I make from time to time. This wine is part of the National Parks Foundation wine collection, which is a collaboration between the winery and the foundation. From each bottle purchased, $2.00 is donated to the foundation which is what attracted me to the wine in the first place. Well, that and the nice picture of the Big Bend National Park in Texas. The wine is produced by the Adler Fels winery, which is located in the Mayacamas mountains 1,500 feet above Sonoma Valley in California. The views from the valley take in not only Sonoma valley but also reach to the coastline. The Big Bend Artisan Blend is a mellow wine with hints of red berries, particularly cherry and plum. There is some oak in both the bouquet and in the taste. Overall, a nice mellow wine, good without being spectacular. Turkey Meatballs with Italian Tomato Sauce Ingredients: The following are the ingredients. I don’t follow any recipes or measures, I just make it according to what I have available at the time and how much I have available. Turkey Meatballs – Usually one package, you could substitute almost any meat or seafood. Penne Pasta – as desired Mozzarella Cheese – as desired Vegetables – as desired, I used: Broccoli Zucchini Asparagus Red Pepper Onion - one Garlic – two or three cloves Italian red tomato sauce Activity Chop the vegetables into bite sized pieces, except the broccoli. Chop the onion and garlic into small chunks. Chop the turkey meatballs into quarters. Grate the cheese. Start cooking the Pasta. Saute the onion and garlic in a saucepan until they start to soften and the flavor and aroma spread nicely. Add the chopped vegetables heat through. Cook the Broccoli separately. Add the tomato sauce to the pan and heat through. Add the turkey meatballs and cook for at least 10 minutes. Add the grated cheese to the ingredients in the saucepan. Add the cooked pasta to a plate. Add the cooked broccoli on the side. Ladle the contents of the saucepan over the pasta. Rating: Good without being outstanding. Drinks well on its own and would go well with medium to heavy red meats and tomato based pasta dishes. The wine and the recipe make a good combination for a cold winter’s night. Available from HEB supermarket in Houston.

Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc 2013

Wine Name: Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc 2013

Wine: Sauvignon Blanc
Country: USA	Region:  Napa Valley
Rating:  Very Good	Price: $10
Recommendation: Recommended, great value at around $10. Our review this week is the Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc from California and a new vegetarian dish that was given to me, Chickpea Patties in Pita Bread. The meal was a nice healthy one and the wine is excellent value for money. The Joel Gott winery was formed in 1996, the first wine produced was a Zinfandel. Since then Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, un-oaked Chardonnay and Washington Riesling have been added.  Their wines are blended from grapes primarily from Californian and Washington states. http://www.gottwines.com/jgw/wines/ In addition to wines, it seems that there is Gotts Roadside Hamburgers located in Napa valley, San Francisco and other California location. If you are nearby, they look like great places to visit. http://gotts.com/ The 2013 Sauvignon Blanc is a light lemon color with strong citrus aromas. The wine is relatively dry, yet crisp with lemon, lime dominating but followed by hints of honeydew melon and possibly even peach. This wine represents excellent value for money. Would go well with Seafood, chicken, salads, and light cheeses. The food recipe was given to me by a friend and we really enjoyed it. The only drawback was that the patties tended to be a little on the dry side and needed the yogurt or other sauces. Ingredients such as the lemon could be increased to add moisture, although too much may overwhelm the flavor. Chickpea Patties In Pita Bread Ingredients  Sesame seeds - 2 tablespoons Ground coriander - 1 tablespoon Ground cumin - 1 tablespoon Oil, vegetable such as Canola - 2 teaspoons Scallions (Green\Spring Onion), chopped - 4 Garlic, chopped finely - 3 cloves Chickpeas – 1.8 cups or One 15 ounce can. Brown rice, cooked - 1 cup Wheat germ - 2/3 cup Lemon juice - 3 to 4 tablespoons Salt - 1/2 teaspoon (I just used a pinch, as I like to reduce the salt in my cooking) Ground pepper - 1/4 teaspoon Pita bread – As desired, minimum of 4 (warmed) Tomatoes, sliced – 2 to 4 depending on size Lettuce – Around 4 leaves (I have also heard that baby Spinach works well) Plain yogurt – As desired, minimum of 4 tablespoons (Nonfat works well)   Preparation Cook the Chickpeas if using dried Cook rice Chop the: Scallions Garlic Tomatoes Juice the lemons Prepare the lettuce Leaves Set aside         Cooking Heat pan over low heat. Add sesame seeds, toast, until golden brown, stirring regularly, be careful not to burn (Approx. 2 to 4 minutes). Add coriander and cumin; continue cooking, stirring regularly (Approximately 30 seconds). Set aside and let cool. Grind with a pestle and mortar, set aside. Add oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add scallions and garlic; cook, until soft, stirring occasionally, approx 2 minutes. Set aside. Preheat broiler. Place rack in top third of oven Mash the Chickpeas coarsely in a medium bowl with a potato masher. Add 1/3 cup wheat germ, lemon juice, salt, pepper, the spice mixture and the scallion mixture; mix well. Shape the mixture into four patties, about ¾ inch thick. Preheat broiler to High or Medium High. Place the remaining 1/3 cup wheat germ in a shallow dish. Dip the patties into the wheat germ. Place the patties on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Broil (grill) the patties until browned and heated through, approx 3 minutes per side. Insert the burgers into pitas with tomato slices, lettuce and yogurt (We also provided Tahini sauce and hummus). Recommendation: Recommended, great value at around $10.