What is your favorite champagne?

[ImDMous]

We went to Korbel near Napa for a tour/tasting one time. They make a ton of different varieties apart from the Brut you see everywhere. The Sweet Cuvee and the Moscato Frizzante were yummy and sweet but you might have to get them from their website.

 

[bcla]

We went to Korbel near Napa for a tour/tasting one time. They make a ton of different varieties apart from the Brut you see everywhere. The Sweet Cuvee and the Moscato Frizzante were yummy and sweet but you might have to get them from their website.

Korbel is in Sonoma Valley. Nice area. Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley are well inland. Sonoma County has a coastline, and some wines are labeled as Sonoma Coast. Those areas are more cows than wine grapes, but I guess there's still a cache to the name Sonoma. There's a mix of cattle grazing and grape growing along US 101 up through Petaluma and Santa Rosa.

I remember being in a high school gym in Sonoma County. It seemed really odd to me that there was a Korbel ad next to the scoreboard. I told someone it seemed odd that an alcohol ad would be placed in a school, but the response was that wine is just part of the culture there.

 

[bcla]

Has anyone tried any bubbly from outside of Europe or California? I've seen some interesting stuff, including bubbly from India. Have t tried it though. Looks like Moët has even set up Domaine Chandon China.

 

[tvguy]

Has anyone tried any bubbly from outside of Europe or California? I've seen some interesting stuff, including bubbly from India. Have t tried it though. Looks like Moët has even set up Domaine Chandon China.

No. I'm still trying to try all the wines made down the road from me in Lodi. We are lucky here, abundant, inexpensive wine. And about 40% of the grapes used in Napa and Sonoma wines are grown in Lodi.

 

[bcla]

No. I'm still trying to try all the wines made down the road from me in Lodi. We are lucky here, abundant, inexpensive wine. And about 40% of the grapes used in Napa and Sonoma wines are grown in Lodi.

Depends on the winery. A lot of the big bubbly wineries do have their own grapes, but yeah they need to supplement it with other grapes. I think Roederer Estate only uses its own grape from Mendocino.

My understanding about US law is that up to 25% of the juice in a wine can come from some other place than stated on the label. On top of that, they often have a lot of processing capacity near big winegrowing areas and will bottle win that might have a more generic region or perhaps the grapes from another region. I've been to wineries near Seattle that almost exclusively process grapes from the Columbia River Valley, and are labeled that way.

There was a big brouhaha over the Trader Joe's Charles Shaw house brand made for them by Bronco Wine. They of course bought grapes from the Central Valley, which are cheaper. However, they processed it at a winery in the industrial part of the city of Napa. There was controversy because they put "Napa" on the label, and some buyers though it was from Napa Valley grapes.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Did someone say Lodi?

 

[bcla]

Did someone say Lodi?

I was thinking that, but it seemed rather tangential to the conversation.

 

[wilkeliza]

Has anyone tried any bubbly from outside of Europe or California? I've seen some interesting stuff, including bubbly from India. Have t tried it though. Looks like Moët has even set up Domaine Chandon China.

I tried some bubbly from a vineyard in Pennsylvania. It is Buckingham Valley Vineyards. We got to hear about the whole process. They still do a lot of their sparkling wine the old fashion way on a frames and someone comes and turns them and makes it go form flat to vertical degree by degree but they also bought 2 mechanical processors so they could make more. We got to try their new sparkling pink. They make a few varieties all from their own grapes.

 

[wilkeliza]

To answer the original question we seem to default to Veuve Cliequot but mostly because we still have bottles of brut left by them from our engagement party (I think all 10 people invited bought that exact bottle haha). It is super dry though and about 30-40 for a bottle and goes up from there if it is wrapped in their specialty container or not.

 

[bcla]

I tried some bubbly from a vineyard in Pennsylvania. It is Buckingham Valley Vineyards. We got to hear about the whole process. They still do a lot of their sparkling wine the old fashion way on a frames and someone comes and turns them and makes it go form flat to vertical degree by degree but they also bought 2 mechanical processors so they could make more. We got to try their new sparkling pink. They make a few varieties all from their own grapes.

I took a college class on wine. The professor even owned his own winery and offered to give a tour to students on weekends.

He didn't grow grapes, but bought them and processed the grapes at a small warehouse in Marin County. He was strictly old fashioned. It was usually just him and his wife, although sometimes he'd get help from friends in exchange for a case or two. One time we had a substitute prof, and he hinted that perhaps a case was involved in his cooperation.

 

[wilkeliza]

I took a college class on wine. The professor even owned his own winery and offered to give a tour to students on weekends.

He didn't grow grapes, but bought them and processed the grapes at a small warehouse in Marin County. He was strictly old fashioned. It was usually just him and his wife, although sometimes he'd get help from friends in exchange for a case or two. One time we had a substitute prof, and he hinted that perhaps a case was involved in his cooperation.

Nice. I wasn't really a wine drinker until recently. I can't stand dry wine (thus why the brut is still sitting on the counter haha) and you can only drink so much dessert wine but after going on the tasting for work and then finding someone I trust to suggest wines I'm slowly expanding my horizons. Now the 1 thing I know I'll never learn to drink is beer. I've tried many in my short life and have never found a single one I can say I enjoy while drinking.

 

[bcla]

Nice. I wasn't really a wine drinker until recently. I can't stand dry wine (thus why the brut is still sitting on the counter haha) and you can only drink so much dessert wine but after going on the tasting for work and then finding someone I trust to suggest wines I'm slowly expanding my horizons. Now the 1 thing I know I'll never learn to drink is beer. I've tried many in my short life and have never found a single one I can say I enjoy while drinking.

When I said old fashioned, I heard they actually tossed the grapes in a vat and crushed them with their (clean) feet.

As far as beer goes, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties have some great breweries, like Russian River, Lagunitas, and Anderson Valley. One of the toughest beers to find is Russian River's Pliny the Elder.

 

[tvguy]

Depends on the winery. A lot of the big bubbly wineries do have their own grapes, but yeah they need to supplement it with other grapes. I think Roederer Estate only uses its own grape from Mendocino.

My understanding about US law is that up to 25% of the juice in a wine can come from some other place than stated on the label. On top of that, they often have a lot of processing capacity near big winegrowing areas and will bottle win that might have a more generic region or perhaps the grapes from another region. I've been to wineries near Seattle that almost exclusively process grapes from the Columbia River Valley, and are labeled that way.

There was a big brouhaha over the Trader Joe's Charles Shaw house brand made for them by Bronco Wine. They of course bought grapes from the Central Valley, which are cheaper. However, they processed it at a winery in the industrial part of the city of Napa. There was controversy because they put "Napa" on the label, and some buyers though it was from Napa Valley grapes.

Bronco (Charles Shaw) is made in Ceres. If it says Estate on the label, it means over half the grapes came from where the winery is.

 

[bcla]

Bronco (Charles Shaw) is made in Ceres. If it says Estate on the label, it means over half the grapes came from where the winery is.

Most of the stuff is labeled "California", so the source can be anywhere in California. They make it all over. Bronco has wineries in the city of Napa and the city of Sonoma. I've been to both of those cities, and they're hardly the small, idyllic wine county towns like Yountville, St Helena, or Healdsburg. They're basically the bigger cities with a lot of industrial businesses. It's a lot cheaper to set up shop there than an estate winery. They're just taking advantage of the names, which will be confused with Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley.

 

[tvguy]

Google Map 6342 Bystrum Rd, Ceres, CA 95307, HUGE production facility in Ceres.

Most of the stuff is labeled "California", so the source can be anywhere in California. They make it all over. Bronco has wineries in the city of Napa and the city of Sonoma. I've been to both of those cities, and they're hardly the small, idyllic wine county towns like Yountville, St Helena, or Healdsburg. They're basically the bigger cities with a lot of industrial businesses. It's a lot cheaper to set up shop there than an estate winery. They're just taking advantage of the names, which will be confused with Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley.

 

[E&Cmom]

I like Cava usually Codiniu or Frexinet. Being half Spanish , it is a tradition for me. My parents always got these wines for the holidays and I when I get sparkling wine I get them as well.

 

[bcla]

Google Map 6342 Bystrum Rd, Ceres, CA 95307, HUGE production facility in Ceres.

Sure. However, the bottles I've seen clearly say Napa and/or Sonoma. The have a half dozen locations. Sonoma has a cellaring location, but Napa has a winery.

http://broncowinejobs.com/locations/

There have been a lot of accusations that Fred Franzia knows exactly how the label will be misinterpreted.

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=124331&page=1

The label reads "cellared and bottled in Napa" which is true, but Shelton says Franzia doesn't make Two Buck Chuck with Napa-grown grapes, and that's misleading to consumers.​

 

[Pacolovestacos]

Krug is my absolute favorite. But given that it goes for $200+ per bottle, I only drink it when I fly Singapore Airlines First Class.

 

[tvguy]

Funny about the Krug Price. DW and I started getting interested in wine in the early 1980's. First case of champagne we ever bought was Dom Perignon when due to a number of odd circumstances it fell to $33 a bottle by the case. It's about $136 now.