Recent Purchases: Vintage Bubbly
November 11, 2011 by Derek Swanson
If the first step towards curing addiction is admitting one has a problem, then maybe I should admit I am hooked on online wine auctions. They are a fantastic opportunity for bargains, especially on bottles that make less frequent appearances on retail shelves. I recently picked up a magnum of vintage Champagne from one [...]
Prepping for Valentine’s Day
February 10, 2011 by Dick Rosano
In case you didn’t notice, Valentine’s Day is around the corner. The little guy has his bow and arrow pointed directly at your reputation: Get something good or you may be looking for a new valentine next year. The countdown has begun and, unless you’re more prepared than the average ‘significant other,’ you’re still wondering [...]
Champagne and Sparkling Wine for the Holidays
December 19, 2010 by Dick Rosano
Very little needs to be said about pairing Champagne – and other non-French sparkling wines – with the holidays. It’s almost as if the menu doesn’t matter; bubbly is its own perfect set up. In the world of wine-food pairing, there are some perfect matches: Sauternes and foie gras, Champagne and caviar, Pinot Noir and [...]
Delamotte and Salon Champagne
November 3, 2010 by Dick Rosano
“You can have too much champagne to drink, but you can never have enough.” American playwright Elmer Rice was certainly on to something. Any decent sparkling wine can convey pleasure and elegance, but Champagne will always be a breed apart. And one of the best things about this very special pleasure is that it goes [...]
Bubbly Around the World
May 27, 2010 by Derek Swanson
Claude Thibaut is known as a Champagne Master, or more precisely, a master of the Methode Champenoise. He has made sparking wine on three continents and is currently producing a beautiful bubbly in Virginia from Chardonnay grapes. Recently, Claude collaborated with Zola Chef Bryan Moscatello to design a 6-course menu which highlighted all of the wines [...]
