champagne

As the holiday season draws nearer, we find ourselves meeting friends and family to drink, be merry, and forget how much money we're spending on Christmas presents.  Whether you're hosting a party or attending one, it's a good bet that sometime this month you'll be faced with that eternal challenge: the wine and cheese pairing.   A wine and cheese...

To all you boyfriends and husbands out there: it's that time of year again.  Valentine's Day is fast approaching, which means that you'd better get thinking about what you're going to give the lovely woman in your life.  Sure, there are the old standbys like a dozen roses or a nice dinner out, but the gift that will truly wow...

So you're on your way to a dinner party.  You stop at a wine shop to pick up a bottle.  But then you stand there, bewildered.  Red or white?  How expensive?  What do your hosts like?  What will go with their dinner? Let us simplify matters for you: First of all, you should not expect that your hosts will serve...

I love to drink champagne.  It doesn't have to be a special occasion, in fact, sometimes I'll make one up just to have an excuse to celebrate with the bubbly stuff.  Whether I'm toasting to a job well done or a job I didn't quite get done, champagne always puts a smile on my face.  But what doesn't make me...

If you find yourself craving something sweet and fruity during these hot summer days, we've got the perfect suggestion for you: the Bellini.  The Bellini originated in Venice, Italy at Harry's Bar (which is still going strong and serving great Bellinis!).  The Bellini is a very simple cocktail that uses only two ingredients--sparkling wine and peach puree (making this the...

Ok, ok, there are many reasons that you should never try to "saber" (as it's called) a champagne bottle.  Just off the top of my head: it's dangerous, it's sort of silly, and since it isn't easy, you'll most likely to get a carpetful of glass shards and spilled bubbly.  Yes, logic would dictate that we always use the tentative...

Some VERY old bottles. Let's hope they have what it takes to open up well! Aging a bottle of wine has a very distinct, qualitative effect on the contents. But it's a very unpredictable effect. This leaves wine aficionados in a rough place--you don't want to spend the time and the money aging a nice bottle of wine, only to open...

The First Thanksgiving by Jean Louise Gerome With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, there's no time like the present to start planning your dinner menu--and the wines that will go with it.  Choosing wines for Thanksgiving can be a challenge, because you have to please a variety of palates and complement a variety of dishes.  But have no fear!  Our suggestions will...

There's nothing wrong with picking a wine or two that will please all your guests and complement your full buffet of Thanksgiving dishes.  In fact, if that's your style, we have two posts for you: one on great Thanksgiving wines, and one on Beaujolais Nouveau. But if you're more of the adventurous type when it comes to wine, you might...

You may be too old for Santa Claus, but Christmas has a hidden benefit for adults: it provides the perfect excuse to drink in the morning!  This Christmas morning champagne cocktail is perfect for enjoying with a leisurely brunch...preferably while still in your PJs. As with all cocktails made with champagne, quality doesn't matter all that much (but go...

Eurocave Elite Though you may have a “good” bottle of wine on your hands, serving it at an inappropriate temperature can completely ruin it.  As a rule, a wine should be served at a temperature where its flavors and aromas are most exposed.  This “ideal” temperature, of course, varies based on the wine.  Here are a few ballpark numbers: Warm...

Champagne is a summertime wedding necessity, or rather a necessity at any wedding!  But, is your toast made with the “real” deal, or with a different wine called by the same name? In the U. S., the label “Champagne” is used generically to denote almost any sparkling wine (some good, some bad), but in almost all other countries it is...

Shopping for gifts at the last minute, again?  Does what to get for a certain loved one have you stumped?  If you continue to suffer from the daunting task of gift selection, here’s a gift that is always appreciated: wine!  What is more, shopping for wine is much easier than sifting through racks of ties, perusing packages of festive...

Named after the Champagne region of France, Champagne was first bottled by French monks.  But where do the bubbles come from?  The process of making the bubbles needed for this sparkling wine was invented by two Benedictine monks and cellarmasters: Frère Jean Oudart (1654–1742) from the abbey of Saint-Pierre aux Monts de Châlons, and Dom Pierre Pérignon (1639–1715) from...

Sung to celebrate the stroke of midnight which begins each New Year, Robert Burns’ poem is a New Year’s staple, and so is the tradition of toasting to the hour with Champagne, or other sparkling wines.  Are you hosting a New Year’s Eve party?  If so, what do you plan to toast with?  Here’s some basic info to help...

Did you ring in the New Year with a flute of Champagne? Honestly, we wouldn't blame you for hiding your nice flutes from rowdy NYE party-goers, but for quieter occasions there's no substitute for a lovely flute. Aside from simply looking elegant, drinking from the right glass enhances your experience of the wine.  Because Champagne and sparkling wines are served...

Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine that is often made Dry or Extra Dry.  Unlike sweeter sparkling wines, today's Prosecco is intended to be on the drier side.  Though Prosecco is often used as a Champagne (or other sparkling wine) substitute, it has its own distinctive taste.  While Champagne and other sparklers are sought after for their complexity, Prosecco is...

This week, we're prepping you for a wine lover's Valentine's Day with some yummy ideas you can share with your sweetie! So, your Sweetie Pie wants some ice cream to accompany a romantic bottle of wine during an intimate evening in?  Unheard of?  Think again!  There are, in fact, some decent wine and ice cream pairings you can try! Is...

Frederick the Great, who brewed his coffee with Champagne instead of water Here are four interesting people who really enjoyed their wine!  (Whoever said history had to be dry?) Frederick the Great (1712-1786), King of Prussia, brewed his own coffee with Champagne instead of water, adding a little bit of powdered mustard to make the flavor stronger.  (Note: for...