By Joseph Temple

It’s no secret that the French view their wine as sacrosanct. From Bordeaux and Burgundy to Champagne and Côtes du Rhone, the soil that has given us some of the finest vintages is deeply embedded in the culture of every citizen across the Fifth Republic. And when it comes to bubbly, the vineyards of Champagne are held in the highest regards, having survived numerous invasions and wars over the past two millennia.

So when someone erroneously asks for or praises a glass of “American Champagne” or “Italian Champagne,” you can see why both French winemakers and citizens would get upset. Fighting back against this mislabeling, the government of France has applied diplomatic pressure for centuries to stop the use of this word unless the sparkling wine is specifically made in the region of Champagne. As one famous example illustrates, the French delegation led by Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau successfully protected the Champenois during the 1919 Paris Peace Conference with Article 275, which stated that “the importation, exportation, manufacture, distribution, sale or offering for sale of products or articles bearing regional appellations inconsistent with such law or order shall be prohibited.”

But nearly a century later, the Champagne label is still being misused and abused. To understand the loopholes and clever tricks that have been employed for hundreds of years, have a look below to see how you can say “Champagne” without saying Champagne.

Although the United States signed the Treaty of Versailles, the Senate never ratified it, making America null and void from Article 275, which has led to many “American Champagnes” over the years. However, in 2005 the U.S. And European Union finally agreed that labels like this one would no longer be tolerated—with an important catch. If any winemaker used this term before March 10th, 2006, they would be grandfathered in, a decision that caused Korbel Natural Special Inaugural Cuvée California Champagne to be served at Barack Obama’s second inauguration in 2013.
blank

In addition to false labelling, the Pleasant Valley Wine Company took it one step further in the nineteenth century when they lobbied the federal government to change the name of their hamlet. So when people saw Great Western Champagne as being from Rheims, it’s because the wine was actually made in Rheims—New York!
blank

3. Deny its Champagne … over and over again.

If you’re a WWII veteran who fought during the Italian campaign, then you probably developed a taste for a sweet sparkling wine known as Asti Spumante. Unfortunately, its reputation has taken a nosedive in the years following the Second World War, with many producers dropping the name Spumante due to its negative perception for being a cheap wine. But here’s a great way to piggyback off of Champagne using a rhetorical device: a 1977 commercial where the viewer is told that it’s not Champagne—it’s Asti Spumante. Rinse and repeat.

HONORABLE MENTION: Champagne, Champale. Hey, they both rhyme.

You might also like:

Question: I see so many wines using a screw cap closure these days but was wondering if you could advise me who started this all off.

Answer: Well there have been experiments with various closure alternatives for bottles for a while but screw caps for wine were investigated further in the sixties and patented in the seventies as “Stelvin”. Yalumba together with other Australian wineries should get the credit for first commercial use but the idea really caught on and blossomed after the wide acceptance of same in New Zealand so they deserve some recognition too. More recently the issues arising from corked wines showing TCA have spurred more wineries to adopt this screw cap alternative.

You might also like:

 Loading ...

Just concluded participating in Burgundy week celebrations here in London with a tremendous weekend Paulee at Cabotte a wonderful French restaurant 48 Gresham Street on the east side near Bank. Some special bottles brought with notes made by your scribe on over 30 of them including outstanding Coche Dury whites and DRC reds among so many treasures. A later blog perhaps.

We are passionate followers of the recipe writer Israeli-British Chef Yotam Ottolenghi. Really enjoy so much making the dishes from his excellent 5 cookbooks including The Cookbook, Plenty, Jerusalem, Plenty More and Nopi. He is co-owner of several successful delis in London and one sit down restaurant Nopi (www.nopi-restaurant.com) at 21 Warwick just off Regent Street at Beak. Therefore privileged and delighted to have a delicious lunch today at Nopi. Tried several dishes and rated everything tasted very highly indeed! Their mixed seed lavosh with burnt Spring onion dip is an unreal nibbles starter. We loved the char roasted eggplant with tamarind yogurt, pistachio topped by pickled lemon to die for! Even their crispy potato chips and coconut salad mackerel dishes sing clearly. A big surprise highlight was the fresh whole lemon sole on the bone with burnt butter, nori & ginger. Wow what a winner! Another smart move by Nopi is their reasonable winelist together with a just released Summer “bright” choices list by the glass that includes sparkling, appropriate roses, and chilled reds. If you are visiting London this year I highly recommend you check this place out. Also their cookbooks.

Click to enlarge

You might also like:

 Loading ...

By Joseph Temple

With the official start of summer, so begins the BBQ season.  Whether you prefer gas or charcoal, here are some yummy dishes to keep your guests coming back for more!  Let’s get your grill on!

1. Potato Salad

2. Pasta Salad

3. Ribs

4. Steak

5. Hamburgers

6. Ice Cream

7. Grilled Veggies

8. BBQ Pizza

9. Refreshing Drinks

10. Corn on the Cob

11. Fish

12. Chicken

13. Sausages & Hot Dogs

14. Tomato Skewers

You might also like:

 Loading ...

By BillBl [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Question: What is it (the difference) that allows Château Latour when kept under ideal cellar conditions to age longer and better than most other classified Bordeaux wines? I recently shared an 82 Latour that had been bought on futures and kept in a cold cellar until opened in March 2017–35 years old and in still perfect color, bouquet, and taste conditions.

Answer: Excellent observation. IMHO it has to be the specific terroir of Château Latour in Pauillac giving their wines that inherent plummy fruit with balance in almost all vintages. The unique vineyard used for their Grand Vin has remained unchanged for over 300 years and has an amazing diversity of soils on slopes that are so close to the Gironde. I have been fortunate to try several extensive verticals of Château Latour and am always amazed at how long aging it is and how consistent often even in so called off vintages. Tried in 1977 in London at 3 events over 3 weeks some 36 different vintages tasting 12/week and not a disappointing bottle among them. That experience converted me ever since into becoming a very fond supporter of this property. Also impressed that same year at the IWFS Festival in London assisting John Avery and his sommelier crew in opening several cases of the profound 1945 put away by founder Andre Simon for the special occasion. Big fan of your delicious perfect 1982 but also the legendary 1961 and the underrated 1970 among many others. Château Latour seldom disappoints. Since the mid-1990s under the capable management of Frederic Engerer the wines continue to be outstanding reaching possible new heights. Château Latour certainly deserves the high reputation it enjoys for quality and the ability to age as long as or longer than most classified Bordeaux wines. It is indeed a unique terroir!

You might also like:

 Loading ...