Good News

[ardilla secreta]

A rehash from last year. I am/was a certified sommelier with a degree in the culinary arts, so if you have a question I’m here to help.

How about a few tips on finding good Champagne and sparkling wine.

The popular names in Champagne are referred to as Grande Marque (grand label) and include the likes of Moët, Mumm, Clicquot, Bollinger, Taittinger, Perrier-Jouet, Pol Roger and others. These labels look for a standardized taste through blending. They may grow some of their grapes but most come from contracts with other growers. They are backed by an army of marketing people and their wholesalers. Production is generally in the 500,000 to 1mil case range.

However, the real jewels and excitement is in the grower-producers. These are small farmers growing their own grapes and making their own wines almost always from superior vineyards rated Premier Cru (1er) or the highest Grand Cru. Production is likely to be in the 2,000 to 10,000 case range. These are special and distinctive wines that have a greater expression of the terrior.

Aside from knowing who the producers are, there is a small mark on the front label, RM (Récoltant-Manipulant) designating that it is a grower-producer Champagne. Unlike the big labels, these RM wines will have a disgorgement date. That’s the time when they jettison the spent yeast and refresh it with a wine/sugar solution to produce the bubbles from 2nd fermentation. It’s generally best to have the disgorgement date within two years of consuming. It’s not unheard of for less reputable retailers to have wines well beyond this date, so you need to look. Another hint on finding a sure winner is to look on the back for a RM Champagne imported by Terry Thiese. He was one of the first to import these gems about 22 years ago and has a great portfolio .

Look for names like Aubry, Pierre Peters, A Margaine, Geoffroy, H Billiot, Chartogne-Taillet, Gaston-Chiquet, Vilmart, Larmandier-Bernier, Pierre Gimonnet, etc.

Champagne comes from the Champagne region of France. Anything else is sparkling wine. Champagne is a proprietary blend that can be made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier.

https://7f259aa4-bcaf-4d14-86ff-e213dfb ... index=true

So put the Veuve Clicquot down. It’s vastly overrated and try something good.

Champagne can be pricey and not for everyone. Fortunately there are plenty of good sparkling wines. In France sparklers referred as Cremant are quite good and affordable. Look for Cremant from Loire, Bourgogne, Limoux, Alsace.

Sparkling wine in Spain is called Cava. Generally made in Catalonia from local grapes Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel.lo. Crisp and lively in style.

In Italy Prosecco is the go-to. It’s lower in pressure than others so it’s more elegant in style.

Some of the big Champagne houses have labels in California. They all have a pretty good track record for quality though the prices have gone up on most of these.

One of the best ways to find a winner is to look on the back label for the importer. Names like David Bowler, Doug Polaner and Michael Skurnik, VOS for example are top choices.

What do you mean by "was a certified sommelier" did you lose your sense of smell and taste? I admit i laughed my arse off reading your post and the responses. Is sommelier French for wine snob? I'm no wine snob, thank god and would never listen to advice from any person claiming to be a "sommelier/wine snob. i know when i have spaghetti and meatballs I like a glass of Chianti. My wife likes Chardonnay. Simple advice from a simple guy... if you buy a 10 dollar bottle of wine and you like it, nothing wrong with that. i wonder just for the sake of amusement if my friend Dmac is a weed sommelier? Do you avoid that mexican ditch weed and gravitate towards the Panama Red. I know the Panama Red has a much more fragrant bouquet. You do need to avoid the 2018 vintage as it may have been tinged with pesticides.

Sommelier comes from the old French word saumalier, driver of a pack animal. Or in my case, one that delivers the goods. Sommeliers have to be proficient in wine, spirits, beer and cigars and serve them in a professional manner. A good sommelier offers you choices that fit your tastes and budget, unless otherwise directed.

[ardilla secreta]

A rehash from last year. I am/was a certified sommelier with a degree in the culinary arts, so if you have a question I’m here to help.

1. what's your favorite Bordeaux, and why?

2. what's your favorite style of wine where the yeast drives the bus, instead of the flavor from the grapes themselves?

Thanks!

1) I’ve had the chance to taste tons of all levels of Bordeaux including all the five first growths from Medoc. I wasn’t blown away and only drink them infrequently. In their youth too many were overly tannic and smoky from barrel aging. They do age well if you’re willing to sit on them. I recently had a 1997 Ch Ducru-Beaucaillou 2nd Cru from Mdeoc. The nose was nice but the flavors were a bit faded. Mildly disappointing considering the label.

The 2nd Crus used to be a great value, but they’ve all become pricey now. There’s still some good values in the 5th Cru range and basic Bordeaux AOC level. I can find better choices elsewhere.

2) the increasingly popular natural wines which work with the grapes natural yeast instead of the lab created yeasts are generally my favorite wines. The character of these wines are truly unique. I imagine that these type of wines is what wines used to taste like many years ago. The Loire has always been the epicenter for natural wines. Southern Rhône, Provençe and Languedoc too.

[ardilla secreta]

A rehash from last year. I am/was a certified sommelier with a degree in the culinary arts, so if you have a question I’m here to help.

1. what's your favorite Bordeaux, and why?

2. what's your favorite style of wine where the yeast drives the bus, instead of the flavor from the grapes themselves?

Thanks!

1) I’ve had the chance to taste tons of all levels of Bordeaux including all the five first growths from Medoc. I wasn’t blown away and only drink them infrequently. In their youth too many were overly tannic and smoky from barrel aging. They do age well if you’re willing to sit on them. I recently had a 1997 Ch Ducru-Beaucaillou 2nd Cru from Mdeoc. The nose was nice but the flavors were a bit faded. Mildly disappointing considering the label.

The 2nd Crus used to be a great value, but they’ve all become pricey now. There’s still some good values in the 5th Cru range and basic Bordeaux AOC level. I can find better choices elsewhere.

2) the increasingly popular natural wines which work with the grapes natural yeast instead of the lab created yeasts are generally my favorite wines. The character of these wines are truly unique. I imagine that these type of wines is what wines used to taste like many years ago. The Loire has always been the epicenter for natural wines. Southern Rhône, Provençe and Languedoc too.

[cradleandshoot]

A rehash from last year. I am/was a certified sommelier with a degree in the culinary arts, so if you have a question I’m here to help.

How about a few tips on finding good Champagne and sparkling wine.

The popular names in Champagne are referred to as Grande Marque (grand label) and include the likes of Moët, Mumm, Clicquot, Bollinger, Taittinger, Perrier-Jouet, Pol Roger and others. These labels look for a standardized taste through blending. They may grow some of their grapes but most come from contracts with other growers. They are backed by an army of marketing people and their wholesalers. Production is generally in the 500,000 to 1mil case range.

However, the real jewels and excitement is in the grower-producers. These are small farmers growing their own grapes and making their own wines almost always from superior vineyards rated Premier Cru (1er) or the highest Grand Cru. Production is likely to be in the 2,000 to 10,000 case range. These are special and distinctive wines that have a greater expression of the terrior.

Aside from knowing who the producers are, there is a small mark on the front label, RM (Récoltant-Manipulant) designating that it is a grower-producer Champagne. Unlike the big labels, these RM wines will have a disgorgement date. That’s the time when they jettison the spent yeast and refresh it with a wine/sugar solution to produce the bubbles from 2nd fermentation. It’s generally best to have the disgorgement date within two years of consuming. It’s not unheard of for less reputable retailers to have wines well beyond this date, so you need to look. Another hint on finding a sure winner is to look on the back for a RM Champagne imported by Terry Thiese. He was one of the first to import these gems about 22 years ago and has a great portfolio .

Look for names like Aubry, Pierre Peters, A Margaine, Geoffroy, H Billiot, Chartogne-Taillet, Gaston-Chiquet, Vilmart, Larmandier-Bernier, Pierre Gimonnet, etc.

Champagne comes from the Champagne region of France. Anything else is sparkling wine. Champagne is a proprietary blend that can be made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier.

https://7f259aa4-bcaf-4d14-86ff-e213dfb ... index=true

So put the Veuve Clicquot down. It’s vastly overrated and try something good.

Champagne can be pricey and not for everyone. Fortunately there are plenty of good sparkling wines. In France sparklers referred as Cremant are quite good and affordable. Look for Cremant from Loire, Bourgogne, Limoux, Alsace.

Sparkling wine in Spain is called Cava. Generally made in Catalonia from local grapes Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel.lo. Crisp and lively in style.

In Italy Prosecco is the go-to. It’s lower in pressure than others so it’s more elegant in style.

Some of the big Champagne houses have labels in California. They all have a pretty good track record for quality though the prices have gone up on most of these.

One of the best ways to find a winner is to look on the back label for the importer. Names like David Bowler, Doug Polaner and Michael Skurnik, VOS for example are top choices.

What do you mean by "was a certified sommelier" did you lose your sense of smell and taste? I admit i laughed my arse off reading your post and the responses. Is sommelier French for wine snob? I'm no wine snob, thank god and would never listen to advice from any person claiming to be a "sommelier/wine snob. i know when i have spaghetti and meatballs I like a glass of Chianti. My wife likes Chardonnay. Simple advice from a simple guy... if you buy a 10 dollar bottle of wine and you like it, nothing wrong with that. i wonder just for the sake of amusement if my friend Dmac is a weed sommelier? Do you avoid that mexican ditch weed and gravitate towards the Panama Red. I know the Panama Red has a much more fragrant bouquet. You do need to avoid the 2018 vintage as it may have been tinged with pesticides.

Sommelier comes from the old French word saumalier, driver of a pack animal. Or in my case, one that delivers the goods. Sommeliers have to be proficient in wine, spirits, beer and cigars and serve them in a professional manner. A good sommelier offers you choices that fit your tastes and budget, unless otherwise directed.

Thanks for that background. The guy who owns our local liquor store may not be a sommelier. If I need a good bottle of Chablis for under 10 dollars he can always point me in the right direction. I guess I suffer from the affliction of being a beer guy and not a wine guy.

[Typical Lax Dad]

A rehash from last year. I am/was a certified sommelier with a degree in the culinary arts, so if you have a question I’m here to help.

How about a few tips on finding good Champagne and sparkling wine.

The popular names in Champagne are referred to as Grande Marque (grand label) and include the likes of Moët, Mumm, Clicquot, Bollinger, Taittinger, Perrier-Jouet, Pol Roger and others. These labels look for a standardized taste through blending. They may grow some of their grapes but most come from contracts with other growers. They are backed by an army of marketing people and their wholesalers. Production is generally in the 500,000 to 1mil case range.

However, the real jewels and excitement is in the grower-producers. These are small farmers growing their own grapes and making their own wines almost always from superior vineyards rated Premier Cru (1er) or the highest Grand Cru. Production is likely to be in the 2,000 to 10,000 case range. These are special and distinctive wines that have a greater expression of the terrior.

Aside from knowing who the producers are, there is a small mark on the front label, RM (Récoltant-Manipulant) designating that it is a grower-producer Champagne. Unlike the big labels, these RM wines will have a disgorgement date. That’s the time when they jettison the spent yeast and refresh it with a wine/sugar solution to produce the bubbles from 2nd fermentation. It’s generally best to have the disgorgement date within two years of consuming. It’s not unheard of for less reputable retailers to have wines well beyond this date, so you need to look. Another hint on finding a sure winner is to look on the back for a RM Champagne imported by Terry Thiese. He was one of the first to import these gems about 22 years ago and has a great portfolio .

Look for names like Aubry, Pierre Peters, A Margaine, Geoffroy, H Billiot, Chartogne-Taillet, Gaston-Chiquet, Vilmart, Larmandier-Bernier, Pierre Gimonnet, etc.

Champagne comes from the Champagne region of France. Anything else is sparkling wine. Champagne is a proprietary blend that can be made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier.

https://7f259aa4-bcaf-4d14-86ff-e213dfb ... index=true

So put the Veuve Clicquot down. It’s vastly overrated and try something good.

Champagne can be pricey and not for everyone. Fortunately there are plenty of good sparkling wines. In France sparklers referred as Cremant are quite good and affordable. Look for Cremant from Loire, Bourgogne, Limoux, Alsace.

Sparkling wine in Spain is called Cava. Generally made in Catalonia from local grapes Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel.lo. Crisp and lively in style.

In Italy Prosecco is the go-to. It’s lower in pressure than others so it’s more elegant in style.

Some of the big Champagne houses have labels in California. They all have a pretty good track record for quality though the prices have gone up on most of these.

One of the best ways to find a winner is to look on the back label for the importer. Names like David Bowler, Doug Polaner and Michael Skurnik, VOS for example are top choices.

What do you mean by "was a certified sommelier" did you lose your sense of smell and taste? I admit i laughed my arse off reading your post and the responses. Is sommelier French for wine snob? I'm no wine snob, thank god and would never listen to advice from any person claiming to be a "sommelier/wine snob. i know when i have spaghetti and meatballs I like a glass of Chianti. My wife likes Chardonnay. Simple advice from a simple guy... if you buy a 10 dollar bottle of wine and you like it, nothing wrong with that. i wonder just for the sake of amusement if my friend Dmac is a weed sommelier? Do you avoid that mexican ditch weed and gravitate towards the Panama Red. I know the Panama Red has a much more fragrant bouquet. You do need to avoid the 2018 vintage as it may have been tinged with pesticides.

Sommelier comes from the old French word saumalier, driver of a pack animal. Or in my case, one that delivers the goods. Sommeliers have to be proficient in wine, spirits, beer and cigars and serve them in a professional manner. A good sommelier offers you choices that fit your tastes and budget, unless otherwise directed.

Thanks for that background. The guy who owns our local liquor store may not be a sommelier. If I need a good bottle of Chablis for under 10 dollars he can always point me in the right direction. I guess I suffer from the affliction of being a beer guy and not a wine guy.

[youthathletics]

They should tax him even more. https://www.instagram.com/p/CaA7CO_OEFa ... =copy_link

[NattyBohChamps04]

They should tax him even more. https://www.instagram.com/p/CaA7CO_OEFa ... =copy_link

They should. Relying on the random "generosity" of super rich billionaires for something like making sure everyone has enough to eat is insane.

[Brooklyn]

this might be good news for some:


U.S. Senate approves bill to make daylight saving time permanent


https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-sen ... 022-03-15/



The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent starting in 2023, ending the twice-annual changing of clocks in a move promoted by supporters advocating brighter afternoons and more economic activity.

The Senate approved the measure, called the Sunshine Protection Act, unanimously by voice vote. The House of Representatives, which has held a committee hearing on the matter, must still pass the bill before it can go to President Joe Biden to sign.

The White House has not said whether Biden supports it. A spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declined to say if she supports the measure but said she was reviewing it closely.

Senator Marco Rubio, one of the bill's sponsors, said supporters agreed the change would not take place until November 2023 after input from airlines and broadcasters.

The change would help enable children to play outdoors later and reduce seasonal depression, according to supporters.

"I know this is not the most important issue confronting America, but it's one of those issues where there's a lot of agreement," Rubio said. "If we can get this passed, we don't have to do this stupidity anymore."

"Pardon the pun, but this is an idea whose time has come," he added.

The National Association of Convenience Stores opposes the change, telling Congress this month "we should not have kids going to school in the dark."

On Sunday, most of the United States resumed daylight saving time, moving ahead one hour. The United States will resume standard time in November.

Since 2015, about 30 states have introduced legislation to end the twice-yearly changing of clocks, with some states proposing to do it only if neighboring states do the same.

The House Energy and Commerce committee held a hearing on the issue last week, where Representative Frank Pallone, the committee's chairman, said, "The loss of that one hour of sleep seems to impact us for days afterwards. It also can cause havoc on the sleeping patterns of our kids and our pets."

Pallone backs ending the clock-switching but has not decided whether to support daylight or standard time as the permanent choice.

At the hearing, Beth Malow, director of the Vanderbilt Sleep Division, argued daylight savings time makes it harder to be alert in the morning, saying it "is like living in the wrong time zone for almost eight months out of the year."

Pallone cited a 2019 poll that found 71% of Americans prefer to no longer switch their clocks twice a year.

Supporters say the change could prevent a slight uptick in car crashes that typically occurs around the time changes and point to studies showing a small increase in the rate of heart attacks and strokes soon after the time change. They argue the measure could help businesses such as golf courses that could draw more use with more evening daylight.

"It has real repercussions on our economy and our daily lives," said Senator Ed Markey, another leading sponsor.

Daylight saving time has been in place in nearly all of the United States since the 1960s after being first tried in 1918. Year-round daylight savings time was used during World War Two and adopted again in 1973 in a bid to reduce energy use because of an oil embargo and repealed a year later.

The bill would allow Arizona and Hawaii, which do not observe daylight saving time, to remain on standard time as well as American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.






thoughts?

[MDlaxfan76]

I'm a fan of permanent change.

[youthathletics]

this might be good news for some:
U.S. Senate approves bill to make daylight saving time permanent
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-sen ... 022-03-15/

thoughts?

Love it, absolutely love it.

~ Helps solve seasonal depression
~ more natural Vitamin D
~ promotes a more active lifestyle, outdoors, less sedentary indoors

[JoeMauer89]

this might be good news for some:
U.S. Senate approves bill to make daylight saving time permanent
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-sen ... 022-03-15/

thoughts?

Love it, absolutely love it.

~ Helps solve seasonal depression
~ more natural Vitamin D
~ promotes a more active lifestyle, outdoors, less sedentary indoors

+1

There are SO man natural benefits to this. It's a no-brainer to get passed.

Joe

[a fan]

this might be good news for some:
U.S. Senate approves bill to make daylight saving time permanent
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-sen ... 022-03-15/

thoughts?

Love it, absolutely love it.

~ Helps solve seasonal depression
~ more natural Vitamin D
~ promotes a more active lifestyle, outdoors, less sedentary indoors

+1

There are SO man natural benefits to this. It's a no-brainer to get passed.

Joe

You guys know we tried this in the 70's, right?

[Brooklyn]

You guys know we tried this in the 70's, right?

I do remember that it was stopped after a year supposedly because folks had a hard time dealing with kids going to school in the dark every morning. Turns out that here in Lake Wobegone day time is very short in winter and kids always go to school in the dark. No one ever had a problem with that.

Just imagine what it was like a few decades ago in the days before rural electrification. In truth, some rural areas still have very poor electrification. When there is a heavy snowfall, you often cannot even see the yellow lines which divide the roadways. It is incredibly perilous to drive a school bus on a roadway or highway at that time of year. But somehow they manage to do so every year with only few traffic incidents.

As a retiree, I don't have to get up early in the morning. At times I do come home after 5 especially when returning from a sporting event. The change should help me so I welcome the change.

[youthathletics]

this might be good news for some:
U.S. Senate approves bill to make daylight saving time permanent
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-sen ... 022-03-15/

thoughts?

Love it, absolutely love it.

~ Helps solve seasonal depression
~ more natural Vitamin D
~ promotes a more active lifestyle, outdoors, less sedentary indoors

+1

There are SO man natural benefits to this. It's a no-brainer to get passed.

Joe

You guys know we tried this in the 70's, right?

What's that got to do with price of tea in china?

[a fan]

this might be good news for some:
U.S. Senate approves bill to make daylight saving time permanent
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-sen ... 022-03-15/

thoughts?

Love it, absolutely love it.

~ Helps solve seasonal depression
~ more natural Vitamin D
~ promotes a more active lifestyle, outdoors, less sedentary indoors

+1

There are SO man natural benefits to this. It's a no-brainer to get passed.

Joe

You guys know we tried this in the 70's, right?

What's that got to do with price of tea in china?

Thought the point would be obvious.......why do you think we're back to having daylight savings time?

[youthathletics]

this might be good news for some:
U.S. Senate approves bill to make daylight saving time permanent
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-sen ... 022-03-15/

thoughts?

Love it, absolutely love it.

~ Helps solve seasonal depression
~ more natural Vitamin D
~ promotes a more active lifestyle, outdoors, less sedentary indoors

+1

There are SO man natural benefits to this. It's a no-brainer to get passed.

Joe

You guys know we tried this in the 70's, right?

What's that got to do with price of tea in china?

Thought the point would be obvious.......why do you think we're back to having daylight savings time?

....went right over my head.

[a fan]

this might be good news for some:
U.S. Senate approves bill to make daylight saving time permanent
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-sen ... 022-03-15/

thoughts?

Love it, absolutely love it.

~ Helps solve seasonal depression
~ more natural Vitamin D
~ promotes a more active lifestyle, outdoors, less sedentary indoors

+1

There are SO man natural benefits to this. It's a no-brainer to get passed.

Joe

You guys know we tried this in the 70's, right?

What's that got to do with price of tea in china?

Thought the point would be obvious.......why do you think we're back to having daylight savings time?

....went right over my head.

My man, I can't count the number of times that happens to me per week as I get older......I'm getting slower on the ol' uptake.

FTR, I'm 100% for getting rid of DST....but the fact that we switched back almost immediately does give me pause..... what are we missing? I HATE going to work in the dark, and returning home in the dark.

[CU88]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/andy-roone ... 4mQ2S9PiIg

[youthathletics]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/andy-roone ... 4mQ2S9PiIg

I miss Andy....as much as I hated that damned ticking stopwatch as a kid (meant the weekend was officially over) he seemed to provide a bit of satire/comic relief.

[Kismet]

Just when you thought politicians could agree on something - Tom Cotton (R-AR) threw his staff under the bus claiming they failed to tell him about yesterday's vote. Had he known, he would have deep-sixed it.

Such great leaders we have in this country.

This jerk wants to be President. God help us.