Tuesday Tasting: Champagne Lanson Brut Rose

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we sample a sparkling rose from the Champagne region.

Champagne Lanson is a 252-year-old house that is relatively unknown in U.S. markets. Based in Reims, the brand has long been one of the top sellers in the United Kingdom. In addition to the Rose, Lanson Black Label Brut, Ivory Label Demi Sec and Gold Label Brut 2002 are being imported in the U.S.

Lanson Brut Rose is a pale pink color that has a flowery aroma. The flavor of this non-vintage Champagne has a fresh berry edge with an attractive level of acidity. Lanson uses 32 percent Chardonnay, 53 percent Pinot Noir and 15 percent Pinot Meunier. It is aged for three years. The makers credit non-malolactic fermentation with producing a fruit driven sparkling wine. This wine retails for $60 a bottle.

Champagne: The Science Behind the Bubbles

More sparkling wine is purchased during this time of year than any other. Popping the cork on New Year's Eve is a well established tradition.

Thanks to the American Chemical Society's Bytesize Science video series we now know the bubbles that give Champagne its pop are just following Henry's Law. The video notes that more than 600 different chemical compounds join carbon dioxide in sparkling wine, helping to create the aroma and flavor.

Quoting a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the video also suggests the best way to pour a glass of Champagne to maximize the sensory experience is at an angle to retain up to twice as much carbon dioxide in the wine when compared to pouring down the middle of the glass.

Day 365 Drink: Schloss Biebrich Sekt

Schloss Biebrich Sekt is a non-vintage sparkling wine that is one of those Trader Joe's exclusives that comes with the promise of a low price and good quality. At around $5 a bottle, it has to be one of the best values in a sparkling wine for toasting the New Year.

Schloss Biebrich Sekt pours with a flurry of bubbles. The wine is a light straw color and green apple nose. The wine has a good base acidity, which balances out the basic semi-sweet nature of the grape. There are hints of pear and melon. A nice sparkling wine.

Day 298 Drink: Saint Germain Brut Blanc de Blancs

Chateau Saint Germain is not in the Champagne region, so the sparkling wine it makes in Saint-Emilion in Bordeaux cannot be called a "Champagne." But the wine is made using traditional methods and it represents a great value.

Saint Germain Brut Blanc de Blancs is a non-vintage sparkling wine. It is a fairly straight forward wine, with a dry character, hints of apple and a crisp finish.

Day 247 Drink: Whitehall Lane 2006 Belmuscato

Whitehall Lane Winery & Vineyards is located in St. Helena in the heart of Napa Valley. Whitehall Lane was founded in 1979 and in 1993 the Leonardini Family of San Francisco took control of the estate.

Whitehall Lane 2006 Belmuscato is a dessert wine with a lovely citrus and peach aroma. The flavor is light and sweet. Orange zest, melon and fresh grape roll across your tongue. An affordable luxury.

Day 225 Drink: Kathryn Hall 2005 Sacrashe Cabernet Sauvignon

The Kathryn Hall Winery has been a big favorite of mine since Sandy and I were lucky enough to make a visit back in 2007. The wines are a great value, priced above basic bottles, but well below cultish labels. I've never been disappointed by a bottle from this Napa Valley vineyard.

Kathryn Hall 2005 Sacrashe Cabernet Sauvignon is a big inky red purple pour that has a dense fruit and slight cedar nose. The flavor of this wine is mellow, but ample to match with most dishes. Dark fruits, some background figs and tannins roll across your tongue. A great food wine.

Day 201 Drink: Chateau Barreyre 2006 Bordeaux Superieur

Bordeaux is my favorite French wine region for reds. The wines offer big palate filling flavors that have demanded huge prices over the years. Much of this image is created by the Grand Cru wines and classified growths that create an entitlement image around some wines. These are wines that have built up a reputation over decades. Most of this image has been earned, but it does not mean that other wines produced in the next village or on the other side of the hill are not worthy of attention.

A push is being put on to promote Bordeaux Superieur wines in the U.S. by growers in the region to generate trial for these more affordable labels.

Chateau Barreyre 2006 Bordeaux Superieur is a $14 wine that drinks like a $40 bottle. Purple inky pour with an aroma of great dark berries. Plenty of body to this wine. Match it with big meals, it will be up to most game, sauces and spices. The flavor has a good base level of tannins, firm fruit and some well rounded oak. It is ready to drink now, but could certainly age for 3-5 years without a problem.

Day 192 Drink: Raffaldini La Dolce Vita

After exiting Route 421 about 15 miles east of Wilkesboro, and taking several turns passing through rolling farmland with happy cattle, heading to Raffaldini Vineyards, you come face to face with what some would say is the past and future on agriculture in North Carolina.

At the bottom of the slope are several fields of tobacco. A turn through a huge gate and you encounter sprawling vineyards with a European-style villa at the peak.

Raffaldini Vineyards is working to carve out a niche for itself as “Chianti in the Carolinas.” Raffaldini produces both varietal wines and blends use a range of grapes, including Vermentino, Pinot Grigio and Sangiovese.

Raffaldini La Dolce Vita is not the most serious wine the vineyard produces, but it is a perfect wine for a 95 degree day in the Yadkin Valley. The wine is a blend of Traminette, Viognier and Petit Manseng and is lightly carbonated. The wine opens with a nice citrus aroma and the palate has plenty of fruit and a lively sweetness. The wine is easy drinking and perfect as an aperitif.

Day 182 Drink: Riondo Prosecco Spago Nero

The Veneto region of Italy is ground zero for prosecco. These wines are typically not expensive and they are not complicated. Perfect for a light summer dinner or as a cocktail pour, prosecco is not demanding on your palate.

Riondo Prosecco Spago Nero is a non-vintage sparkling wine that has a light floral nose and is fairly lightly carbonated. The 10.5 percent alcohol by volume wine has hints of citrus and pears. The wine is smooth and has a decent level of acidity.

Day 129 Drink: La Serra 2009 Moscato d'Asti DOCG

Moscato d'Asti can be no more than 5.5 percent alcohol by volume by law. This leaves ample sugar behind that gives the slightly sparkling wines their signature sweetness.

La Serra 2009 Moscato d'Asti DOCG is from Cassine in Alessandria province. The wine has a crispness with hints of pear, peaches and pineapple. Lovely wine for after a great meal.

Day 125 Drink: Garbel Prosecco 13

Dalla Terra Winery Direct made a stop in Charlotte today as part of a seven city tour for the trade showing off wines from 19 Italian wineries in its portfolio. There were a number of great wines to be tasted and we will profile a few of our facvorites in the coming days.

Adriano Adami from the Veneto region was pouring three proseccos at the event. All of them were solid choices. Adami's vineyard has been in the family since 1920 and the vineyards were recognized as the first prosecco "cru" in 1933.

Garbel Prosecco 13 is a bright, dry and crisp sparkling wine. The wine is made with 93 percent glera and 7 percent chardonnay grapes. This prosecco has a lingering pear note in the finish. A nice aperitif.

Paris Hilton Nude Prosecco Ad Draws Ire of Winemaker

At 26 years old Paris Hilton has managed to make millions from endorsements, star in a cult television show, have four women's fragrances named after her, write two books about her life and release a record album that made it all the way to number six on the Billboard charts. People willingly pay her well into the six figures just for her to appear at parties. She has also managed to star in a sex tape released by an angry ex-boyfriend, spend a few weeks in the Los Angeles County Jail for various driving violations, including a DUI, and earn the title as the World's Most Overrated Celebrity in the 2007 edition of Guinness World Records.

Now Hilton is taking heat from Italian winemakers who don't think she is a worthy endorser of prosecco, the white sparkling wine made in the northern part of the country.

You may recall that Hilton appeared at the 2006 Oktoberfest in Munich to hawk Rich Prosecco. This violated the rules of the festival, which promptly banned Hilton from the event in the future. Now Hilton appears nude dipped in gold in an ad campaign Rich, which is drawing complaints from traditionalists in the vineyards.

It does not help that Rich is sold in cans and comes in original, passion fruit and strawberry flavors. The idea of an American hotel heiress pushing a canned prosecco is a little too much for some, especially winemakers who would rather have an image closer to Champagne.

Reuters quoted Fulvio Brunetta, president of the wine growers association of Treviso, as saying, "Hilton hotels are a sign of quality; Paris Hilton is not."

Mumm Napa Sparkles

Mumm Napa is located on the Silverado Trail to the east of the hustle and bustle of Route 29. It was the perfect stop during our recent California trip to mark my 47th birthday.

We went on a group tour of the facility, which was interesting and showed the sheer size of Mumm's operations in California. Built in 1986, it was one of the more modern wineries we visited and it also had a variety of features that make a stop a must when you are in wine country. The tour area gives you a birds eye view of the production floor, including the 65,000 gallon blending tank. The tour ends in a gallery showcasing some stunning photography, including works by Ansel Adams.

The tasting room has one of the best views of any winery. Glass doors open to the vineyards and you can look across the valley while enjoying sparkling wine.

We were hosted for our tasting by Hank Beech, who was both charming and informative about the wine. Glasses filled our table as we got an appreciation for the range of sparkling wines Mumm is turning out in Napa.

Too many people treat sparkling wine like pilsner beer, looking at it as fairly one dimensional. They may favor one producer over another, but they don't recognize why. Part of the problem is that they enjoy sparkling wine in a limited way, often just for special occasions. Part of it is that sparkling wine makers, especially Champagne makers, tend to use terms on bottles that are not easy to figure out: Brut, Demi Sec, blanc de blanc, blanc de noirs, etc. It is acceptable to ask for a glass of Champagne (even if what you are drinking is cava or prosecco), but no one would just ask a wait person for a glass of wine without at least specifying white or red.

We enjoyed several of the sparkling wines poured for us at Mumm. Among our favorites were:

Mumm Napa Blanc de Noirs: This non-vintage sparkler is a light pink salmon color and has a good balance between the berry hints of the fruit and the acidity.

Mumm Cuvee M Red: This sparkling wine is 97 percent pinot noir and 3 percent syrah and sold only at the winery or through the Mumm website. It’s bright red color is a perfect change of pace. Just a slight touch of sweetness with a cherry note. We brought back three bottles of this wine for Thanksgiving at our Daughter and Son-in-Law's home.

2000 DVX: This sparkler honors Guy Devaux, the late winemaker who spearheaded Mumm's development in California. This is a golden straw color, with hints of apple, apricot and strawberry. A great wine to start or finish an evening.

Tuesday Tasting: Mumm Napa Sparkling Wines

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we head to California for some sparkling wine.

It has been 20 years since Mumm Napa was established. Anyone interested in good quality sparkling wine at a reasonable price can toast this milestone. Mumm Napa produces a very nice range of sparkling wines that are drinkable and offer individual flavor ranges that hit a variety of delicious notes. I recently had the chance to sample a few different styles.

Mumm Napa Blanc de Noirs ($20): Nice salmon pink color and plenty of ripe fruit. There is a lacing of raspberry in this sparkler that makes it quite interesting. A great value in a California sparkler.

Mumm Napa Cuvee M ($20): Gold with hints of peach and apricot in a relaxed flavor profile. The slightly sweet edge to this wine offers a faint hint of honey.

Mumm Napa Brut Prestige ($20): Golden color, crisp peach and floral notes. Finishes with a whisp of citrus.

Mumm 2000 DMX ($50): Golden with a hint of pink around the edge, this California wine is dry with notes of firm berries and apples.

A London Size Hangover After $216,632.43 Bar Tab

London is one of the world's most expensive cities and Crystal is one of the most expensive nightclubs in London. A businessman said to be from Dubai can attest to this after running up a $216,632.43 bar bill at the club this past Saturday.

Crystal, which is famous for celebrity and royal sightings, has seen its share of big bar tabs. Nothing comes close to the giant cost of the party the Middle Eastern businessman and 15 of his friends rolled up.

The amount consumed is almost as astonishing as the cost. Before the night was over, the group and a crowd that joined in the fun in the V.I.P. area had ordered the equivalent of 102 bottles of champagne and other assorted drinks. By the end of the drinking marathon the bill included:

- One Methuselah (equals 8 normal bottles) of Cristal Champagne

- 28 bottles of Dom Perignon Champagne

- 40 bottles of Cristal Champagne

- Two Jeroboams (equals six bottles) of Cristal Champagne

- Nine Magnums (equals two bottles) of Dom Perignon Champagne

- A Methuselah of Belvedere vodka

- A Magnum of Grey Goose vodka

- A bottle of Absolut vodka

- Six cans of Coke

- 17 Red Bulls

- Eight bottles of still water

- A bottle of Pinot Grigio