382 Responses

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1. December 25, 2008

   Merry Christmas | Eat It, Atlanta

   [...] I am still learning a lot about wine, and I’m particularly inexperienced with bubbles. So I was quite excited about a Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs (white from whites – 100% chardonnay), and a grower champagne none the less. Grower champagne is champagne where the grape grower also does the vinification, instead of just selling the grapes to a large champagne house for production. If you are interested in reading more about why grower champagne is special, check out this very useful document here. Gary Vaynerchuk did a grower champagne tasting a few hundred episodes ago and discusses some aspects of this topic as well (link here).  [...]

2. June 22, 2008

   carlie

   I just bought a bottle of the H. Billiot this weekend for my husband’s and my first wedding anniversary. I had it for the first time last week on a girl’s night out and oh my goodness, it was yuuuuummmmmy. I’ve done Krug, Cristal, Dom, Veuve, etc., etc. and while a couple of those are of course fun to drink, I really like the intensity of the flavors in the H. Billiot better. It’s definitely much more complicated. Love it.

   Thanks for the other growers recommendations. Can’t wait to try them!

3. March 14, 2008

   Deeve

   OK, how the heck did those bottles move all by themselves?

   When the cursor is right under the M in .com, the bottles move all by themselves!

   Freaky.

4. December 16, 2006

   TheSuperTuscan

   Gary,

   The best grower champagne I have ever had for the money was by a small grower named Franck Pascal. Kermit Lynch is bringing him in along with a number of other great growers. Another great one is Francois Bedel. Both are predominantly Pinot Meunier but distinctive and tremendous values. However, the greatest champagne i have ever tasted was Salon “Le Mesnil” 1995.

5. December 15, 2006

   De Long Wine Moment » Blog Archive » Grower Champagne

   [...] Wine Library’s episode on Grower Champagne. The inimitable Gary Vay-ner-chuk makes a compelling case. [...]

6. October 30, 2006

   TGN Hit the Big Time at The Grape Nuts Blog

   [...] Gary Vaynerchuk mentioned this blog on Episode 114 of Wine Library TV. Gary focused on grower champagnes during this episode including 4 of the wines we will be tasting at our November 4th wine gathering. If you haven’t checked out WLTV, you should give it a try. [...]

7. October 28, 2006

   jason

   My favorite is Egly Ouriet !00% Pinot Meunier

8. October 27, 2006

   Brandon M

   phig…that has got to be the longest post of alltime…nice job

9. October 27, 2006

   phig

   Hey Gary
   one of the very best shows you’ve ever done. All the champagnes you tasted are wines that I like though I think my preference goes to the Peters which is leaner (something I like in bubbles). So I can’t name one producer because champagne is mood wine, something the need for which strikes me at a particular moment. And it is always one flavor profile I want. It is one of the great pleasures of having a cellar–I have at least six producers to choose from at any time. So here goes. My favorite all in all in terms of QPR is Diebolt-Vallois. I also adore Gimonnet’s champagnes. Other than that Gaston Chiquet for a slightly simpler spritz. I used to drink a lot of Jacquesson but I think the quality has dropped somewhat. Drappier certainly is in the mix. It goes on and on. Without thinking about price, Krug hands down.
   Now, as to champagne being the most profound wine, I can’t go there. The history of champagne is that a poor wine growing region with extremely variable weather (it is the northern most Chardonnay growing area in the world if I’m not mistaken) found a way to sell what was often screetchy wine (high acidity low sugar). They would spike it with sugar and add bubbles as well as mixing different vintages together to even out the flaws of any given year. There is a simple test I would conduct to assess the true greatness of any champagne (and I know that Krug passes this). How does your champagne taste once it has gone flat. There are very few that come away tasting all that exciting. Some are decent, most are not. All of the commercial biggies (thanks for calling them what they are, factory wines) taste like nothing at all. If what gives champagne at least half its character is bubbles, then I can’t rate it as great wine. Tough to rate non-vintage wine as such as well. That being said, I drink my fair share of champagne. I absolutely adore the stuff and there is nothing more festive in the world than a mag of something you like. It just screams party and good times. And it is food friendly so if you start with a big bottle, even with four people, you can continue drinking it with you fist course, for example.
   Now, on another issue, the pricing. For the same reasons I described above, champagne is not underpriced but overpriced. There is no other region in the world that produces so much wine in any given year and has the kind of prestige attached to it that champagne does. This is a the product of a long and brilliant marketing strategy. It really isn’t that much different than Beaujolais. There is absolutely no reason that most champagne should not be selling for $8 a bottle. That is exactly what it is worth. The Clicquot’s, Mumms and Taittengers of this world are producing litterally dozens of millions of bottles a year that are made from grapes purchased from all over the (overly) vast appelation of Champagne. The only thing that gives them there price is labeling, marketing, and the demand such a long-term selling scheme has produced.
   Now, back to the bottles shown here. These are all great wines. My tastes tend towards slightly leaner wines than Gary. But the message here, and let me translate for you because Gary is too nice: If you buy factory champagne, YOU ARE AN IDIOT. Before you had an excuse, now you don’t. The wines Gary showed, are worth the price. They may be a little over priced in the absolute (I think it would be appropriate if Veuve were $8 and the little producers were selling at $15-25) but given what you have to pay for the other guys, and the fact that champagne is not a luxury but a necessity (smile), this is what you should be buying. One thing I would hope, and Gary this is something you could look for your stock, is that more of them come in large formats. It ages better, and they are simply more fun. Champagne and Magnum just go together.
   One last thing. Gary, I too started my wine geekdome with Bob Parker as a guide. With the help of a friend whose taste I respect more than anyones, I slowly weened myself from both Bob and from Bordeaux. You remain attached to Bob but your scores, if you were to look back over all your episodes, are now almost always very different from his. So why bother mentioning him rather than say, Tanzer or Meadows? Parker is not god, though he thinks he is–and his scoring has become completely rediculous–particularly with respect to places like Spain. As for the WS, there is virtually not a singly time when you agree with them. Those guys are on crack. I’m sorry. I can never tell what the heck they are tasting. With Parker, at least I know what appeals to him and think I can predict what wines would get a good score from him. With WS it is completely off the wall. I understand why you use them as a benchmark but, I guess what I am saying is, is that I am more intersted in your palate which I think I have a pretty good bead on now. Its not mine, but I greatly enjoy watching it at work and I think I can tell the places where it intersects my own–thus making it possible to decide which wines you taste and like I might get. New world wines aren’t among them.
   Thanks again for a great episode

10. October 26, 2006

    Matthew from Barossa

    Hey GV, You got my vote! QOD: My favourite sparkling is the Langmeil 2005 (just released a week ago) Sparkling Ondenc from the Barossa Valley produced in the Methode Champenoise style and disgorged in Oct 2006. Do you know much about this grape variety? Would love to know more about this variety as I haven’t seen it anywhere else in Australia or on my worldly travels. Though never really looked for it either. Have a chat to Ben H @ Epicurean to see if you can get your hands on some!

    P.S. Went to the 10 Year vertical tasting of the Langmeil Freedom Shiraz on the weekend. What a blast! 1997 vintage through to current barrel samples of the 2005 and 2006…

11. October 26, 2006

    TommyG

    WOW! So many comments…

    QOD answer: Great Western Champagne, from Finger Lakes region New York.

12. October 25, 2006

    SS Chris

    Aussie

    F you

13. October 25, 2006

    Denise

    Gary, I’m so proud of you! WLTV just keeps getting better. Have been away forever…home computer has been down. : ( Lots of catching up to do…

    I’m not at all surprised about your nominations. (I just voted!) I wanted to ask you if we could do a wine and food episode sometime (I’m a chef…and former demo chef) but, man, you’re too close to the big time now! I think I missed the boat!

    Cheers to another great episode!

14. October 25, 2006

    Brandon M

    EVERYONE…I’m moving my stupid little contest into the Forum as this is a better place for it to be…thanks

    B

15. October 25, 2006

    Italian Stallion

    Aussie….when does the Stallion refer to himself in the third person. I don’t know where your getting that from, but the Stallion definetely disagrees.

    Gary your the man

16. October 25, 2006

    Brandon M

    Tim F, I’m not sure…is it the Swallow Sidecar?
    Why would it be that?

    B

17. October 25, 2006

    Rob M.

    GV, were Jonesing here. Give us some love! Bring it on!

18. October 25, 2006

    TampaSteve

    Who here ordered or tried the Di Majo Norante? MAN, you just can’t beat that wine for 7 bones. A VERY serious buy. Can’t wait for my case to get here tomorrow because I just polished off the 4 bottles I had of it in the last week and a half.

19. October 25, 2006

    allyart

    Short-time lurker – you’ve won me over … have you done any episodes on Oregon Pinot Noirs? My boyfriend, Michael (who will still remain a lurker), answers your question about a favorite growers champagne – he picks Gosset Celebris and Duval Leroy (i don’t know if i spelled them correctly) – you have peaked my interest in champagne – Thanks!!!
    P.S. You are going somewhere with this wine-knowledge of yours – straight to the top!!!

20. October 25, 2006

    TimF

    It’s not the Swallow Sidecar -> Jaguar?

21. October 25, 2006

    Miguelo DiMarco

    How about the Rolls Royce that Hitler liked to ride?

22. October 25, 2006

    Brandon M

    Not Volkswagen, but your getting there.

    B

23. October 25, 2006

    K Spengler

    Hey, are we all still posting because # 115 isn’t up yet? How long can I hold up dinner….?
    Well, I do have a Chianti Reserva decanted and waiting so, ok….I’ll be patient.

24. October 25, 2006

    Miguelo DiMarco

    Brandon:

    Your contest has nothing to do with Volkswagen?

25. October 25, 2006

    MarcT

    OK…I give for now…I’m off to the Social Distortion concert!!!!!!!

    Tonight I will be Prison Bound, in, Another State of Mind, meeting, Mommy’s Little Monster…aaahhh…the Story of My Life.

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