Bubbles in the Snow – Episode #598

December 19, 2008

Gary Vaynerchuk jumps into a snowstorm and tastes 4 Champagnes in time to give you a feel for New Years!

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Comments on this episode(240) Leave a comment ›

“I Like the Nicolas Feuillatte Champaign!…” by Spiritman
“Nice wristband toss at the end. Too bad Farve couldnt do that up in S…” by Dessert Wine Nerd
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Wines tasted in this episode:

Nicolas Feuillatte BrutFrench Brut Nonvintage
Mumm Cordon Rouge Brut NvFrench Brut Nonvintage
Varnier-fanniere Champagne Brut ‘grand Cru’French Brut Nonvintage
Legras Brut Champagne Blanc De BlancsFrench Brut Nonvintage

Links mentioned in today’s episode.

240 Responses

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May 28, 2009

Spiritman
I Like the Nicolas Feuillatte Champaign!
January 30, 2009

Dessert Wine Nerd
Nice wristband toss at the end. Too bad Farve couldnt do that up in Seattle!!!! Oh no he didnt!!!! Anyway, thanks for braving the snow to bring another fun episode for us. Im trying to buy a champange or two thats not along the big name brands. Hopefully I can grab some that will rock for a nice price. QOTD: Im still big on my Henry Weinhards root beer. Damn fine brew.
January 25, 2009

lawschooldrunk
Love the energy, Gary! I also like watching the traffic and the snow plow behind you
January 15, 2009

yowens
Great energy GV! I need to drink more sparkling. QOTD: I’ve had some Schramsberg sparkling wines that were pretty good.
January 10, 2009

Ian
QOTD:
Best Bubbles i have ever put in my mouth..Krug Vintage 95….But that my be passed up by the 1990 in my cellar we shal see… Close second would be a 1978 Dom P beautiful Biscutiy notes and complexity in the finish…acid was still surprisingly present but showing signs of age. Baked apple pie as well in the initial palate and quite weighty through the mid-palate.
January 7, 2009

CBone
I don’t remember if I left a comment the first time I watched this one, so here goes.

QOTD: There is a restaurant in DC called Palena (which is wonderful) and they have a champagne they sell by the glass that is…spectacular. I know it when I see it on the menu, but I can’t remember what it is. It ain’t cheap, but it is worth it. I also like Domaine St Pierre Brut NV. It is from New Mexico! I think that is great. Plus it is extremely affordable ($13 in DC, $9 in Buffalo, where I bought a bunch, while visiting my folks over Christmas, for my wedding.)
January 5, 2009

MattUD
Hey Gary, great show, loved it in the snow. A great show to start the new year..even though it was posted a few weeks ago.

QOTD: Whatever champagne I had on New years this year, but don’t know what it was since I did not pour it.
January 5, 2009

Nik
Great show – definitely love to see a show with more ‘grower’ champagnes!
January 5, 2009

Shane B.
Excellent stuff, as usual. It’s also good to see why I don’t move to Jersey, all that snow-ploughing in the background looked nasty.

Q.O.T.D. Still waiting, but did buy an excellent bottle of “real” champagne at the Dubai duty free a few years ago for a friend’s birthday (NOT Dom. P), and she nearly cried when I broke it out being so happy to drink some decent bubbly. Woefully I’ve forgotten what it was, but it was more the thought than the actual liquid I guess.
January 4, 2009

Brian
Good show, loving the style!

I am geting down with the English sparkling wines from South Ridge in Sussex, they are cool.
January 3, 2009

Metal Dave
QOTD: 2000 Guy Charlemagne “Mesnillesime” Grand Cru
January 3, 2009

joel kriske
the swiegeti (sp?) gruner sparkling makes me cry for an oyster… Talk about acidity. It’s a sparkler that NEEDS FOOD! Somehow that makes me happy. Once again, thanks for keeping it honest.
January 1, 2009

Russ J
Happy New Year, GV!

QOTD: Bollinger Grand Anee 1995 purchased at the WL!
December 30, 2008

rgriffin64
I’m convinced that if MLBnetwork is to survive they need to sign Gary!!!
December 30, 2008

Kristen
Sorry I’ve been behind in watching the shows…but this one was amazing! What love for the Vayniacs to take the Thunder Show outside in the lovely winter weather we had! Those last 2 champagnes sound amazing. Perhaps I can get them for my celebration after my thesis defense…now that would be a good party!

QOTD: Haven’t gotten into bubbles as much as I’d like, but I did enjoy the Alma Negra Sparkling Malbec rosé. That was yum in a bottle. I also liked Perrier framboise that they had in France a few years ago.
December 29, 2008

stevo
Best bubbles I’ve ever had hand’s down was the 1999 Pierre Morlet Millesime. I ordered it after you rated it 96 points and saved it for the night I finished my last law school exam. My wife and I drank it on the roof of our DC apartment at the time and absolutely loved it. Thanks!!
December 29, 2008

Chrisfs
Dude, it’s snowing out there. You need to get some gloves the next time you do that. I’m probably not drinking on New Year’s, but if I am, I’ll try to have something different.
December 28, 2008

JudeMurphy
I very rarely drink sparkling wine… my favorite bubbles is 7up!
December 26, 2008

Eric Gardner
This is my second post on this subject. My reason for an extra post is to make a case for Champagne. Champagne is a very complicated subject. Because of its position in popular culture (i.e. one hasn’t “made it” unless one can overspends on mainstream brands in public), Champagne is often overlooked by serious wine lovers. It is thought to be the beverage favored by rich people trying to show off.

What most people don’t understand is that because rich drunks are willing to pay way too much on specific brands of Champagne (Dom P, Veuve NV, Cristal), most of the wine makers in champagne can make really great wine on a small scale. The reputation of champagne allows all the houses to experiment and innovate. Champagne makers have very strict requirements that they have to adhere to, but within those requirements, they make astronomical wine. You can buy at bottle of Pol Roger NV for $28 that is as well crafted as any white wine in the world, at any price.

Gary says that he loves champagne, but he sells himself short by not elaborating on the subject. Wine Library has the best selection of grower champagne in the country. I’m drinking a NV Pierre Morlet right now that is cheaper and tastes better than NV Veuve. Don’t get me wrong, I love NV Veuve and Dom P and Cristal, but there is so much more to champagne than those brands.

Champagne has such strict standards, that it is hard to find anything that tastes bad, but anyone who is interested in wine, is short-changing themselves by not exploring the less-famous houses of champagne (which are called “grower champagnes” and are unusually cheap and easily available at better wine stores).

Some of these houses… like Pierre Peters, Vilmart, Gimmonet are hard to find in Europe, but under $40 and available in the US.

I’m telling you, if you like wine, nothing will make you happier than popping open a bottle of Pierre Peters and eating it with linguine and clams or el pollo loco.
December 26, 2008

Rich & Julie
Hey Gary, Love the bubbles too! Enjoy the show thoughout the year. Friday Night Wine Night with the Hubby along with Gary. Happy Holidays to all!
December 26, 2008

Thomas
QOTD A fresh young Hefeweizen, great bubbles and clove-banana character
December 25, 2008

Brian Barrick
Gary, you really went above and beyond with this episode. It looked like you were freezing your fingers off, but you pulled out all the stops and delivered an awesome show. Thanks for bringing so much passion and dedication.

QOTD: My all-time favorite was the 1985 Salon, which I bought for $110 back before the prices exploded. Best Champagne I’ve tried recently was the Franck Bonville Cuvee Les Belles Voyes. I am also partial to the Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve, which has very complex fruit and nut flavors and aromas, and can still be had for a very reasonable price.
December 25, 2008

Dan-o
Cool show – thought the Champagne glass may slide off the table on the ice.

QOTD – probably the mid 80s Dom P that I had on my honeymoon with my wife.
December 25, 2008

Dr. Mike
QOTD: 1990 Sir Winston Churchill, PR
December 24, 2008

Murso
What flies under the radar, and is seldom noticed, even if by Grand Marques (the 18 major Houses) standards, are their various Grand Cru Vineyard selections/cuvees. I’ve had several from Pommery, Taittinger, among others, and they ALWAYS give you a smashing bang for the buck – ofter at 1/2 to even 1/3 the price of the top Prestige cuvee.

Terry Thiesse, as you note (PEOPLE, TAKE NOTE!!), always delivers top quality, and I’ve told people for years, that his very name on the back of a bottle is assurance enough for me.

Often, one may discover top/prestige name quality in the most unlikely of places. The first Marilyn Cuvee, 1990 Carneros, was pretty mind blowing, and at $30, I bought,( not at my own employer) and soon drank every last one of them to spite all the people who wanted me to get it for them, so they could make money off of it on ebay, or some other unwholesome enterprise.

Brewer-Cliftom made 3 cuvees from extremely low-yeild, tete-de-cuvee juice in 1993, released around 2000. They, too, were around $30, and drank like Dom, or equivalent. I got all I could for the 2 stores I worked in at the time, And it was used as a sommelier’s selection pour at a club I worked at that year, also.