Losing your sparkle

Over the Christmas and New Year I encountered yet more people who insisted that putting a spoon in the neck of a half full Champagne bottle will keep the bubbles fresh. There are different theories, some believe that the spoon needs to be silver, some that the metal doesn't matter. None are able to offer any explanation of how the system works, but are insistent that it does.

None have ever thought to test out the theory with two bottles, one with a spoon, one without. Why not? Er... well, because it works? Er ... No!

We did leave a bottle with a steel teaspoon in, Sheffield steel no less. The following evening the wine sparkled, the bubbles bubbled. Why? Because we'd put the bottle in the fridge and it had stayed cold, and the carbon dioxide was just too lazy to disturb gravity. Three days later there were still some bubbles. The wine tasted awful, but there were bubbles. You can increase the number by using a dirty glass if you really want to.

Putting a spoon in a bottle top does not work, putting sparkling wine in the fridge does, a bit, but drink up, sparkling wine only sparkles to make you happy. Keeping it for a week is just mean -like pinning a butterfly or caging a songbird it's an affront to nature.

The good people at Stanford went to the effort of demonstrating the ineffectiveness of the spoon, you can read their research (which does tail off a bit in rigour the more they drink) here.

Thresher's 2007 Voucher Has Landed

Threshers have released their 40% off wine voucher for Christmas 2007. You can download it here.

It's only good until 9th December so if you want to use it you'll need to get to work quickly. Remember though that Majestic are offering 50% off some Champagnes and there are plenty of other offers out there, so it's not a guarantee of the best price available if you're shopping for a crowd.

Hurrah for Non Iron

It's a big day today for Non-Iron It's the first day of the new power sharing assembly in Northern Ireland, or 'non-iron' as it tends to be pronounced by natives. It's early to be overwhelmed with optimism, but it's a big step, and one I didn't think I'd see. Strange though, I wouldn't exist if it wasn't for 'the troubles'.

So tonight we had some fadge and champagne to celebrate (I couldn't cope with a full Ulster fry).

The champagne was Mumm Cordon Rouge. Bright and enthusiastically bubbly it had a cheery mousse. It smelled of citrus and vanilla with a touch of peach blossom. Off dry with a zippy acidity, the bubbles felt soft in the mouth. The citrus became more grapefruity in the mouth, and the peach came through stronger with more apricot. It lasted well for a long finish.

The fadge was great, but it's unlikely to become a classic combination.

Festive Fizz

The big hit this Christmas was Charles Heidsieck Mis en Cave NV Champagne. It���s lemon gold with a fine mousse of exuberant bubbles. It smells of fresh lemons with marzipan and a touch of toast.

The creamy bubbles feel rich in the mouth. It���s off dry with a medium body and well balanced acidity. The lemon carries through to the palate with more nuts and a little hint of fresh vanilla.

Charles Heidsieck Champagnes have a great reputation and this example certainly didn���t let the side down, so I���m shopping for more for New Years.

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Bolly Dolly

‘Tis the season to sparkle and as I was given a bottle of Bollinger Special Cuvee NV Champagne we gave it a go. It was a pale lemon colour with a smooth creamy mousse. It smelled lemony, with marmite meatiness and some nuts.

It’s off dry with good acidity. The bubbles feel soft and creamy in the mouth. It tastes big, in as much as a wine can taste big, there’s marmitey Bovril with lemons and sweet almonds with just a touch of toffee and cooking apples. There’s certainly a lot going on, and the 12% alcohol takes an express lift to the head.

Champagne prices are all over the place at the moment with big discounts at supermarkets, wholesalers and even local retailers. Expect to pay around £25 or get yourself invited to Sandringham for Christmas, it's what the Queen serves at home.

Forty Buck Chuck

Now and again I have bad day, and on a bad day Champagne tends to make me feel better. We had a bottle of Laurent Perrier Brut L-P to perk me up. Laurent Perrier is the Champagne of choice of Prince Charles, and are happy to be his official supplier, giving me every excuse to tuck into some Duchy Organics biscuits too.

It’s bright with small, persistent bubbles. It smells fresh and lemony with a good dollop of marmitey toast and some nuts. It’s off dry with a medium crisp acidity. The bubbles give it a creamy mousse. The lemon and toast carry through with just a touch of fresh soft red fruit, like strawberries and raspberries.

The 12% alcohol does take an express lift to my head on the bubbles, which is nice. It’s well balanced, fruity and refreshing, and at around £20 a bottle, it’s reasonable for Grande Marque Champagne.

Sherry vs Champagne

Tonight one of the major wine nations will be leaving the World Cup. It’s a tough choice but as I’d like to see Spain win, I’ll go with a French wine and maybe say goodbye to Zidane with a glass of Champagne.

Nicolas Feuillatte is a relatively modern brand, having been around for less than 30 years. Feuillatte is not an artisan carefully working away on his own, it’s a co-operative which is growing steadily with sales in all the major Champagne markets. The Non Vintage is widely available in supermarkets.

The wine is a pale straw colour with attractively fine bubbles. It smells clean fresh and fruity. There’s the touch of yeastiness you’d expect, and some light blossom.

It’s dry, but not puckeringly so, and there’s enough acid to keep it refreshing. It’s light in body, but with plenty of fruit, green apples and lemon, perhaps some pear and quince. At 12% alcohol it’s light enough for a glass or two before dinner.

Nicolas Feuillatte NV is a standard 4-4-2 blend of Pinot Noir-Pinot Meunier-Chardonnay. It’s not a big or heavy champagne, making it perfect as an aperitif, or for a toast, but it doesn’t really stand up well to food.

Although priced at around £20, you can usually get a multi-buy deal on three or six bottles. Watch out for Majestic’s 3 for 2 offers and Tesco and Sainsbury’s Champagne sales as you’ll usually get it for about £15 making it a good value Champagne. I stocked up at Christmas when Majestic had 50% off. It only keeps in good condition for about a year though, so drink up, you can always re-stock.

Dream Job Opportunity

I received a wonderful invitation to apply for a new job today. It seems the good people of Reims Business School want a new Professor of Champagne. I'm sure the politics of academic life would get to me after a while, but then again, research trips might cheer me up.

The post is funded in part by Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Krug, Pommery, and Laurent Perrier with the tax payers of Reims picking up the rest.

You can apply here, but remember, if you do get the job, I'll expect an invite to see you work.

If you're not up to professor standards of teaching, but do like talking about and drinking Champagne, there's an award out there for you too. You can apply for the European “Ambassadeurs du Champagne” awards. If you make it to the final you'll need to clear your diary for the week as the good folk will want you to stay at the flashest chateaux and taste as much as possible. Don't worry, they'll pick up the tab.