Wine a Day

It is strange how you think of a city and a drink comes to mind. Just think of a place you have visited, or if you are on a computer at the moment and have Google map, and see what comes to your mind. Here’s what springs to mind with me.

Dublin – Guinness
Munich – Wheat Beer
London – Warm Beer
Kingston – Rum
Rio de Janeiro – Pina Colada
Moscow – Vodka
Kentucky – Bourbon
Tokyo – Saki
Mexico City – Tequila
Porto – Port
Santiago – Pisco
Glasgow – Scotch
Athens – Ouzo
Bordeaux – Red Wine

I am sure there are many other city/drink associations people can think of and hopefully add.

The last city I wish to mention is Paris. City of lights; city of art; city of lovers; city of food; city of a big metal tower that everyone and their dog seem to want to photograph. Like many big cities, it means different things to different people who visit or live there. When it comes to an association with a drink however, there is only one thing that springs to mind for me… Champagne.

Champagne is an example of a big mistake which turned into a great idea, similar to Post-it Notes, or Madeira. The story goes that Dom Pèrignon accidentally bottled the wine before fermentation had been completed. After a while the bottles started exploding. In an effort to work out what the problem was, most likely after a lot fun had been poked at the Dom, he opened one of the un-exploded bottles to find the refreshing bubbles we all know and love when we drink Champagne. I am glad the monks continued with Dom Pèrignon’s blunder.

More than 300 years later Champagne is associated to celebration, sophistication, elegance and often a large price tag. So Champagne fits perfectly when I think of Paris. I welcomed 2010 in Paris with a great bottle of Champagne. It was a great experience and one I will remember for some time.

So this week’s Wine of the Week is the 2003 Louis Nicaise Champagne. This Premier Cru Brut Champagne is made in the very small town of Hautvillers, the same town where the abbey where Dom Pèrignon made its mistake… sorry, discovery of sparkling wine. It has a great caramel taste with a bit of acidity and semi-dry toasty finish. It was a little sweater than I remembered from tasting it at the winery some time ago, but this does not detract from the wine, it made it a more sumptuous experience in the cool night under the Eifel Tower. The fine bubbles give it the zing you expect.

I am not a fan of drinking Champagne with food. Maybe some good smoked salmon with this wine would match this wine well though. At around €30 a couple of years ago from the winery it punches well above that price range. If you are able to find it, I recommend you try it for you next celebratory experience. It is well worth the price tag!