Holiday time. That means bubbly, party wine and bottles to buy as gifts. Let's consider them all.
I often see wine ratings in various publications that give scores to non-vintage (NV) sparkling wines. How do I know I'm buying the blend that they have tasted and rated? Is there any way to distinguish one year's NV bottling from another? –Dave, Fairfield, Conn.
If only. You probably could get very wonky with tiny batch numbers printed on bottles and the like, but ultimately, there’s almost no way to know when the NV bottle you’re buying was bottled. You can ask, but unless you’re buying a new type of wine that only recently went into production, it isn’t the sort of information that’s passed on from winemaker to retailer.
In fact, the entire concept of NV was devised to allow Champagne houses to blend wines across a range of years in order to preserve a “house style” — a taste profile that defined the winery year after year. It was also a hedge against poor vintages. In theory, it wouldn’t matter when you bought an NV wine because it would always taste the same.
In theory. In reality, taste can vary slightly from batch to batch — and even can change as the wine sits on the shelf. Your best bet is to ask a retailer when the wine in question arrived, but even then there’s no knowing how long a wholesaler (or even the winery) held on to it before it showed up in your neighborhood. That makes it even more important to find trustworthy reliable labels — big name or small — that please you year after year.
Many publications also frequently retaste NV wines, which helps give a sense of recent quality. Wine Spectator lists 13 scores for Veuve Clicquot’s popular yellow-label NV brut from 1987 to 2004. The highest score (91) was from 1991; the most recent was an 88.
Real bubbles?
How do I know if a sparkling wine is naturally carbonated or artificially carbonated? -Maria, Portland, Ore.
Artificially carbonated wine has nothing to do with true sparkling wine, aside from having bubbles. Luckily, artificial carbonation is out of favor nowadays for all but the least expensive bubblies — and with true bubbly available as cheap as $6 per bottle, there’s no reason to drink the fake stuff.
Unfortunately, there are few guaranteed ways to tell which is which, though true Champagne will never be carbonated using anything but the traditional method of creating a second fermentation in the bottle to generate carbon dioxide. One good rule of thumb: Any wine marked “Méthode Champenoise” or “Méthode Traditionale” or the like is almost certain to be naturally carbonated. Most decent Spanish cavas — even those under $10 — will be naturally carbonated.
Words to describe bubbly are often suspect. Any American wine that calls itself “Champagne” is most certainly not. “Champagne” legally defines only those wines from that region of France. The popular term “brut,” though, is a legitimate description of the wine’s dry style. (Ironically, “extra dry” sparklers are actually rather sweet.)
Where to buy?
Since holiday wine-buying is under way, let's revisit some strategies on buying wine.
I get a lot of questions from readers trying to find specific bottles, and not just those mentioned in the column: How can I find a good wine from 1957 for my grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary? Where can I locate a bottle of decent moscato d’Asti in Orange County, Calif.?
Buying wine is hard — harder than it needs to be. The three-tier U.S. distribution system (between producers, wholesalers and retailers) invites uncertainty and inconsistency for all but the most popular labels. True, the system helps get some rare wines into smaller markets, but there's little consistency from one locality to the next, and some wines that aren't available at all in certain states.
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Direct shipping helps certain consumers, but not all. At last count, at least 19 states continue to prohibit direct shipments. If you live in a state with a shipping ban, here’s my best advice: Find one or two good wine shops in your area, with owners and employees willing to help you in your wine quest. They know local distributors, and can find out the availability of specific wines. For domestic wines, you can also call a winery, ask for a list of distributors in your state, then call the distributors to see which shops carry the wine you want. Time consuming? Yes. Successful? Often not.
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If wine can be shipped to you, you’re in far better shape to find exactly what you want. Online wine search engines remain a terrific resource. (I a couple years ago.) Among them, Wine-searcher.com remains the hands-down winner — with the ability to find wines sold at over 6,200 stores in nearly every state and around the world, all listed with accurate prices and links to purchase the wines. Relative newcomer WineZap (winezap.com) has made inroads, but is still a distant second to Wine-searcher’s comprehensive approach. Case in point: Need that bottle from 1957, as requested above? Wine-searcher lists several dozen options, from Bordeaux (a $99 Chateau Canon Boyer from Fronsac) to Portuguese Madeira (a $145 D’Oliviera). Whether you can actually have it shipped to you is another matter.
When shopping online, remember to double-check the exact vintage (quality can vary) with the retailer and factor in shipping costs. If you’re buying a gift, remember it could take a couple weeks to arrive — though wine retailers are always happy to ship overnight.
TASTING NOTES
Early December is all about affordable wine. Holiday parties are upon us, which means bargain-hunting time. Here’s a few affordable bottles, plus some $10-and-under hits from earlier this year.
Cline 2004 Red Truck ($9): The Oakley, Calif., winery used fewer grapes varieties last year (syrah, petite sirah and Cabernet franc) but continues a reliable streak with its quirky table-wine blend. Round and full, with blackberry, blueberry and a curious lemony peach overtone. That petite sirah gives it some darker notes and weight, but it’s smooth, with a hint of tannin to finish. Cline recently added a companion label, "White Truck," for those who prefer white.
St. Francis 2002 Red ($10): This well-known Sonoma zin house put together its own house blend of merlot, zinfandel, grenache and sangiovese. Rich woody vanilla notes are what dominate — a sign of how much oak the wine saw — but it’s vivid and juicy, with brown spice in the mix. A bit generic, but hey … it’s a party wine, with 12 different designs for its red-inkblot labels.
Other ideas …
: No better deal for a party, and no corks or bottles to throw away. The Wine Block merlot ($10/1.5 liter) was the best of the reds we tasted, and the Three Thieves 2003 Bandit Bianco ($6/1 liter) topped the whites. Three Thieves also now makes a California pinot grigio.
: These French offerings may use obscure grapes, but the citrus flavors are clean and refreshing. Bottles are usually under $9, such as the Domaine de Pellehaut 2004 Harmonie de Gascogne (Charles Neal Selections, $8) and Domaine des Cassagnoles 2004 (Weygandt-Metzler, $7).
: This crisp, minerally white is a perfect match for a cold shrimp platter or oysters. The Domaine de la Pepière 2004 (Louis/Dressner, $10) and Domaine de la Quilla 2003 (Robert Kacher, $10) should still be available in many markets.