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This Just In...
Kevin Fischer is an award-winning veteran broadcaster who has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for nearly three decades.
Kevin, who is a legislative aide to state Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin), can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, “InterCHANGE,” on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10, and heard filling in on Newstalk 1130 WISN. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their baby daughter, Kyla Audrey, in Franklin.
Culinary no-no #35
By Kevin Fischer
Sunday, Dec 30 2007, 10:00 AM
Planning on quietly celebrating New Year’s Eve at home with a Champagne toast or two (or more)?
Remember, it may look and fizz and smell and taste like Champagne, but sparking wine isn’t the real thing.
Only sparkling wines grown and produced in the region of Champagne in France can truly be called “champagne.”
According to wineloverspage.com:
“Never duplicated, unless you can move the entire region -- rocks, stocks and barrels -- to another country. Because make no mistake about it: it's the growing conditions in Champagne which makes Champagne the best sparkling wines in the world. The proof? How about the fact that a number of the best Champagne houses - like Moet & Chandon, Roederer, Mumm, and Taittinger - have all established vineyards and sparkling wine facilities in the beautiful state of California, bringing their best people to apply all the skill and experience they have to make the closest thing to Champagne possible. The result? Strikingly Champagne-like wines - fresh, light, yeasty, and zesty. But ultimately, not nearly as deep and flavorful, not nearly as fine and delicate, and not nearly as pure and penetrating as the original stuff. Why? Because it's grapes that make wine, and the grapes grown in California for sparklers will never be as fine as the grapes grown in Champagne. So in spite of the fact that even the lowest priced Champagne retails for $30 to $40 -- the price range reached by only the finest California sparkling wines --it's real Champagne that outsells the California copies by over 10 to 1. Ain't nothing like the real thing, baby.”This is not to say you shouldn’t pop open an Asti Spumante New Year’s Eve. Hell, you drink what you like. Just don’t call it Champagne because it’s not.
In my opinion, it’s New Year’s Eve. Go for it. If it has to be a sparkling wine, don’t even think of Cook’s or Andre or Cold Duck. That’s like comparing a Coke to Fanta or Diet Rite. That junk is only good to drink after you just came in hot and sweaty from cutting the lawn.
Here’s the lowdown on Champagne from, again, Randal Caparoso at wineloverspage.com. This article is a few years old, so the 2007 price ranges might be a little higher:“When it comes to Champagne, there really are no "best" bottlings. There are, however, some fairly cut-and-dried styles of Champagnes followed by each major brand. So that's the way to shop: by the style of Champagne that you prefer, or which at least sound the best to you. Since there really are many wonderful Champagnes to choose from, I'm going to offer you a quick review of just some of the major brands that you are most likely to see, defined by their respective styles which I'm going to divide into three basic categories - Light and Lovely, Richly Medium, and Bodaciously Full. Prices will vary widely during the holidays since individual stores always run their own featured specials. Here we go:
Light and Lovely Champagnes
The light, lovely Champagnes are definitely the easiest to drink; marked by silky smooth textures and fragrances that suggest sweetness, and flavors that are often perceptively, but oh-so-delicately, sweet. For me, the classic example is the Moet & Chandon Brut "Imperial" ($34-$44), which is always frothy and fresh; its edge of sweetness contributing to its gentle yet vibrant, lingering flavor. The ultimate example is Moet & Chandon's famous "Cuvee Dom Perignon" ($85-$125); which, although significantly drier than the Brut "Imperial," practically defines Champenoise delicacy and finesse - luxuriously rich qualities of yeastiness (like freshly rising bread), minerals, vanilla, and floral fruit, all packaged in seamlessly smooth, lively, lingering sensations on the palate.
In my book, the second most perfect example of the light, lovely style come out of the beautifully hand etched bottles of Perrier-Jouet's "Fleur de Champagne" ($90-$115), with its airy light, creamy textured length, almost startling in its sensuousness. You drink it, and you say, "Oh, goodness." Then once enthralled by its wispy, yeasty fragrances, you think, "Goodness has nothing to do with how I'm feeling now!" For just a slightly abbreviated experience of this phenomenon, there is also a Perrier-Jouet "Grand" Brut ($35-$45).
Failing that - since wines like the Fleur de Champagne and Dom Perignon will not exactly be the easiest to find at this time - you should definitely turn to the Taittinger "Comtes de Champagne" Brut Blanc de Blancs "Millesime" ($75-$99); a wine that packs a stunning intensity of creamy, smoky, lemony richness into a perfectly proportioned, waif-like body. A "supermodel" of the light style? "Runway" favorite? Don't get me started!
Richly Medium Champagnes
Many of the top quality Champagne houses - such as G.H. Mumm, Pol Roger, Charles Heidsieck, and J. Lassalle - make wines that achieve richness with elegance. But according to the cognoscenti, the most perfect Champagne of all is probably the Krug Brut "Grande Cuvee" ($145-$165); which is neither light nor heavy, delicate nor thick, brutal nor subtle -- but in fact, all of the above! How owner Remi Krug and chef de cave ("master blender") do this is anyone's guess. Perhaps they sleep peacefully, their Audi A8s locked safely in the garage, while elves merrily manufacture bubbles, bead by bead, with magic tweezers. But every bottle of Krug Champagne is most certainly a miracle of power and finesse!
But Krug, alas, does not make low priced Champagne. However, Veuve Clicquot does (relatively speaking). I have always thought that the nonvintaged Veuve Clicquot ("Yellow Label") Brut ($35-$50) is a near-perfect example of dry, Medium-full Champagne - its yeastiness subtle and toasty (wood char mixed with roasting nuts), and the flavors lemony crisp, winey, almost meaty textured. One step up is the Veuve Clicquot "Vintage Reserve" ("Gold Label") Brut ($55-$75); which is deeper and dryer in the feel, with a greater concentration of smoky yeastiness. Thirdly, there is a top-of-the-line - the Veuve Clicquot "La Grande Dame" ($135-$155) - which pushes the envelope towards a strong, almost austere dryness, its vividly defined medium body saturated with concentrated fruit and almost tobacco-like smokiness. What a way to go!
Bodaciously Full Champagnes
This style of Champagne pretty much puts sheer strength above delicacy; although the best examples are not exactly without refinements. The legendary Louis Roederer "Cristal" ($135-$185), for instance, has pinpoint balance -- beneath a roaringly rich , broad, fleshy feel, and deep, vibrant notes suggesting roasting, honeyed nuts and whole rows of baking breads. Full, viscous, yeast indundated qualities are typical of all the cuvees from this house; including the zesty, yet cushiony rounded Louis Roederer Brut "Premier" ($35-$55), and the nostril tingling vintaged Louis Roederer Brut ($55-$65).
With the house of Bollinger, on the other hand, it's almost pure, unadulterated aggression, plain and simple; beginning with the thick yet lushly fruited Bollinger "Special Cuvee" ($40-$60), which is layered with spicy, creamy/vanillin, toasty oak flavors, and an unsubtle yeastiness. The vintaged Bollinger "R.D." ($125-$145) is even more deeply honeyed, yeastier, and smokier in flavor; big, broad, and brazenly buxom on the palate. Like all the great, and imitable, Champagnes, an "all or nothing at all" proposition!”
Whatever your toast du jour is New Year’s Eve, here’s looking up your address!
(By the way, Champagne is in the news today, with a potential explosion coming of Champagne vineyards).
PREVIOUS CULINARY NO-NO’S
1) Ketchup on a brat
2) Green peppers on pizza
3) The dirty martini
4) Fruity brats
5) A Bloody Mary after dinner
6) Women “manning” the grill
7) Eating pizza at Festa Italiana, brats at German Fest, or tacos at Fiesta Mexicana. (Be adventurous. You can have those items anytime).
8) Eating a cream puff as though it was a hamburger.
9) Taking your own bottle of sauce when invited to a barbecue.
10) Touching the grill if you’re a guest at an outdoor barbecue.
11) Coaching the host on how to grill.
12) Some regional flavored ice cream…..like black licorice.
13) Taking the husks off before you grill corn on the cob
14) Being afraid to chill red wine
15) Pizza on the grill
16) When serving exotic or strange dishes to guests, do not tell them exactly what it is. Instead, use a more inviting term (caviar) rather than being blunt (fish eggs).
17) In late summer and early fall, this time of year, don’t buy zucchini. Somehow, someway, you will find zucchini or zucchini will find you.
18) Showing disrespect to your restaurant server.
19) Eating out on a Monday night.
20) Pumpkin beer.
21) Mail-order turkey.
22) Grilled cheese is just for kids.
23) Dining in the dark.
24) Ketchup on spaghetti
25) Sneaking healthy foods into treats to get your kids to eat it.
26) Do not throw away culinary gifts received in the mail because you don’t like them.
27) Do not feel guilty about eating Oreos. (Oreos are not to blame for out of control obesity).
28) Doing something so totally ridiculous that you are desperately forced to call the Butterball Turkey Hot-Line for assistance.
29) Don’t forget the sweet potato January-October.
30) Using resource guides from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s on gracious living to plan holiday parties
31) Eating cranberries, the best of the super-foods, only during the holidays.
32) Egg nog that isn’t spiked
33) Putting hot spices and other weird stuff in chocolate bars and hot cocoa
34) Don’t disregard fruitcake
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