I was offered the opportunity to taste some very good French Champagne, yes that is a redundancy, Champagne can only be French, but I’ll explain that later. I decided it would be fun to do a blind tasting, so we did.
The Wine: Four sparkling wines range in price from $12 to $85.
The Food: Mediterranean Mezze
The Place: A small party at our friends’ apartment at The Mills in Little Falls
I was really curious how the wines would be judged.
Our friend Anne considering her vote.
I learned this:
1. There really is a big difference between the a very inexpensive American sparkling wine, even made in the méthode champenoise, and a expensive French. One would hope right?
2. The winner turned out to be in the middle range, selling for around $45. But the bottle that was finished, emptied, was the $85. What does that tell you?
3. Glasses make a difference. For the tasting I had to round up 20 glasses, I found some in boxes in my attic that had not been opened since 1995. The thinner better made glasses made a huge difference in the presentation of the wines' scents and flavors.
4. The inexpensive wine, which I will now reveal was Korbel from California, was not bad, but it certainly did have the finesse and lush aromas, flavor and mouth feel of the more expensive bottles.
5. Better Champagne has better bubbles, they are delicate and fresh yet persistent. The Korbel bubbles were course and did not last as well. Nevertheless, perfectly suitable for many occasions.
I served the blind tasting in an order that was not by quality. Started with the $40, then the $12, then the most expensive, and finished with a Cremant, which is a name giving for sparkling wine made in other parts of France. It was recommended by the wine manger at one of my liquor haunts. Sells for around $14, but did not excite.
Champagne is a region and only wines from that region can be rightfully called Champagne.
Sparkling wines are made all over the world in the méthode champenoise, which we have discussed many times here. Manoavino – A Bit of the Bubbly
The two Champagnes we had were from the House of G.H.MUMM a family dynasty of wine makers that founded the house in 1827, but has history of wine making back to 1761 in Germany. Over the years it went through changes of ownership and for a period of time lost its focus on quality. Today under the Pernod Ricard banner and with the careful attention of Didier Mariotti, head winemaker, Mumm is producing first rate Champagne.
The G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge, which was the most popular of the night, “offers notes of dried fruits apricot; candied orange peel; smoked nuts; full of flavor, yet elegant with a rich and vibrant finish.” 92 PTS Wine Spectator.
The Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru is exceptional, and the critics say:
92 points Wine Enthusiast
Now with its intensity and some bottle age, this wine—formerly known as Crémant de Cramant—is rich, with its apple flavor blending with an almond note and a soft, warm texture. The acidity shoots right through this ripe wine. 
91 points Wine Spectator
Subtle, this is more about finesse and baseline minerality than an exuberant flavor profile. Offers fine texture, delicate acidity and hints of blanched almond, quince, ginger and smoke. Drink now through 2018.
Champagne pairs well with many foods. Drink it often.
Mumm has a great website for learning more about Champagne here: Champagne Protocols
Things to do, places to see, with food and booze
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