Ben's Bubbly: Champagne Doyard, Collection de l'An I

Well, we finally made it. We successfully raised our first child to one year of age. And in doing so, we consumed one bottle (sometimes more) of sparkling wine for the past 52 weeks. The past year has been just the first chapter on a fantastic journey that I hope lasts for the rest of my life. Everyone always says to cherish these early times in a child's life because they grow up so fast. I just never knew how fast this year would go and how much Ben would grow. From the helpless, wrinkly little baby we took home 4 hours after his birth to the walking and talking energetic (and sometimes quite impatient) little boy who always brings a smile to my face (well, maybe not when he smacks me in the face while I am asleep), I have enjoyed every moment so far. When my wife and I decided to open a bottle of bubbly for every week of his first year, I mostly thought it would be good to have consistent material for the blog. But opening a bottle to celebrate Ben every week has meant so much more. Every week for the past year we were able to relax, reflect and recover all in the name of Ben. Who knew something that requires so much work could be so fun and rewarding (well, all of you parents knew that already)!

Two weeks ago, Ben enjoyed his first Spring Break with Mom and his grandparents all came over for his birthday party. At the end of the day, he was covered in dirt, frosting and dog hair. What a good day for a little boy. Unfortunately, Ben started to feel a little under the weather at day care on his birthday. He recovered quickly, but he had to stay home with on Thursday and Friday. We had a good time just hanging out and enjoying the beautiful spring weather. We are so excited to have a yard that Ben can call his own and play in for the years to come.

I would walk 500 miles (well, at least drive 500 miles for Krug)

Krug House

Last December I received an email from Champagne Krug, inviting me to series of tastings and fun holiday events in swanky Aspen. Krug is Champagne legend, the likes of which I had never tasted. I immediately began plotting how my wife and I could arrange childcare for our nine-month old and make our way to Aspen on only a few days notice. However, given the short notice, we couldn’t make a weekend of it so I decided to drive there and back in the same day. After all, wine with a reputation like Krug is a worth driving for eight hours (round trip).

I set out early in the morning to make my one o’clock appointment. When you have an interview set up with Krug’s winemaker on her first visit to the United States you make sure you get there early. After a long drive with all the ski traffic, I made my way up the mountain roads of Aspen and pulled to up a palatial house with only a large bottle of Krug at the end of the driveway announcing that I had found my destination.

Ben's Bubbly: Iron Horse Vineyards, Blanc de Blancs

I've only missed one bubbly post over the past eleven months and I was not about to let it happen again. We actually drank the wine more than a week ago, but my work travels and a few other issues kept me from getting this posted on time. Even if it is going up at the end of the work week, I figured it is better to be late than not post at all.

Well, it is time to start thinking about the final bubbly; Ben's first birthday is less than a month away. We've had lots of different types, styles and origins of sparkling wine for each of the past 48 weeks. It is pretty amazing that we've been doing this little experiment considering most people only drink sparkling wine on New Year's Eve and a few other special occasions. If wine consumers really sit down and think about what is special in their lives, I'm sure that they will find many more reasons to drink bubblies. Not a week goes by that I am not reminded how special my little Ben is. He is growing up so fast and I love him more each day. It will be fun to one day in the distant future reread this entire series and reminisce about what he was doing each week for the first year of his life, but also to remember the wines we drank to celebrate. Ben will only have one first birthday and he of course will not remember it, but I want to pick a truly special wine to mark this momentous occasion. I was lucky enough to taste Krug a few months ago, so that might be the winner if I can find a bottle. I'll listen to suggestions, too.

Iron Horse Vineyards, Blanc de Blancs, Green Valley AVA

I stand by the statement that you should drink what you like. This 15-year old California sparkler is a good example. It was highly rated and not cheap ($33). My wife could only bear a few sips, whereas I thought it was fantastic. The dark gold color and distinct aromas of autolysis indicated that this was indeed a well-aged wine that saw a fair amount of lees contact. In fact, this bottle was disgorged after seven years (unheard of in all but the highest end Champagne and late-disgorged domestic sparklers). My wife thought there were funky aromas and a bit of kerosene. I thought it had much more complexity and personality than most of the sparklers we've had over the past year. Apples, pears, cinnamon, sourdough toast, lemon zest and sauteed mushrooms were just a few of the aromas and flavors that I enjoyed. Iron Horse Vineyards is one of the U.S. top sparkling wine houses and often are served at State Dinners at The White House (as it was this week, unofficially). I make no guarantees that you'll like it, but I definitely recommend picking up any Iron Horse wines you find. 13.5% abv. Purchased $33 Very Good

Ben's Bubbly: Mumm Napa 2006 Blanc de Blancs

Wow. What a game last night. I'm not a Broncos fan, but this year certainly has been an exciting season for football fans in Denver. I'm hoping to raise little Ben as a Packers fan, but if he also wants to cheer for the Broncos, I guess I'll let him. Currently, though, his interest lies with our humidifier. Anytime he sees it, he makes a beeline straight for it. He loves how the buttons glow either blue or red when it is on, and he has figured out how to get it to turn on (sometimes by using his finger to press the button, but when that fails he just starts smacking the general area with his whole hand). The unit itself if about as tall as the little guy, so he has to stand on his tiptoes to get his mouth to the vapor, which in and of itself is adorable. Usually he turns to look at us with a face full of condensation. Again, quite cute. Unfortunately, all of his leaning and pulling on it has caused it to start to leak. This just means he can't be left unattended with it (as with most things...). I'm hoping that he'll take a break from the humidifier next weekend and watch both the Broncos' and Packers' games with me. He'll definitely being sporting a green and gold outfit! Maybe in few weeks the Packers can exact revenge for Super Bowl XXXII.

2006 Mumm Napa Blanc de Blancs

A few years ago, we spent a lovely afternoon on the patio at Mumm Napa. As I worked in the industry, I was lucky enough to get to try most of their lineup. I was quite impressed with many of their wines. However, I remember enjoying the blanc de blancs a little bit more then. Perhaps it was a different vintage; I don't remember. The 2006 pours a very pale yellow color and offers a subtle nose of lemons, limes and white flowers. The palate definitely packs a punch that is not suggested on the nose and it tastes like a laserbeam of acidity. Now, I like acid, but this thing was Warheads tart. Behind the excessive tartness there were pleasant flavors of sea shells, salt, and tart lemons and apples. The finish was a bit short and the wine was, overall, a bit too tart; not terrible, but just not balanced right now. Maybe with time it will mellow. 12.5% abv Purchased $14. Average

Ben's Bubbly: Taittinger Brut La Francaise

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had a great holiday break and is ready for an even better 2012. What an eventful week it was for us. My family drove out from Wisconsin with two terriers, we had four different Christmases to attend and Ben took his first steps! Ben had fun hanging out with his grandma, grandpa, aunt and uncle and they seemed to enjoy him, too. :) He had been cruising around on furniture for a few weeks, but hadn't taken off the training wheels. He actually startled himself when he realized he wasn't hanging on to anything and tried to get to mommy by taking a few steps as he fell. He has only done it a few times, but occasionally I'll turn around to see him just standing on his own for a few moments before he sits (or falls) down. He is getting braver by purposefully letting go of our hands or the furniture, but we predict it will only be a matter of time before he realizes that he has the upper hand in our relationship.

One thing that didn't freak him out this past week was the dogs. He quite enjoyed them and usually screeched whenever a dog came into sight. He really enjoyed it when (on two separate occasions) a dog would so helpfully clean the crusty (and not so crusty) boogers off his face. We'll see how long it takes until his cute adorable face is able to convince mommy that he wants a dog.

In a pretty big first for our little family, New Year's Eve was the first time that mommy and daddy both spent away from the little guy. I've been away for work a few times and mom escaped to Vegas a few months ago (man, that seems like ages ago). Grandma (the local one) stayed over at our place while we went out to dinner and then to our new place (oh, yeah, we also bought a new house a few weeks ago, but have been doing some remodeling before we move). We sipped on a bottle of Taittinger and were asleep by 12:05. We did, however, get seven blissful hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Taittinger "La Française" Brut

A big name in the the world of Champagne, best known for their Comtes de Champagne blanc de blancs, the La Française (also known as Brut Réserve) is the basic entry-level non-vintage blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier for Taittinger. Normally around $45-50, I picked this up on sale for under $30 a few weeks ago. It never ceases to amaze me how much these mass produced Champagne cost just because the word "Champagne" is on the label, especially when there are plenty of quality sparkling wines on shelves for under $30. Sure, top Champagne are worth their weight in gold, but not the basic stuff and this bottle did nothing to change my mind. Don't get me wrong, it is a nice bottle of wine and worth its sale price, but not the regular price. Lots on the nose here, especially baked pear and toast. It kind of tricks you into thinking it is going to be smooth and complex, but then smacks you on the other cheek with loads of acidic and slightly bitter yellow grapefruit. There might have been a little bit of lemon pastry in there too, but it was hard to tell (it was NYE after all) with the in your face grapefruit. I do give Taittinger credit for the abundant acidity, which too many sparkling wines shy away from, but I was expecting a bit more complexity and length. 12% abv Purchased $27. Good

Ben's Bubbly: Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Sofia Mini

Ben has really started to discover his voice. Rarely is there a quite moment in our house anymore. While he has babbled for quite some, he is learning how to adjust his volume. When mom and dad are talking and Ben is not included in the conversation, we usually are notified of the injustice by very loud baby noises. When we recognize Ben's presence (and usually pick him up), we get a smile and quiet from the little man. He also lets us know when he wants our attention by cruising the furniture and attempting to pull himself up our legs. He definitely makes sure that we don't ever forget about him!

Our sparkling wine (or at least the packaging) this week is also trying to insert itself in the wine conversation. Canned wine has been around for almost 75 years, but is recently seeing a resurgence. Last week, The New York Times, Palate Press: the online wine magazine (written by yours truly) and The San Francisco Examiner all published articles about the revitalization of putting wine into aluminum cans. Just as with Ben, canned wines are starting to discover their voice. I predict that we will start to see more wines in cans in the near future.

Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Sofia, Blanc de Blancs, California

This funky little can should fool you about what is inside. With less than 1% residual sugar, this is true sparkling wine and not a gimmick. This fruit forward bubbly also comes in a tradition glass bottle, but the straw-adorned travel-size cans add a bit of zestiness to the boring row of bottles on the liquor store shelf. This blanc de blancs (82% Pinot Blanc, 10% Riesling, 8% Muscat) is very aromatic with pear and flowers tempting your nose. The bombardment of fruit continues in the mouth with pears dominating the show, but golden apples and zesty lemons make a cameo. We drank it with the straw, from the can and poured into a flute. I definitely recommend using a glass. But, when you’re in the mood for something different, yet familiar, grab a can from this reputable produce and try drinking from a straw. You might have more fun than you think you can with wine. 11.5% abv Purchase $5 (187 mL) Good

‘Can’ Packaging from Beer World Work with Wine Too?

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but does an aluminum can always signal a low brow beverage? Less than ten years ago, canned beers were limited to low-flavor, mass-produced macrobrews. A small craft brewer decided to change that stigma. In November 2002, Oskar Blues Brewery in Lyons, Colorado launched its “Canned Beer Apocalypse.” Dale Katechis decided to can an assertive and flavorful Pale Ale, one can at a time. With an expanded lineup of bold and critically acclaimed canned brews, great canned beer is no longer an oxymoron. Now, over 130 craft breweries can beer, including Oskar Blues’ much larger neighbor to the south, New Belgium Brewery.

The company that helped Oskar Blues break the mold, Broomfield, CO-based Ball Corporation, thinks that they can (pun intended) do the same for the wine market that they did for craft beer. Dan Vorlage, Director of Business for Ball’s Beverage Packaging Division thinks, “canned wine offers an elegant way to deliver wine and ultimately allows consumers to have a ready-to-drink package that can go places where glass bottles can’t go.”

Continue reading at Palate Press: the online wine magazine.

Ben's Bubbly: Pierre Péters Cuvée de Réserve

This past week marked the sixth month point in our endeavor of drinking a sparkling wine every week for one year. It also marked Ben's half birthday! The little guy is all smiles almost all the time. He now has a few different smiles including an adorable new smile where he scrunches his eyes and reveals his toothless upper jaw. Almost any time you talk to him he busts out one of his grins and giggles. While he loves playing with toys, including phones and remote controls, what he really wants is to play with the cats. They are starting to realize that he is mobile, but he still sneaks up behind them and gets a handful of tail, which is usually met with a squeal and a paw on the head.

We also had to make the switch from his co-sleeper to his crib. He is now able to rock and move his co-sleeper, as well as pull himself up on the sides and reach out. That also means he can fall out if we're not paying close attention.

NV Pierre Péters Cuvée de Réserve

For this week's Ben's Bubbly, we picked a popular grower Champagne that I had been wanting to try for some time. One of the nice things about many Récoltant-Manipulant (RM on the label) Champagne is that they often put the disgorgement date on the labels. Although most multi-vintage bubblies are made to be the same year in and year out, differences do occur and the wine does change with time in the bottle. If you know when the bottle was disgorged, you have a little bit more information about what you are drinking, and I think that this is a good thing. The code on label of this wine was L.0303, so I believe this was disgorged in March of 2003. Upon opening, the nose shows signs of oxidation (nuts, mushrooms, almost sherry-like) and the juice is a light golden straw color. Tthe palate is still full of the great acidity and bright lemons, grapefruit and apples I love in blanc de blancs. After three hours, the sherry aromas blow off and it's all toast and fruit. If there is ever a reason to decant Champagne, this one would definitely have benefited. Wish I had saved half the bottle for a second night to see if the wine opened up even more. I can't wait to find a newer bottle to see how a fresher wine shows. I think I might have a chance as there is a Champagne tasting at a local distributor's office this week. I'll report back on what I find there. 12% abv Purchased $44 Good/Very Good

Ben's Bubbly: 2006 Gruet Winery Blanc de Blancs

As Ben nears the three month mark, his personality is getting almost as bubbly as the wine we drink in his honor. He loves interacting with us by cooing and smiling. He plays with rattles and other toys in his crib, but he really loves to show off his new motor skills to us while we watch him kick, bat and wiggle his way around the caged bed that will hold him for the next few moons. This week he also had another play date with his crew from mommy's work where he participated in his first game of soccer as a sort of opening act for the U.S.A. vs. Mexico Gold Cup championship game. He even wowed his buddy's visiting grandmother from Costa Rica with his ability and desire to stand up (with the support of mom or dad, of course). Despite his strong legs, I hope that he does not inherit his mom's early walking!

I think each of the dads had more fun than the unwitting foosball players, though the outcome of the Gold Cup could have been a bit better.

2006 Gruet Winery, Blanc de Blancs, New Mexico

Keeping with the loose idea of trying sparkling wine from various parts of the world, this week we stayed close to home and picked a bottle from the heralded wine state of New Mexico. This wine is a pale yellow and yields beautiful streams of tiny and eager bubbles. Bright citrus flavors are met with tropical fruits, sweet green apples and a slight toasty/nuttiness. In the mouth the acidity provide a tart contrast to the flavors of apple preserves on a toasted bagel. All of the Gruet I've had in the past has been an exceptional value for the price and this vintage bottling is elegant, complex and worth trying. 12% abv Purchased $26. Very Good (tasted 7/23/11)

Ben's Bubbly: Dragon Seal Blanc de Blancs and Drappier Carte d'Or

Little Ben is getting starting to pack on the pounds! When he isn't eating, he is doing a good job holding his head up and looking around taking in all the new sights and sounds. Pumping his legs and waving his arms as I attempt to sing to him elicits smiles, coos and joyful vocalizations (at least for a couple of minutes)! We are occasionally getting more rest when he gives us three or four hour blocks of uninterrupted sleep. He still enjoys sleeping in our arms or on our chests best and when we need him to wake up, we just put him in his crib!

This Sunday was also special as it was my wife's first Mother's Day as a mom. So for this week, we doubled up on the bubbles. We went with a unique sparkler from China (I know, wine from China is weird enough, let alone a Blanc de Blancs) for our regular celebratory wine and brought a half-bottle of Champagne to the park for our Mother's Day picnic. I made a radish and spinach quiche, mango scones and a mint fruit salad to pair with the wine. While my wine consumption and blog postings have decreased in the past month, we are enjoying trying so many different bubblies and are looking forward to the next 47 weeks!

Dragon Seal Brut Blanc de Blancs, Hebei, China

While most people probably have not ever tasted a wine from China, I've been able to try two in the past year. Although I am not willing to wholeheartedly endorse these wines, I've definitely had worse from other more renowned wine regions. The label says it was made in the Champagne method, but this 100% Chardonnay was aged in the bottle for only nine months before disgorging. It is very light yellow in color with consistent medium-size bubbles. While there is a slight toastiness and some citrus blossom aromas are noticeable, there is a chemically, almost vinyl, odor that makes it not all that pleasant. The toast is present on the palate along with some nice tart granny smith apple flavors. However, smoke and a bitter nuttiness linger as an aftertaste. This is not a great wine, but is average and an interesting novelty for you adventurous winos. 12.5% abv Purchased $12. Average (tasted 5/5/11)

Drappier Brut, Carte d'Or, Champagne

This wine was in a 375 mL bottle and a perfect accompaniment to our Mother's Day picnic in the park! As a side note, half-bottles fit perfectly in the cup holder on our stroller... The yellow label might confuse you into thinking that this is a Veuve-Clicquot offering. The color is the first thing I noticed about this wine that suggested that this light brass colored Champagne is much better! The 80% pinot noir in this blend yielded lovely notes of red apples, Asian pears and hints of red fruits like strawberries and pomegranate along with the typical freshly baked bread aromas. Fresh and crisp in the mouth with plenty of fruit flavors, I wish that we had more than a half bottle to drink and that I had bought more when I picked this lone bottle up! 12% abv Purchased $17. Good/Very Good (tasted 5/8/11)