Do you like bubbles?

Why there hasn't been much activity lately

2009-12-15T22:40:00.000-08:00

While I will take the time to add detail later in short here is the big news.

I'm 5 months pregnant!!!

Thus...

Not much bubble action going on!

BUT

POP just celebrated 1 year!!!

We've certainly POPped alot of good stuff.

So with a newfound energy and changing palate I will get back to posting.

Interesting little tastes here and there.

2009-07-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the lack of posts lately. We've been short staffed at POP, and I haven't had much down time. It's a good thing. We have been really busy with hundreds of new customers.

Last weekend we hosted two after parties for the Action On Film Festival in Pasadena. It brought in a lot of film industry people and it was quite interesting. We even had the pleasure of hosting a couple of celebrities. Ron Perlman enjoyed our "Irish Flatbread" but not our red wines, joking about the cabbage. Kim Coates enjoyed our red wine and Perrier Jouett for his guests. It was a great weekend.

This week was equally busy but under-staffed. We hosted a wedding party and many soccer fans in town for the Barcelona Galaxy game. I even provided quarters for the uber-sexy Denzel Washington and his signature melting smile (probably the first time I have been *struck*). Sunday was the return of the Joel Porter Quartet and they did a lively set of jazz standards, can't wait to have them again. Our Speakeasy Sunday went so well that we started running out of things to pour at the end of the evening.

Matt came up with a new promo for Thursdays and so far it is going great! 33-thirsty-Thursdays! 33% off ALL bottles every Thursday at 33. E Union! A great excuse for some bubbles during the week.

We celebrated Chef Emily's 25th birthday in style at LudoBites (post coming soon), and at Montrose Bowl.

So as I said things have been busy, so busy in fact that I haven't had a chance to write about some fun tastes I have had lately.

Bagrationi Sparkling Wines (Georgia - the country not the state)- Brut - using native grapes, it produced a steely, green fruit mildly acidic sparkling wine. The Extra Dry - as Ralph described it was reminiscent of Korbel Brut.

I was really curious about these wines, and I know that they make more cuvees, I would love to try those. We probably won't add them at this time, but it doesn't hurt to taste (most of the time).

S. Anderson Blanc de Noirs 1999 -

This had all the richness and toastiness on the nose of a well aged sparkler but it fell apart on the palate. I could smell that wine all day, but once I tasted it I knew it was over the hill. It lacked balance it had a hint of blackberries/strawberries and a little brioche but the acidity was off and it was very muted in the mouth. I think it was good a few years ago.

I hadn't hear of S. Anderson before, and haven't seen anything since, but maybe we will find some soon.

Independent Champange & Sparkling Wine Invitational

2009-07-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

I am SO excited. I recently found out about an amazing upcoming event...the FIRST EVER, Independent Champagne & Sparkling Wine Invitational. It will be in New Orleans in 2010. I hope hope hope I can go.

They just did their first press release. They will have independent producers from all over the world, as well as experts. Three days of bubble lovers!

More to come soon.

Great Video Blog on Wine Tasting

2009-07-21T17:16:00.000-07:00

Our former sommelier at POP, and great friend Nancy, posted a great video blog on how to taste wine. She shares our humble philosophy on wine, and we hope you enjoy her approach!

Cheers.

http://theprofoundandmundane.blogspot.com/2009/07/winefood-blog-1-you-biggest-boss-that.html

POP Updates.

2009-07-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

So it has been awhile since my last post. Things have been going well at POP. Restaurant Week brought a lot of new guests, and staffing changes kept Matt and I busier than ever. Things seem to be mellowing a little, all positions have been filled and we are looking toward the rest of summer and how to get people in here.

Katie our "hostess with the mostest" has been promoted to server but will still be making occasional chalking appearances, here is some of her last work as host. Nallely our new hostess is luckily eager to chalk it up as well, so when she starts I will post some of her work as well. We have new bussing staff and a new cook who will make our cheese & charcuterie even more amazing, so stay tuned.

Music has been going well, we had a musician booked every Sunday in June and I think it worked out well.

Our first Sunday we had Jessica Fichot, a wonderful artist who sings in many languages and styles. She is a great performer and super fun, her music transforms you to a smoky Parisan cafe and makes you want to dance, champagne in hand. We will definitely have her back sometime this summer.

Our next group was Tom Farrell with Ms. Julia Gottlieb. Again a fantastic group, they brought their own following from the Westside and I would love to have them again. A great match for our bar, Julia's voice was rich and reminiscent of singers from the 40's but with a modern flair.

For Make Music Pasadena, the second annual free music festival we had Shawn Kirchner and Ryan Harrison Duo. Together they perform jazz standards and croon the night away, transforming our bar into a 2o's speakeasy.

Our last Sunday in June we had Dafni, she is great. I cannot wait to have her perform again, she played mostly original material and has a folk/blues/jazz feel. I highly recommend purchasing her music.

So June was a great month for POP, we got a lot of new exposure and quietly celebrated our six month anniversary. We instituted new changes as well.

We now have Speakeasy Sundays. Between 8-10pm every Sunday we give guests with the password $5 glasses of bubbles, it could be Champagne, Prosecco, California, Cava and more. In order to get the password you must follow us on Twitter. It is gaining a following and I can't wait till the bar is filled with whispers of Mumm and Krug.

We have also changed our Sunday Brunch to Bottomless Bubbly & Beer Brunch. For set prices including an entree you can now get bottomless i.e all you can drink, sparkling wine, draft beer or champagne. I can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday morning!

July has started out a little slowly for us. We opted to be open on the fourth, because it is better to know than not know if we would be busy. We were slow but had some fun playing with bubbly cocktails. Ralph created a Sauternes Sour, POP Island Iced Tea and Mojito di Asti they were delicious and may make it onto the menu soon. Emily made amazing 4th of July specials such as "Red White & Blue Pie", a slice of cherry pie & blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream, you can seem them baking above! We also had a delicious firecracker burger with red, white & blue potato salad, and an apple pie soufflé. We offered 40% off all domestic bottles, and sold a bunch! I have never felt more festive!

Our first Sunday in July we had a great duo perform, Shangani . They sang in French and English, and even performed La Vie En Rose for my mom. We will have them back as well. Because it was a slow weekend we decided to make the most of our Sunday as our family was all there. We enjoyed three prestige cuvées, Schramsberg J Schram 2000, Pommery Cuvée Louise 1998, and Gloria Ferrer Carneros Cuvée 1998. It was an overwhelming experience and I will write about it later. After our third glass a group of 35 walked in, so we had to get back to work! Goodbye bubbly buzz!

With the warmer days and summer nights comes menu changes. We have new slider flavors; chorizo, and goat cheese with date (a must try). We will have a pie of the week, inspired by Emily's farmers market visits. Our new dessert is roasted peaches with champagne sabayon, delicious, and our new summer soup is a chilled roasted tomato with cucumber.

We are looking forward to later nights filled with new guests chilling out with cold bubbles. Cheers for now.

Matt's Birthday Dinner at XIV

2009-06-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

I recently subscribed to champagneguide.net, and highly recommend it! I can't wait to explore the site, but I must admit I am a bit jealous of Peter Liem.

For Matt's birthday last week we decided to go to Michael Mina's XIV. We arrived Monday evening, '98 Comtes de Champagne in tow.

It is a beautiful restaurant, much how I picture we would do POP in Vegas, when the time comes. The decor is very French salon, with a fireplace, chandeliers, bookshelves, wing-back chairs, fur, and sexy couches. We had a simple two person table. We began our evening with a glass of Krug Grand Cuvée MV, and Henriot Rosé Millésimé '98. The Krug was of course rich and delicious with roasted nuts, vanilla, and buttered brioche wafting about. I really enjoyed the Henriot, it was a rich rosé with cherry and strawberry notes, but a lot of toasted bread, cream and nuts. I could have had it all night.

For dinner we decided to go with the 14 by xiv, we let the chef choose, and told them Matt couldn't have dairy. They were more than happy to accommodate.

Our first course was Michael's Caviar Parfait, which had caviar, smoked salmon, egg, creme fraiche (for me), and a crispy potato cake on the bottom. It was delicious and great with the Krug and Henriot.

Second course, still with the delicious Henriot was the Ahi Tuna Tartare with Ancho Chiles, Pears, Mint, Pine Nuts and Sesame Oil. It was perfect with the Henriot, and very refreshing with hints of spice. (if anyone knows how to upload photos so that they are throughout my post, please let me know? !?!? I'd love to have put the photo here.)

Third course was definitely one of my favorites of the evening, Hamachi Sashimi with pickled strawberries, grains of paradise and green onion. It was simple, clean flavors but the strawberries were such a delightful surprise they really completed the dish. I savored my last bit of Henriot with this dish.

Luckily some time went by after the third course and we were able to digest. We had the server open our Taittinger Comtes de Champagne '98. It is a rich, toasted Blanc de Blancs that is very full bodied and creamy, but nothing like the Krug, completely different!

I loved our fourth course as well- Heirloom beets, Burrata (for me), Wild Arugula, Aged Balsamic, New Olive Oil. While it didn't go well with the champagne I really enjoyed it. I could eat this dish everyday.

Our fifth course felt like a palate cleanser, it was mixed baby greens, artichoke, grapefruit, radish and Zamarono cheese (except for Matt's). It was clean and refreshing, and did not pair with the Comtes.

We had another break, thankfully and then realized we still had NINE other courses and we were full at this point!

Our sixth course, Asparagus Risotto, squash blossom, chervil, meyer lemon, castelmagno cheese (except for Matt's), went really well with the champagne. It was rich, creamy and flavorful, I really liked mine, and Matt loved his.

At this point we ran out of Comtes de Champagne and ordered another bottle for Matt's birthday. They have a great deal on Mondays where any bottle over $100 is 50% off, so we ordered the Pierre Peters Cuvée Reserve. It was delicately refreshing, with great minerality and acidity. It went well throughout the rest of the meal.

The seventh course, was sea scallops, and isn't on the menu. I love scallops and these were delicate and buttery, a great pairing for the Pierre Peters.

The eight course, was another highlight, Liberty Duck Breast, Seared Foie Gras, Leg Confit, Pineapple, Star Anise. My dish had a pineapple upside down cake, while Matt's had some fresh pineapple. This dish was rich, flavorful and playful with the acidity and fruit of the Pierre Peters.

Ninth course- Tai Snapper, Tapioca-Crusted, Broccoli Rabe, White Soy Vinaigrette. Perfectly cooked, our server Tai's favorite dish!

The tenth course was our final savory dish, and it was amazing with our champagne, Filet Mignon, Short Rib Tortellini, Marinated Vegetables. I loved the short rib tortellini, I want more!

The next few courses, we challenged the pastry chef with Matt's dishes, as I had two cheese courses.

The eleventh course for me was a cheese, that I sadly can't recall. Matt had Mandarin Sorbet with some sort of Sasparilla cream soda bits, that were nostalgic and delicious.

The twelfth course for me was another delectable cheese, covered in edible wild flowers, and for Matt it was cacao sorbet with violets, it was beautiful and bright!

The thirteenth course was my first dessert course, was brandied bananas, jasmine ice cream (YUM), cashew shortbread and english toffee, so good!

Our fourteenth and final course was chocolate cake, coconut sorbet, crunchy peanut. Sadly Matt, the birthday boy didn't get chocolate cake. Matt had his with marzipan, one of his favorites. These were great dishes, the peanut butter was the best.

For dessert we enjoyed tastes of Niepoort Colheita Port 1976 (bottled 2007) it was nutty and rich with a long finish, Rare Wine Co. "New York" Malmsey Madiera which was sweet and raisiny, I had wanted Matt to try a Malmsey for a long time and he really enjoyed it, and Chateau Rieussac Sauternes 2004 which was honeyed with tropical fruits and apricots. All were great. Because they didn't have their famous birthday candles, Tai had us choose a glass of the dessert wines we liked instead. We had the Malmsey, and it was a great finish to a great day.

Overall it was a lovely birthday for Matt, we had a great time and great service. We shut the place down and not once did we feel pressure to leave. We can't wait to go back!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LOVE!

Krug Dinner at Mélisse

2009-06-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

I have lagged on this post, because much like Krug it is a big undertaking. It was a little over a week ago that we attended the Krug dinner at Mélisse in Santa Monica, and it was such an overwhelming experience that I am just now done processing it.

Matt told me about the dinner over a month ago, and we decided to go as a late birthday gift to me, and an early one to him from my lovely mother, my dad tagged along too. Ralph and Emily wanted to come but after numerous harassing calls and name dropping, there was simply no room. I'm glad we booked when we did.

The kitchen told us that dinner began at 7:30, but we had a sneaking suspicion that hors d'oevures started earlier, sadly we were right and we were also late. We arrived at the restaurant at 7:30 and everyone had Krug in hand, we scrambled to find the nearest server in order to savor some delicious bubbles. We started with glasses of Krug Grand Cuvee NV, and bites of Duck Confit Croquette, Rolled Goat Cheese with Grapes and Pistachios, Smoked Salmon Blini with Créme Frâiche and Caviar, and Luna Oyster Champagne Gelée. All of it was amazing, I am going to try to make the Grapes with Goat Cheese and Pistachios. The best part of course was the Krug. So rich and creamy, I was so happy to have my dad taste it for the first time, he was very impressed. I was so curious, and still am, about who everyone was at the dinner, I kept wondering have they had Krug, are they already involved in Krug's intoxicating trance, what kind of world am I about to enter?

After about ten minutes we sat out our table, a lush booth perfect for four. I chose the seat where I could best see the middle of the room, where the special guest Olivier Krug would be.

We continued with Krug NV, which is richly aromatic with notes of vanilla and lemon curd wafting from the glass. It was so creamy and full in the mouth but well-balanced with refreshing acidity and a little earthiness and spice lingering in the background. Throughout the whole evening my mom stated that this was her favorite. We enjoyed the Grand Cuvee with an amouse bouche of orange gelée, pistachio flan and creme, it was nutty and delicious, though I am not sure my dad was a fan! While receiving refills on our Krug Grand Cuvee, we enjoyed the unique bread selection; Olive, Bacon, Brioche, and Basil Brioche. Needless to say Matt was a big fan of the bacon and enjoyed it throughout the night.

For our first course, we had Santa Barbara Prawn Ravioli, Morel Mushrooms and Shellfish Jus.

This was perfect with the Grand Cuvee, it brought out the earthiness of the champagne, and cut through the cream of the ravioli.

After our first course Olivier got up to speak to all of us, he is a sweet French gentleman who told us the story of Krug. He said that the Krug we drink today, is the same as that his great great great...grandfather created years ago! He said that the Grand Cuvee is the flagship of the house, and the one they are most proud of.

Our second course was Washington State Halibut "Braised in Champagne", Porcini Mushrooms, Brown Butter Jus. The halibut melted in your mouth like butter it was the best fish I have ever had. My parents had never really been a halibut fan until now, realizing they just never had it cooked so perfectly. With our second course we enjoyed the newly released Krug 1998 Vintage. Who would have thought that an 11 year old champagne would seem too young? It does need more age, and I can see that in a few more years it will be mellow and rich and ready to enjoy. It had a strong vanilla butter nose, with flavors of roasted nuts, very crisp acidity, and hints of upcoming chocolate and mushrooms, that will most likely show in a few years. Olivier agreed that this champagne was just a tad young.

Olivier then came around to our table and we told him about POP, he seemed very impressed by our trip to Champagne and our passion for his wine. We told him about our plans to pour Krug by the glass, and he was pleased. I would love to sit down and drink Krug with him all night!

The third course Spring Veal Loin and Braised Shank, Crisp Potato-Leek Fritter, Spring Onion, Champagne Braising Jus. The star in this course was the Krug 1985 Collection. This is by far...wait for it...wait for it...

FAVORITE

CHAMPAGNE THAT

I HAVE EVER

TASTED!

This is a huge statement I know, but it really is. Now I am only 25 so there are plenty of vintage bubbles yet to come in my life, but for now 1985 Krug has stolen my heart in a big way! Olivier told us that during 1985 he was at college and there was a major frost, which limited yields, creating such a focused wine. It is incredibly rich, with a nose that reminds me of vintage tawny Port! Notes of chocolate, caramelized almonds, amaretto. It was so deeply golden in color. It still had a lot of refreshing mouth watering acidity, yet it was creamy, nutty, with a LONG caramel and coconut finish. I am still dreaming about having more, and seriously considering saving up for some. I was lucky enough to get a refill on this Champagne, thanks to knowing the sommelier of the evening.

While in my post 1985 bliss, the chef came over to our table. We apologized for our harassing phone calls trying to get our friends in, and thanked him for the wonderful meal and for accommodating our dairy free need. He was very nice and laughed about our semi-stalking of his restaurant!

For our last course we had Vanilla Yogurt Strawberry Coulis and Sorbet. The yogurt was so thick and creamy, it was like a custard with so many vanilla beans! We enjoyed the Krug 1982 Collection with our dessert. This one was still rich, but definitely more muted than the 1985, it had a bouquet that hinted of nuts, lemon peel, a little smokiness, and vanilla. On the palate it echoed the bouquet with smoky earthiness, a little pineapple and surprising acidity. I recommend trying this one now, as I am not sure how much longer it has.

On another note I recently had a taste of 1976 Krug as well. This was super earthy on the nose, reminiscent of what I like to call stinky cheese, or Tallegio. It was light and delicate yet creamy with hints of nuttiness, lot's of mushrooms, nice acidity and a long finish.

Godmé Pere et Fils Blanc de Noirs Brut

2009-06-12T02:14:00.000-07:00

I think I am catching birthday fever, I am surrounded by gemini whose birthdays are all this week. So we decided to bring home some bubbles to continue the spirit. We only have three bottles of Godmé Blanc de Noirs at POP, so we wanted to try it before it was gone.

It is a grand cru Blanc de Noirs from Verzenay. Godmé Pere et Fils is an RM.

It is a light golden Champagne with fine bubbles. The nose is very aromatic, with aromas of blackberry jam, vanilla, and something floral.As it warmed up in the glass I sensed what I like to call a stinky cheese nose, similar to that of Tallegio. Matt wasn't a fan of the palate, but I enjoyed it. It is creamy, and fruit forward with flavors of blackberries, strawberries and currants, Chantilly cream, and a little roasted nuts and bread dough with some hints of herbs and lemon peel. It is well balanced with refreshing acidity, mild-med. tannins and a medium finish. I think it is certainly a drinkable Champagne worthy of attention and a second visit.

100%Pinot Noir.

Le Brun Servenay Brut Rosé

2009-06-09T21:36:00.001-07:00

Starting off Matt's birthday week we decided to indulge in some rosé bubbles. Le Brun Servenay Brut Rosé is an RM from Avize. It is deeper colored rosé with fine rapid bubbles. Known mostly for chardonnay this champagne certainly has a creaminess and spice to it. I'm not sure of the composition but it is certainly mouth-watering and delicious! On the nose, it is ripe with spice, cherry and strawberries, with creamy vanilla notes. On the palate it is full of mouth-watering acidity, ripe with fresh strawberries and cherries, a little baking spice, and some cream. It is reminiscent of a cherry cream soda in the summer, with a little hint of nutmeg sprinkled on top.

I hope to drink this small production champagne soon.

Updates from POP

2009-06-09T20:56:00.001-07:00

Slowly getting back into the world of bubbles. Things at POP have been growing quickly, we are almost six months old. It's pretty amazing to think about where we came from, and where we are with the little experience we had.

Having Nancy come back for a visit, reminded me of where we were six months ago. It was interesting to hear her observations of the restaurant now that she has been gone. Our wine list has grown tremendously, as has our glass list. We now offer significantly more Champagne by the glass and half bottle making it more accessible to our guests. We have a much larger menu, and have added suggested pairings. I am excited to see where we grow from here.

This last week was Old Pasadena Restaurant Week, and it brought in a lot of new people who will hopefully return. It was so successful that we have extended it another week! We also started doing live music on Sundays. This last Sunday we had Jessica Fichot, an international artist who brings a French cafe feel to the bar. I think we will make her a regular performer.

Katie, our hostess with the mostest! has come up with some really creative marketing ideas, including sidewalk chalk and a coming soon POP Art Gallery.

I am so excited to have such dedicated and passionate people working for us. It really adds to the unique feeling of our restaurant!

Coming soon...A Post about our Krug dinner at Melisse! With photos!!

No Champagne Tastes Lately...

2009-05-19T00:10:00.000-07:00

I have been on the Master Cleanse for four days, and with pre-cleansing that's a whole week already without bubbles! I have served up some mouthwatering bubbles lately at POP, and it was very tough not to take a quick sip. Only ten more days to go.

We made some changes at POP last week. We got rid of POP night, because for some reason people will pay 20+ for a glass of Champagne, but not 15 for a 187mL which is 1 1/2 glasses. So Thursdays will now be POP pairing night, where for $15 you can choose from three food & wine pairings, such as ice wine and creme brulee, blue cheese and Port, wild mushroom & goat cheese bruschetta and our black velvet. Hope it will bring some people in! We also added $5 wines by the glass to our happy hour, a red, white & sparkling.

I took my WFL 2 test last Monday, and I was one of maybe two people to get all four blind tastings! I don't even drink that much still wine. I don't think I did as well on the multiple choice or essays though, I will find out shortly.

Ralph a fellow Champagne aficionado sent me this great video from one of the best Champagne importers Thierry Thiesse, I found it inspiring.

Vranken Pommery Tasting, Jorge Ordoñez Tasting and The Bazaar (briefly), oh and some news too.

2009-05-05T23:57:00.001-07:00

Matt and I spent our day off doing work, but when work is tasting wine it isn't hard to do. We dragged ourselves out of bed and over to the West Side, back to the SLS and into The Bazaar for a Jorge Ordoñez Producers tasting. Supposedly he was there, but I never found him.

For being a smaller trade show it was still pretty overwhelming, so we limited ourselves to sparkling, dessert and a few stills I had to try (MUGA!).

We started out at Vin El Cep S.A which was the only Cava table.

Marques de Gelida Ecologico 2005 - This is made from 100% organic grapes from native Penedes varieties and some Chardonnay. It had lot's of green apple, and a little metallic flavor. For me it was a little lacking in acidity.

Marques de Gelida Brut 2005 - This Cava had the same composition as the first but was made of fruit from the lower Penedes. It had low acidity and some green apple fruit.

Marques de Gelida Rosé 2005 - I don't have much opportunity to taste rosé Cavas, so I was excited to try this. It is 100% Pinot Noir. Though it was shy on the nose, I enjoyed the red berry flavors and acidity on this Cava.

If it seems I do not have much to say about the above, it is because this table did not seem interested in talking to us about their wines.

After the Cava, we had some jamon serrano, Spanish cheese, chorizo and some bread with tomato. We were very overwhelmed by the stills. I happily noticed that they were making the famous cotton candy foie gras. Apparently I don't hide my excitement well because the gentleman making them noticed my glee and left his station to deliver it to me. It was like a sweet dream that melted in my mouth.

Back to the wine. I knew I had to visit the Bodegas Muga table, and I was certainly glad that I did, if only I could afford these wines.

Bodegas Muga Muga Reserva 2005 - This wine had a nice ripe nose of cherry and vanilla. It is balanced with medium acidity, medium tannins, a nice light mouthfeel and a medium finish.

Bodegas Muga Muga Seleccion Especial 2004 - Lot's of spice and cherry fruit on the nose. Mild acidity and mild tannins.

Bodegas Muga Torre Muga 2005 - Nice light mouthfeel with strong tannins, rich with red berries and backing spice with a medium to long finish.

Bodegas Muga Aro 2005- This and the Gran Reserva were my favorites. It was very fragrant on the nose with a beautiful herbaceous boquet. On the palate it was very balanced.

Other tables we visited...

Bodegas Avanthia Avanthia Godello 2008 - This is a grape variety I have never tried before. It was full of tropical fruits, grapefruit but a little too low on acidity for my taste.

Bodegas El Nido Clio 2006 - This wine is so full of ripe fruit. It is delicious and balanced. Though I tend to enjoy more old style Spanish wines, I will admit that this one hits the spot.

We ended with some excellent sweet wines from Jorge Ordoñez & Company.

Bodegas Botani 2008 - This Moscatel wine from Malaga is vinified dry. It is all hand harvested, organic, and very botique. It was full of acidity with lot's of white peaches and nectarines.

Jorge Ordoñez Málaga Old Vines Moscatel 2006 - This wine spends six months in French oak. It is very full-bodied with honey, white stone fruits and a lingering finish. We saved this for the end and went back and got another cotton candy foie gras, a great pairing!

Jorge Ordoñez Selección Especial 2006 - Late harvest Moscatel, very aromatic with honey aromas, apricots, nectarines, medium-full bodied with a long finish.

Jorge Ordoñez Victoria 2006 - A nice aromatic nose. On the palate it reminded me of a poached nectarine, tropical fruit flavors in the background, full of acidity, and full bodied with a nice long finish.

I enjoyed all of these last wines.

Now onto the bubbles.

One of my favorite wine reps. came to our place and tasted and our staff. Vranken Pommery is a very innovative Champagne House and one that we have a great relationship with.

Vranken Demoiselle Tete de Cuvee - Vranken was a Belgian gent who arrived in Champagne with only 500 francs, he became the first person to sell Champagne on the retail market. He purchased Demoiselle for his wife, and wanted to create a light elegant wine. This house uses a lot of Chardonnay and even their rosé is 85% Chardonnay. For the Tete de Cuvee they use 80% Chardonnay and the rest is Pinot Noir from Bouzy. The style of the bottle is meant to emulate a woman's dress with little hints of art noveau. It has art noveau flowers and demoiselle also means firefly which was one of the symbols for the art noveau movement.

This was a fruit forward Champagne with a hint of brioche on the nose. It had nice full acidity, mild tannins and flavors of toasted nuts, white fruits, pears, and a little vanilla. It is medium bodied with a medium finish.

Pommery Brut Royal - The first house to create the Brut style. This spends three years on the lees. It has a pale gold color with fine bubbles. The Brut Royal had a shy nose with a little lemon and spice. On the palate it was dry with medium acidity, mild tannins. It was very well rounded and as my fellow aficionado Rafael said it "takes away flavors not brings them forward". It could work as a palate cleanser because it has a little baking spice and nuts but a lot of elegance to round that out.

Pommery Spring Time Rosé - This is from their seasonal Champagne line. Matt and I learned about this when we visited the house and have been inquiring about it ever since, it has finally arrived. It is very light salmon pink with fine rapidly dancing bubbles. On the nose it has a medium intensity of youthful aromas of strawberry jam, creaminess and a little floral notes. On the palate it was dry with medium acidity, grapefruits, red berries, strawberry jam, flowers, cream, with mild tannins and very refreshing. The essence of Spring.

Pommery Cuvee Louise 1998 - When Matt and I visited Pommery we tasted this for the first time, and Matt said he wished he could drink this everyday. The Louise is aged 7-8 years. It is 100% Grand Cru grapes with 40% Pinot Noir from Ay, and 60% Chardonnay from Avize and Cramant. They press the grapes on site in the vineyard, and those who work on this cuvee only work on this cuvee. When we were at the house, they rang a bell every time this was served. On the nose it is full of toasted bread, juicy golden and green apples, pears and a little nuttiness and creaminess. On the palate it is very rich and balanced with hazelnuts, cream and pears. We might pour this by the glass.

Pommery POP Extra Dry - This is an example of the innovation of Pommery. It was created in 1999 for the fashion industry and meant to be drunk through a straw so as not to mess up make-up. It is 2/3 Chardonnay and 1/3 Pinot Noir. It has a light golden color, with a slightly toasty nose of lemon peel, cream and a little marzipan. On the palate it is off dry with med.-low acidity, white fruits, creaminess and a short finish.

This is a fun wine, great for brunch or a night out.

I also learned of some upcoming POP projects such as POP Earth, POP American, and Silver or "Narcissist" POP.

Lastly some more bubbly news.

Court rules that Germany can produce "Italian" sparkling wines.

Interesting, I am pretty sure this won't last long.

Matthew Levy joins Schramsberg marketing team.

News.

2009-05-04T23:52:00.001-07:00

A few more updates from the world of bubbles...

I was told about this site by a fellow aficionado and now it seems to be POPping up everywhere.

Champagneguide.net gets more press

I can't wait to join and check this out!

Win a Taittinger Balloon Flight For Two

If only...

I would love to re-taste the Comtes de Champange Blanc de Blancs. I tasted it on my 25th birthday, and again shortly after for Nancy's going away party. It is a very rich and toasty Champagne full of hazelnuts and poached pears, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

The aforementioned aficionado, also shared a magnum of Taittinger, my first magnum...and it was wonderful.

Nicolas Feuillatte Announces Sole Importer

Matt and I visited this house in 2007. It is amazing how much Champagne they produce, it was something ridiculous like 20+ cuvees. They gave us the 1997 Palmes D'Or and it was fruit forward and toasty delicious, we enjoyed it on Thanksgiving 2007. I could go for more.

John Scharffenberger plans to make American Iberco Ham

Now this isn't Champagne related but I love the chocolate, sell a lot of the sparkling wine and have a passion for Jamon Iberco. While it probably won't be as good as the real thing, I am intrigued by his adventurous and experimental spirit.

In other news, my friend and chef at POP has started her own blog, like mine it is in the beginning phase but you should stop by and say hi to Ms. Emily Earhart.

Tomorrow...Notes on our latest Pommery tasting and perhaps our tasting tomorrow at The Bazaar with Jorge Ordoñez

Tasting Notes

2009-04-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

When I started this blog, I wasn't sure how it was going to be structured, a little news, a little tastes, updates on the bar and whatever else popped into my head. I am still not sure, but here it goes.

As luck would have it, we did Champagne & sparkling wine in my International Sommelier Guild (ISG), on Monday.

We tasted two Champagnes:

Agrapart & Fils Blanc de Blancs 7 Crus

This Champagne started out a little shy with aromas of green apple, a little minerality and some brioche hiding in the background. On the palate it was full of refreshing acidity, green apples, citrus fruits and a hint of spice. It was refreshing, and would probably be a nice aperitif, but seemed too light to carry throughout a meal.
Marc Hebrart Brut 2002
This Champagne was disgorged in April '08. I appreciate when producers provide this information.
It showed a little sign of age, with a deeper gold core. The nose was what I like to call "stinky cheese", the kind that reminds you of Tallegio, a little varnish and some toast. On the palate it was more rounded than the Agrapart, it had a nice balance of acidity with flavors of roasted nuts, and toasted bread. I enjoyed it though I would hold it 4-5 years. I had the Marc Hebrart 2002 Blanc de Blancs Special Club at The Bazaar (a friend brought it), and from what I recall it was richer, toastier, and fuller.

A few days later we did a tasting at the bar with a rep from Pernod Ricard. While I don't enjoy tasting with sales people, I couldn't turn down the chance to taste something new, or re-taste with a fresher palate.
We started with some California bubbles.

Mumm Napa Brut Prestige NV - I recently met the winemaker for Mumm and he said he is most proud of this wine. Our sales rep. also claims that this is the most underpriced California wine, I don't agree. The blend is made up of mostly of Carneros fruit with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and 1% Pinot Gris. The nose seemed a little shy on this one, it had some fruit but I couldn't quite nail it down, and a little vanilla. On the palate it had refreshing acidity, a little citrus fruit and baking spices, with a short finish.

Mumm Napa Blanc de Blancs 2003 - 75% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Gris. Very aromatic (thanks Pinot Gris), white stone fruits, baking spices, and a little of that stinky cheese smell. On the palate it had medium acidity, and a lot of fruit with a medium finish. I would give this some more time, but unfortunately there are not many cases left.

Now onto the Champagnes.

Perrier-Jouet Blason Rose - 45% Chardonnay, 20-25% Pinot Meunier, and the rest is Pinot Noir all fruit is from the Cote de Blancs and Montagne de Reims. It had a beautiful salmon pink color. The nose was ripe with strawberries, vanilla, and a little confected aroma like berry compote. The palate tingled with bubbles and acidity with a round creaminess like strawberry shortcake. I really appreciated the balance of fruit and elegance in this Champagne. I suggest drinking this as young as possible because it is full of Pinot Meunier.

Mumm de Cramant - this is a lighter Champagne from Mumm, it is only 4 atmospheres rather than the usual 6. I was told it is actually a vintage, but he was not sure of the year. It is 100% Chardonnay from Cramant. This is a nice Champagne, it had a delicious nose of vanilla, white peaches, baking spice, and some bread dough. On the palate it was full of mouthwatering acidity, and flavors of pear and vanilla, with a burst of creaminess that filled your mouth. It is a full bodied Champagne that I would thoroughly enjoy with a meal.

So as a bonus we poured. the Philipponnat Royale Reserve
It has a rich aromatic bouquet of baking spices, citrus fruits, vanilla extract, and a little baked apple. On the palate it was very acidic yet creamy, almost like lemon curd with vanilla. I enjoyed the rich and toasty finish.

New & Updates since 01.2009 in Champagne

2009-04-30T02:01:00.000-07:00

Things are a buzz in the world of fizz.

Buy more bubbles... Moet Hennessy sales fall by one third.

LVMH may sell Krug and Dom Perignon to Diageo

LVMH considers sale of entire wine & spirits holdings.

Head of Vranken Pommery calls for cut of yields.

Most expensive bottle of Champagne sold.

Krug 1928 sold for over $21,000 that's pretty crazy.

Champagne News & Updates

2009-04-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

Some updates from the fabulous world of Champagne.

Duval-Leroy to test out metal caps instead of natural cork .

There is no cork shortage, and what is more natural than using bark? Not so sure that metal will decompose at the same rate as wood.

AOC expansion planned in Champagne

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90309559

http://www.champagne.us/index.cfm?pageName=newsroom_news&detail=yes&articleID=60

Pics from The Bazaar

2009-04-21T20:29:00.000-07:00

After Southern Wine & Spirits "Best of the Best" tasting, we were treated to a tasting dinner at The Bazaar. It was incredible. Sadly I don't recall most of it due to an overindulgence of bubbles including all three Perrier Jouet Fleurs, the Blanc de Blancs is my new favorite, Pommery's new Spring time Rose, Cuvee Louise, and a gamut of bubbles from Moet and Veuve.

At the Bazaar we were treated to delectable cocktails including a super dirty martini with their famous olives and olive brine air, a delicious gin and tonic (both are pictured), a magic mojito served over cotton candy, Caprihana and much more.

After our adventure in Bar Centro we were led to the dining room Rojo y Blanca. We all decided to do the tasting menu and we got an even better experience because one of our guests couldn't eat dairy so we got to try two tasting menus.

It was incredible!

Every bite had amazing texture and flavor.

We began with the duo of olives traditional and modern. Those modern olives are like nothing I have ever had before, they POP with flavor.

I am not sure the order in which we had the next items, but I can assure you that all were incredible experiences that I felt over my entire body.

Jamon Iberco

Classic Gazpacho, probably the best I have every had BY FAR just so pure and perfect!

Mussels with olive oil, vinegar, pimenton

Sauteed Wild Mushrooms with garlic, aromatics

Papas Canarias-salty wrinkled potatoes, mojo verde

Tuna ceviche and avocado roll

Beef Hanger Steak piquillo pepper confit

American Caviar Cone (delicate and fun)

Soy Marinated Salmon Roe Cone

Not your every day Caprese-cherry tomatoes and liquid mozzarella (another flavor POP)

Sauteed calliflower "couscous" Calliflower puree, harissa and lemon

Ottoman carrot fritters

Watermelon tomato skewers

Philly Cheesesteak-Air bread, Waygu Beef and Cheddar (the best surprise of the evening)

Afterwards we were invited in the kitchen to meet Marcel from Top Chef (our reservation was under him), he was very nice and we invited him to POP.

The kitchen was huge, and we were told there was a lab behind it, wish I could go.

We were then taken to the Patisserie for dessert.

Coffee

Hot Chocolate Mousse-with pear sorbet and salty hazelnut praline

Nitro Coconut Floating Island with Passion Fruit and Vanilla

Traditional Spanish Flan with vanilla and oranges

The Patisserie was a sleek and adorable.

Emily was certainly jealous. We tried to get a tour...we failed.

All in all it was an incredible experience...minus the $60 Beverly Hills parking ticket.

If I can't write about it at least I can show you...

2009-04-21T20:22:00.001-07:00

Though I cannot recall all the details of my latest bubbly tastes, here are some photos

Excuses and apologies

2009-04-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

I was laptop less for the last four months. Guess I should not have been so eager to start a blog that I cannot keep up with.

Well here I sit laptop on lap, ready to type about the amazing Champagne experiences I have had in the last few months but...

I cannot recall it all.

Too many bubbles.

So I am apologizing for teasing you with promised tales of Krugs and Fleurs. I will attempt to keep this up from now own.

Goodbye excuses and apologies.

This is a test...

2009-02-15T15:06:00.000-08:00

This blog is a test. It began out of an amazing week of Champagne tastes that were so life changing that I had to share them with the world.