Unlike still wine, Champagne is difficult to save for more than a few hours.  There are some good products on the market that can slow the demise, but nothing can stop time.  Once you pop the cork, you have a couple hours.  With a stopper, you might be able to double that time.  So unless I have friends over or I feel like polishing off a bottle, that sparkling treasure will remain buried in the cellar.  However, instead of hiding my bubbly away for specific occasions, I have found a solution in the form of small format bottles or Splits.

A few years back Champagne Houses noticed a growing demand for their wine in America.

|Several factors appear to be behind the recent success. One is the popularity of rosé in the U.S.—especially sparkling rosé. Champagne houses and other sparkling producers have also targeted 20- and 30-somethings with single-serve bottles and other smart packaging. And as U.S. wine consumption as a whole increases, more Americans have learned that sparklers are food-flexible wines.|

I never like to think of myself as a slave to marketing, but I have to admit half-bottles and splits are really appealing to me.  Not only can I enjoy champagne more often, but it won’t go flat on me.  Splits are not for all occasions, but they definitely make it easier to enjoy your favorite champagne.

In order to break-down my argument, we need to focus on the basic differences between Old World wine, and New World wine.  More specifically, I will focus on French vs Californian.  France is widely considered to be the birth place of modern wine making, modern being 18th/19th century.  French varietals remain the most widely planted grapes in the New World.  California is the largest producer in the New World, outside of China, and has been France’s rival since 1976.

Up until 1976, French wines were the undisputed champ.  French wines are governed by tight regional laws and their winemaking has had centuries of refining.  Most of the wine produced in France sits in the 11%-14% range.  Without getting too much into the Judgement of Paris, it was that historic tasting that woke people up to California wines and their higher alchohol levels.  California wines have higher alcohol levels, (12%-16%) because they are generally produced from riper fruit.  Ripeness can be measured in many ways, but Brix (measurement of sugar to water mass) provides a clear picture to final alcohol levels.  During fermentation, yeast cells convert sugar into alcohol.  More sugar, more alcohol.

After veraison, winemakers constantly run numbers on their fruit.  Some winemakers live and die by their lab numbers, only picking when they have the numbers they want.  Others watch the numbers, but commit to older ways, harvesting when the fruit tastes right.  Arguments can be made on what is a better method, but trained winemakers are never in the dark.  They know what type of harvest they have when the fruit comes in.  Some years everything aligns creating banner vintages.  Other years, Mother nature doesn’t play nice.

In off years, winemakers need to put on their chef hats and play with their recipes.  This is where France and California greatly differ.  As any Californian knows, our summers are long, very dry and feature numerous heat spikes.  With this weather, winemakers rarely worry that their wines won’t ripen.  They worry that the fruit will ripen too quick, creating a less complex wine or that the heat spikes will raise the Brix levels without the fruit fully maturing.  When this occurs, some winemakers chose to let their fruit overrippen giving it time to develop the tannins, acidity, etc.  Then during fermentation, water is added to prevent the alcohol level from rising to unacceptable levels and eventually killing the yeast before it can convert all the sugar.

This is where I have a problem with the 18% Australian shiraz Mr Salmon used as an example of winemakers glut for ratings.  First it is very hard to produce an 18% wine.  Once the alcohol level reaches 16.5% yeast cells are destroyed by the alcohol they so lovingly created.  If there is any remaining sugar that hasn’t been converted, you now have a very sweet, alcoholic wine.  In order to complete the fermentation and create a dry wine, various techniques have to be employed.  While this happens, especially in very warm climates like Australia, it is rare.

The climate in France rarely threatens to overrippen fruit, but winemakers have an entirely different problem, unripe grapes.  Summers in France can be plagued with heavy rains, wind, cool temps and earlier autumns.  In less than ideal years, winemakers are forced to harvest before maturity.  To counter this, winemakers use a technique called chaptalization.  Chaptalization is a very simple process of adding sugar to increase the wines alcohol content.  It is illegal in many areas, including California and Italy, but widely practiced in cooler climates.  Just like adding water can be affective when placed in the right hands, so can chaptalization.

This brings me to the second hole in Mr Salmon’s argument.  When he informed his readers to simply pick the wine with the lowest alcohol level on the wine list, he could be instructing them to pick a flawed wine.  11%-12% is a great range for light delicate whites, but most reds in that range are produced from under-ripe fruit.  They will lack the lively, bright character the wine should have expressed.  Just like the 18% bomb, these flabby wines are out of balance.

The final point I would like to make is that Mr. Salmon is wrong to assume that winemakers are hiding this information.  It is well known that we add water to some wines, and that the French add sugar.  There is no “dirty little secret”, most winemakers are proud to proclaim their wines maintain a consistent balance year after year.  He is right to mention that wine critics, such as Mr Parker and Wine Spectator have had an immense impact on the wine world.  Young upstarts have risen to fame due to a single rave review, and the opposite is just as true.  I would be lying not to acknowledge the growing trend to appease their tastes.

He is wrong to assume this is the main factor in causing the rapid rise in alcohol levels.  Truth be told, I just went through our Library and found wines produced 15 years ago from the same vineyards with the same alcohol content.  I would also like to add that as long as the wine has balance, forget the alcohol percentage.  Give it a try, never judge a bottle by its label.

Charcoal? Check.

Food? Check.

Libation?……Libation?

Okay, so you don’t know what to serve. That’s okay; BBQs are hard meals to pair with wine, mostly because your guests and your parties come in all shapes and sizes. For instance, if you are planning to invite 50+ people for a day by the pool, where a spontaneous game of Marco Polo is likely to breakout, do yourself a favor: buy some burgers, dogs and cheap brew. By the time your friend Jimmy hits the water, no one will care what is in his/her glass. However, if you have planned a more docile affair, wine is a brilliant option.

The first thing to remember about BBQs is that they are often centered around food, which typically highlights meat. Burgers, sausages, steaks, and chicken are four of the most common items prepared. The second thing to remember is that BBQs often occur on warm, sunny days. This is where the conundrum arises: should you serve a white wine on a warm, sunny day, or can you serve a big red? The answer: do the right thing…pull out the red. Why? Dry, crisp whites aren’t greasy burgers’ or the spicy sausages’ best friend. However, both have been getting chummy with Syrah for decades.

I like Syrah with my BBQ for several reasons. First, is the cost: you can find a great bottle of Syrah for $15-$25 and a good one for $10. Second, it’s versatile; Syrah is produced all over the world. In France, its native country, it’s dark, intense and plum-like, with hints of dark berries. Domestically, it tends to have a bit more ripe fruit flavor and less tannic punch. In Australia, it is grown in very warm climates, which produce very ripe grapes, that create a sweeter, juicer wine that is high in alcohol*. Finally, and most importantly, it pairs wonderfully with smoky, grilled meats.

To further illustrate my point, I’ll ask you this: would you order a Sauvignon Blanc with sirloin in March? Then why are you doing it in July? Some might say that it’s warm, and they can’t handle a heavy wine. Wine drinking is an experience, and by choosing the right wine with your meal, you will only enhance that experience. The problem most people have with drinking a red wine on a hot day is that they serve it too warm. Red wine should never be served above 65 degrees, or cellar temp. However, most of us don’t have cellars, so we consume our reds at much higher temperatures, often upwards of 75 degrees. Next time you open a red, try cooling it slightly in the fridge, no more than a few minutes. I promise, if you follow these tips, you will be drinking Syrah year-round.

*In Australia they bottle their Syrah under the name Shiraz. This practice has been adopted by many Southern Hemisphere wineries and even some domestic, but it’s still the same grape.

Wines to consider:

- Landmark Vineyards Steelplow Syrah, ‘05: Simply put, it’s BBQ in a bottle, great value, almost Rhone-like goodness

- Spicerack Vineyards “Punchdown” Syrah, ’06: Just as the name implies, full of spice, made by 1 of 5 Marin County wineries

Cooking bivalves could possibly be the easiest and quickest quality dinner I can think of. Depending on the species and size, cook time ranges from 0-15 minutes. Of course, if you feel like getting a bit crazy, you can roast them, which adds a whopping 45 minutes. However, for the sake of this article, I will focus on a simple preparation, steaming. Since we are steaming, forget about oysters, (best served raw or roasted) and scallops (best served seared, roasted or raw). This leaves us with my favorite bivalves: mussels and the equally delicious clams.

Mussels and clams are great for quick summer meals for two important reasons: cost and taste. Most stores sell the average mussel for around $5-$8 lbs, and clams are only a few dollars more. Depending on what part of the country you live in, varieties will change, but the cooking method always remains the same. In a sauté pan with a lid, sauté your aromatics, such as shallots, garlic, and my favorite addition, bacon. When caramelized, toss in your bivalves with some white wine; cover and let steam. I like a 2:1 ratio of mussels to clams. After the shells open, remove them from the liquid, and finish the sauce in any way you see fit, but think: butter and herbs. Place the bivalves in a bowl, pour the sauce over them, slice some bread to soak up the sauce and you have your dinner.

A perfect complement to your simple fare is sparkling wine. Most everyone has a bottle of sparkling wine hanging around for some special occasion that usually never happens*; so dust it off, and pop the cork, because it is bivalve time. Champagne, Prosecco, Cava or any other domestic sparkling wine will do, but make sure it is a brut**. Sparkling wine is perfect because its delicate features and tight bubbles work fantastic with our tender pier lovers. Furthermore, after a day of fun in the sun, who feels like a Cabernet?

So grab a few handfuls of bivalves, a nice sparking wine and invite your friends over for some shelled delights.

* Please note, unless you are swimming in Benjamin’s, don’t open anything real special, try to keep it under $40.

** Avoid flavored sparkling wines, such as almond, orange, etc.

Wines to Consider

• Agrapart et Fils NV “Les 7 Crus”: great value champagne, but can be hard to find. Fantastic crisp, green apple flavors
• Roederer Estate Brut NV and Domaine Carneros Brut NV: two domestic sparkling wines that are produced by French champagne makers. They are both very good and affordable wines, with Roederer being fuller-bodied
• Drusian Prosecco: classic prosecco, with great mineral tones

View additional pairings ideas from Nick Benz.

For most of you, I would suspect you never considered, let alone bought, a whole fish. This fact is unfortunate and I think its time to start experimenting. If this is your first time, start slow and go with an easy bet, Trout. Trout is delicious, whether it is brown, rainbow, or silver, and at an average cost of $6-$8/lbs, it is a much better value than its saltwater cousin, Salmon. Just make sure that you ask your fish monger to scale and gut the fish before you take it home; believe me, that’s a task that will have you sleeping on the couch.

Once you’re ready to cook your trout, you have two options: fillet it or cook it whole. Filleting has its appeal because you can save the bones and make a delicious fumet, (French for fish stock), which is great for making sauces. However, if you are unsure of your knife skills, roast it whole. I like this option, not because of my filleting skills, but because it is easy and allows you to inject tons of flavor into the fish by simply stuffing the cavity with aromatics like ginger, thyme and lemon slices.

With your roasted trout, I would open a crisp, acidic white wine, with good depth. For this pairing, I chose Domaine Zind Humbrecht’s 2005 Pinot d’Alsace. This wine is a blend of 70% Auxerrois and 30% Pinot Blanc. Auxerrois is a grape that is traditionally used in Alsatian blends, like Edelzwicker. It is also used to add complexity to Pinot Blanc. Zind Humbrecht brings it to the forefront in their 2005 Pinot d’Alsace, where its honeysuckle flavors shine. The Pinot Blanc adds great acidity, and a crisp citrus bite that plays nice with our trout. If you have trouble finding this wine, don’t worry, there are alternatives. Any Alsatian Pinot Blanc or Oregonian Pinot Gris will work beautifully.

Interestingly, Auxerrois is a grape that causes great confusion to many because its name is often used to describe other types of grapes. So I will try to clear up the confusion, Auxerrois Gris is a synonym for Pinot Gris in Alsace. Where as Auxerrois Blanc was the name given to Chardonnay in Alsace before it became a famous wine. Further adding to the confusion, in Cahors, France, natives often refer to the red-wine grape Malbec as Auxerrois. However, today it’s a safe bet that anything white labeled Auxerrois is the infamous grape of confusion.

Now that you have your pairing; Bon Appetite and Cheers!

Editors Note: This is the second installment in a series of Food and Wine Pairings by Chef Nick Benz.  Last week he covered a seasonal take on Sloppy Joe’s and Zinfandel.  Stay tuned for more deliciousness…

Sloppy Joe, in one form or another, has graced the tables and faces of our nation for centuries. It can be made with ground or shredded beef, but is always swimming in a tomato-based sauce that is spooned over a soon to be soggy bun. Unfortunately, most food-loving Americans have turned their backs on this classic with bad memories of school cafeteria meals gone wrong. It is a trend I hope I can help reverse, because when done right, Sloppy Joe is truly magical.

So what makes a good Sloppy Joe? The meat. Avoid the temptation, don’t use ground beef, take the extra effort and use shredded beef brisket. I know this will add considerable time to your cooking, but the flavor is worth it. For the sauce, forget ketchup, BBQ sauce and start from scratch. Using canned tomatoes, fresh vegetables, spices and a little creativity you can create a delicious homemade sauce. Finally you need to decide how to serve it. There are many options, but I prefer it on a seeded roll with coleslaw and fries.

With your delicious sandwich, I would suggest pouring America’s only native varietal, Zinfandel. Cultivated in the United States since the 1880’s, Zinfandel has a big American personality. However, recently there has been some debate whether the grape is related to the Italian grape, Primitivo, or whether it actually is the same grape. For me, I find this conversation irrelevant because whether or not they share the same DNA, they are very different wines.

Zinfandel is Clint Eastwood in a bottle, bold, fiery and very masculine. It’s these characteristics that make it a perfect pairing for the full-flavored Sloppy Joe. They match each other, in depth, spice and acidity. Sloppy Joes are not wimpy sandwiches, so you need a wine that will stand toe to toe demanding “make my day.” I will never turn down a glass of Primitivo, but it is 4th of July and we are not eating Pizza. So raise your glass and your bun to two All-American Classics.

Wines to Consider

Ridge Vineyards: Produces 8 different Zinfandels and was one of the first commercial wine producers in California, circa 1885. www.ridgewine.com

Marietta Cellars 2006 Zinfandel: www.mariettacellars.com

Green and Red 2006 Zinfandel “Chiles Canyon Vineyard”: www.greenandred.com