Make It a Double: What to Do With Leftover Champagne

If you opened a couple of bottles of nice champagne for New Year's eve or another special occasion and didn't get around to finishing it all, The Luxurist wants to make sure that you don't let it go to waste.



Drinking bubbly straight up is a fine way to ring in the New Year. But, there's no need to be conventional on other days.

In fact, champagne can be used in a wide range of mixed drinks, from the classic Champagne Cocktail (bitters, brandy, sugar, champagne) to a more complicated concoction called a Sudden Headache (mango, tequila, triple sec, lime juice, sugar, champagne).

The French 75 (gin, sugar, lemon, champagne) is another standby. Variations call for replacing the gin with Jameson Irish Whisky or cognac.

Use your imagination and make up your own recipe, or look here for other refreshing ideas from Food & Wine magazine.

Make It A Double: How They Say It In Scotland

While small batch and craft bourbons are gaining popularity, premium Scotch remains a staple for The Luxurist.

Buying them online is one thing,  but ordering in a bar can be a challenge. Do you know how to  pronounce  Bruichladdich without sounding like a complete dunderheed, as they say in the Old Country? Now you can, along with the names of some 40 others, thanks to Esquire and the Scottish actor Brian Cox.

For a Memorable Valentine's Day, Try These Outstanding Champagnes

Jay McInerney observed in the Wall St. Journal recently that the British regard champagne as a necessity, rather than a luxury

As might be expected, Winston Churchill was less tactful. "I cannot live without champagne," he once said.

Most of Britain continues to concur. More champagne is sold there than in any other country outside France. That includes the U.S., whose population is about five times larger than the U.K.


So what do the British know about champagne that Americans don't? For one thing, they're more knowledgeable about a wider range of first-rate producers. These include the historic French houses of Pommery, Pol Roger and Bollinger.

Not one to disagree with the man who also said, "I am easily satisfied with the very best," The Luxurist proposes a few memorable bottles that are worth seeking out.

(Or for ease, just click on the links and they will be whisked to your residence in no time at all.)

Let us start with Bollinger. It's a family run house with a long tradition dating back to 1829.  "Bollinger's appeal is unmistakable: It's rich and powerful and Pinot Noir-heavy—the Château Latour of Champagnes," McInerney opined.

"Bollinger's Special Cuvée is one of the biggest non-vintage champagnes on the market, and the complex La Grande Année is really a food wine more than it is an aperitif." For a notable Valentine's Day, the Grande Année Rose is the way to go.

Bollinger's richness and particular quality is often attributed to it's fermentation in wooden barrels, some more than 100 years old and kept in shape by a full-time cooper. The Luxurist believes it is the only house producing champagne in this manner.

The Luxurist notes that James Bond often quaffed Bollinger in both Ian Fleming's novels and movies made from them.

Also Read: Sweets, Hearts, And Other Valentine's Day Confections

Pol Roger is another tradition-steeped family owned operation. Founded in 1845, it is known for its vintage champagnes, which McInerney rightly states "merit comparison with the best.". Right now 2002 Pol Roger Vintage Brut is available at a very reasonable under $100 price. Also try the non-vintage Pol Roger Brut.

You might find you will enjoy Pol Roger more than the usual champagnes Americans are used to drinking. Churchill certainly did; it was his favorite.

But if you must have Veuve, then The Luxurist recommends you opt for their rose, which is more highly rated than the Yellow Label and, take it from The Luxurist, absolutely delicious.

Finally, McInerney notes that "champagnes likes these really deserve to be drunk year round."

The Luxurist certainly subscribes to that philosophy. In fact, he's heading to his cellar now to make his champagne selections for tonight's dinner.

Make It A Double: An Appealing Wine At A Good Price. And You've Probably Never Heard Of It.

If you ever see a bottle of Chinon on a wine list when you are dining out, do yourself a favor and  order it. You are likely to be pleasantly surprised.

The Luxurist has been taking his own advice for many years because he knows what many wine mavens have learned: this medium-to-full bodied red wine from the inviting Loire region in France pairs nicely with food and, because it is so little known, ordering a bottle won't break the bank.

In fact, the prices are so reasonable that a high quality Chinon usually turns out be a terrific value.

Made primarily from the cabernet franc grape, Chinons tend to show more herbal and mineral qualities than Burgundy. They might show some nice fruit. But you will not find any floral notes in them.

Some have called these wines "austere" or "reserved" Of course, that is precisely why they are wonderful wines to drink with a meal.

While the quality can be quite good across the board, the style of the wines will vary, not simply because of the skill of the winemaker, but also because the soils in the Loire Valley are not uniform.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, the Chinon appellation comprises "a mix of terroirs, including alluvial soils that tend to produce lighter, easier drinking wines; limestone, chalk and clay slopes, where the most complex, structured and age-worthy wines are grown; and soils dominated by clay, which can produce wines that reflect both styles."

Perhaps this is more than you need to know about Chinon. Suffice it to say that if you spend a few minutes with a thoughtfully assembled wine list, you may well find a Chinon worth drinking.

If you want to try a Chinon: Charles Joguet is one of the oldest and most reliable Chinon producers. Others include Bernard Baudry, Couly-Dutheil, Domaine des Roches Neuves, Phillipe Alliet. Wines from several of these producers were highly rated last week in a New York Times tasting of Loire reds. The Marc Bredif 2011 received 2 1/2 stars and is widely available in the U.S. You an get it here.

Make It A Double: Putting An End To Blah Booze

Who says the wine or whiskey you give to friends and business associates this holiday season has to be boring?

Certainly not The Luxurist – or anyone he knows or would care to know. But I digress.

Back to the subject at hand: haute hootch. By this we mean premium libations that stand out from the crowd of monotonous merlots and so-so champagnes – in other words, bottles with bling.

Here are two that The Luxurist recommends:

Absolut Elyx 

The first thing you notice about this super premium vodka is the distinctive shape of the bottle – it's not round! – suggesting that what's inside is something out of the ordinary, as well.

Absolut (and nearly all other) vodka is produced in large stainless steel vats. The entire process is controlled by computers. No humans allowed! Elyx is distilled by hand in a small, all-copper still at the original Absolut distillery in Ahus, Sweden. Simply distilling in all copper creates a vodka with unique flavor characteristics, one that is silky smooth, quite different, and more refined than vodkas you might be used to.

Also read: Scotch You Don't Know But Should

The wheat used to make Elyx is sourced from a single estate, introducing the concept of terroir to this category of spirits and further distinguishing the flavor profile.

Critics have called Elyx "a grand slam home run" and "one of the best vodkas" to come to market in ages. That's saying a lot when you consider how many fine vodkas you can find nowadays. Drink Elyx neat or with a single ice cube. About $50 per bottle.

Belvedere RED

It's what's on the outside of this eye-catching semi-transparent metallic special edition bottle that's important here. When you purchase Belvedere RED, half of the profits go to the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Inside you'll find the same tasty vodka as in a regular bottle of Belvedere. And there's nothing shabby about that! About $35 for 750ML and $65 for the double-your-fun 1.5L bottle.

To purchase these and other premium wines and spirits in multiples for holiday gifting,  call Jasper & James at (310) 581-6710.

See more fine wine and premium spirits here.

Make It a Double: A Scotch That Came in From the Cold

We recently wrote about Mongolia's main city, Ulan Bator, the coldest of any capital on our planet.

Now comes word from Scotland that whisky maker Glenfiddich has introduced a limited edition bottling blended from casks that were all exposed to sub-zero temperatures when the roof of their storage building collapsed under heavy snow in 2009.

After witnessing the damage, malt maker Brian Kinsman was inspired to create an original blend "marrying together different ages of mature Glenfiddich – some very old."

"Some of these casks had previously held Oloroso sherry and others were traditional whisky casks made of American oak," he explained. "Each one was specially chosen to make a unique contribution to the taste and aroma of the final whisky."

He calls it Snow Phoenix, "a great Glenfiddich Single Malt born of chance and adversity."

While the name may confound if you know anything about mythology, the results are another matter. They have generated rapturous reviews.

It has "an oaky, salty depth. This is one silky smooth scotch," opined one critic. Another crowed, "I poured myself another glass, for pleasure, immediately!"

Enough said.

Only 12,000 bottles of Snow Phoenix were produced, so it may be hard to find.

We think it's worth the search. Let us know what you think of it.
 

Deep Discounts on Wine Abound and Aren't Going Away

More than a year ago, The Luxury Life alerted readers to the remarkable wine discounts available through sites like winestilsoldout.com and cinderellawine.com.

Today's New York Times reports on the success of these and other wine bargain sites. The paper says that the flash wine market now comprises about $100 million per year, or about 25% of all wine sales.

Read more about how to get some great prices on very good wines in our original report and in the Times article.

Things Not Available In The U.S.: Moet & Chandon's Golden Jeroboam

We like to think of the U.S. as the land of plenty, but sometimes it's plenty of nothing.

At least that's the case as far as Moet & Chandon is concerned.

The French champagne house recently released their Golden Jeroboam, guaranteed to impress not merely because it stands a stunning 19 1/2 inches tall and packs three liters of Moet's finest sparkling wine, but also because the bottle is clad in gold leaf.*

(Some journalists have referred to this as "real" gold leaf. Honestly, is there any other kind?)

Moet has produced just 1743 bottles to celebrate the year of its founding.

And did we mention that if you are lucky enough to snag one of these beauties, it will set you back about $1,050?

It appears that Moet isn't making this particular treasure available in the U.S. or U.K. One place you can get it online is from the Parisian merchant-of-the-moment Collette.

Bonne chance et bonne année!

*You say jeroboam, we say double magnum. We always thought that a jeroboam contained 4 1/2 liters, or six regular bottles, of champagne, not three liters, or four bottles, as Moet avers. Do they know something we don't?
 

The Annals of Luxury: Consumers Are Forsaking Pricey California Wines. Bad For Vinters, Good For You

California's winemakers could use a stiff drink.

In July we reported that the prices of premium California wines had dropped, as consumers abandoned expensive cabs and proprietary blends in favor of budget bottles from lesser producers.

Wineries had hoped that the trend would reverse itself during the holiday season. No such luck. Wine sales continued to spiral downward, leaving wineries and distributors with even larger inventories than anticipated.

The wine industry views 2009 as the worst year in memory, according to a report by the California Farm Bureau Federation.

It's a double whammy for producers of fine wines, those in the $50 - $150 range. Consumers are buying fewer premium bottles and expect to pay less for them. Half the bottles at the half the price. That's the predicament roiling the Golden State wine industry today.

As if this isn't bad enough, the state's wineries are facing increased competition from foreign producers, also suffering from the global economic downturn and changing consumer behavior.

Overseas vintners have seen a sharp fall in exports to the U.S., the world's second largest wine market. American imports of French wines and spirits tumbled 22.7% last year. Exports of French champagne plummeted an eye-popping 28%, according to the Associated Press.

It's not going to get better anytime soon. Experts predict that it will be a year or more before conditions start to improve. Others are fearful that consumer preferences may have shifted unalterably. Is a $150 cab really worth it when there are plenty of outstanding choices at one-third to one-half the price?

In the meantime, winemakers are preparing for the worst.  They are walking away from contracts they signed last year with grape growers, laying off staff, revising marketing and distribution plans, and pruning costs wherever they can.

Out of chaos comes opportunity for those with cash.

The best bargains are to be found on the Internet. Two websites offer daily specials of terrific wines at deep discounts.

Check winestilsoldout.com and cinderellawine.com frequently to see what's on offer.

(Example: WTSO recently listed the 2005 Roca di Castagnoli Chianti Classico Poggio Ai Frat, rated 91 by Robert Parker, for $24.99 a bottle. It's normally $45.)

Good deals are also to be found at wine.com and ambrosiawine.com. Sign up for their e-mails to be notified of sales.

For more on the plight of California vintners, see Corie Brown's article in the March issue of Entrepreneur and also this recent article in the Los Angeles Times.

The Annals of Luxury: Premium Wine Prices Falling

Americans are forsaking premium wines and buying more mid- and low-priced wines, reports today's Wall St. Journal. Sales of wines priced above $25 per bottle slumped 12% in the first quarter.

Boutique wineries – those that make $100 per bottle cabs, for example – are seeing sharper drops of up to 40%. How much are they suffering? Auction Napa Valley, the industry's annual event, raised $5.7 million last month, down from $10.4 million last year.

While winemakers are feeling the heat, consumers are benefiting from lower prices on top bottles. If you've got money to splurge, now is the time to stock up on pricey domestic cabs and meritages.

The full report is here.