I specifically burped Scharffenberger Brut from Sonoma County California by way of Chops Wine Bar (CWB), Fort Wayne, Indiana. CWB is the name given most often when I, a newcomer, asked residents where to go to drink wine by the glass. Their response was most often prefaced by "this is a beer town" then a recommendation for CWB, and occasionally Covington Bar & Grill "for a little the older crowd," and a single suggestion to date for each of Eddie Merlot's and Baker Street.
CWB had 4 sparkling wines listed on their full page wine menu; however, only 2 of the 4 were available by the glass - Scharffenberger Brut (Sonoma) $9.50, and Poema Cava Brut (Spain) $7.00. I selected the Scharffenberger Brut. Despite this being a birthday celebration, I ordered by the glass because this was a "school night" (yes, that means I had to go to work the next day).
What makes champagne, champagne, or makes sparkling wine, sparkling, is the reason we call it bubbly - bubbles. Modern Marvels, a History Channel cable offering telling the behind-the-scenes story of technology and everyday wonders, recently aired "Wine." Per the episode, "recent scientific studies have suggested that every bottle of champagne generates at least 49 million bubbles by the time it is finished." The bubbles are not optional; bubbles are a must in every glass. Effervescents du Monde, "International Competition between the Best Sparkling Wines in the World,"judges entries for perfect effervescence and is participating in the development of a new sensory measurement tool - a tasting glass that maximizes the bubbles in bubbly.
My glass of bubbly was flat. Very few bubbles were visible wending their way up the glass and popping on the surface. The taste reflected the lack of effervesence. One reason for a minimal selection of wines by the glass is the limitation in systems to re-seal the open bottle and preserve the remaining contents. Once opened, contents of any bottle of wine will deteriorate creating a loss for the restaurant. Sweet wines with high sugar content and strong wine with a high alcohol content last longer than others. Sparkling wines don't last at all and are recommended to be drunk at opening. I informed the server and she removed the glass.
Since this was a celebration and a companion was joining me, I ordered a bottle. I went with the same Scharffenberger Brut (Sonoma) at $26 a bottle. My bottle choices were the other "by the glass" offering Poema Cava Brut (Spain) $20, Domaine Carneros Brut (Napa) $46, Taitinger Brut La Francaise (Champagne France) $74, and Taitinger Brut Prestife Rose (Champagne France) $110.
My friend Tony, sales manager for a wine distributor in my former home state, says Rule-of-Thumb for restaurants is 1 (750ml) bottle = approximately 5 glasses (some say 6), and the price of 1 glasse (some say 2) = approximately the wholesale cost of the bottle. The bottle price is marked up anywhere from 200% for less impressive wines to 300% for best sellers making my $26 bottle somewhere between $8.60 (200% markup) and $13.00 (300% markup) wholesale price to the retaurant. Retail price on the Internet is under $20; I did not find it at Cap n' Cork or Meijers but I will continue looking for it.
It was delicious! I can't wax any more poetic than that about it. It bubbled an accepatbale amount. It wasn't sweet. It was nicley paired with the meat & cheese platter we ordered especially the Humboldt Fog cheese. Treat yourself to this artisan cheese made by a mother-daughter team, Cypress Grove Chevre, in Humboldt County California http://www.cypressgrovechevre.com/ available locally according to our server at Fresh Market.
Wines are rated by several organizations with "make or break" potential including Wine Spectator (WS), Wine Enthusiast (WE), Wine & Spirits (W&S), Wine News (WN) and the Wine Advocate (WA) which is the original rating system created by American wine critic Robert Parker and still one of the most respected rating systems. My Scharffenber Brut has a rating of 90 on the 100 point scale from WS and WE; 90-94 points equal "Outstanding Wine." For more ratings info, go to http://www.scharffenbergercellars.com/ and select Ratings/Reviews.
At this price point, it makes a lovely hostess gift for the holidays. And it was a perfect companion to my birthday celebration. Enjoy!
