David Aferiat, President, Avid Vines, shares the joy of André TIXIER & Fils Premier Cru Brut Rosé organic champagne during a virtual tasting.
If you’re mindlessly drinking regular champagne from a flute with some mixed nuts, you’re missing an opportunity (but points for the right intention). During a recent Virtual Champagne Tasting and Cave Tour featuring André TIXIER & Fils Premier Cru Brut Rosé Organic Champagne, AVID Vines shared the secrets to getting the best out of the bubbles as part of an integrated experience.
Secret #1: Choose Organic
While many people prioritize their health by selecting organic foods, they are making a mistake if they don’t take that same step when it comes to champagne. “What we don’t realize is, actually, the pesticide concentration in wines, because of the age of the vines and the narrowness of the base of the vines itself, is actually much more highly concentrated than it would be in your organic fruit, so it’s that much more important to be drinking organic wines,” said sommelier Samara Kaufman (@sommcinagro), owner of Cinagro Wine Experience.
Samara Kaufman, owner, Cinagro Wine Experience, says it’s especially important to choose organic champagne because of the structure of the grapevine.
We built the portfolio at AVID Vines with this in mind featuring only organic champagnes made with grapes grown with no pesticides, no synthetic fertilizer, no added sulfates, and no heavy machinery in the vineyard. The result is champagne you enjoy twice: once when you drink it and the next day when you wake up with #NoRegrets.
That’s just the beginning. As we learned during the tasting, once the grapes are transformed into a beautiful nectar, the champagne is stored in barrels made from the wood of Chigny les Roses, the village that is home to André TIXIER & Fils vineyard. The two age together. It doesn’t get more terroir than that.
Secret #2: Don’t Shock the Bottle
The vast majority of wines imported from Europe to the U.S. come in non-refrigerated containers. The other 5%, including AVID Vines Champagne, travel in style, in a temperature-controlled environment designed to preserve the flavor. The result feels no different than flying first class to Europe, deplaning rested and relaxed from the flight.
Without temperature controlled containers, in summer months and winter months, at any time of the year, you can have temperature fluctuations that are 30 degrees above or below what is normal. That’s a huge shock to bottles that are traveling on the water for three weeks to get to the ports. Many vineyards will add additional sulfates or preservatives to the wine to withstand the bottle shock. In those cases, the bubbles don’t escape unscathed.
Wine that is refrigerated during transport, however, tastes as good as it does at the cellar door.
Secret #3: Give it a Swoosh
Since champagne brings its own bubbles to the party, many people think they don’t need to give it a swoosh in their mouths. That’s not the case. “Our taste buds are the most sensitive on the inside of our cheek and the fatty side of our tongue, and if we’re just drinking the wine, we are missing 70% of the flavor of the wine,” Kaufman said. She suggested two ways to get a deeper sense of the incredible flavor in your glass. “We can do a traditional swoosh like mouth wash, no gargle. Or an aeration where we’re doing the swoosh, but we slightly purse our lips and suck air in through our lips so the air coming in through our lips is aerating the wine,” she said before demonstrating the aeration technique, even showing that a highly experienced sommelier can lose a few drops in the process.
After all the swooshing was done, it was clearly worthwhile. The flavors of strawberry, rhubarb, cranberries, cherries, and raspberries came bursting out of the Brut Rosé. You have to try it!
Sommelier Samara Kaufman, owner, Cinagro Wine Experience, and David Aferiat, President, Avid Vines aerate, champagne.
Heather Queen, the Queen of Grapes, says a traditional wine glass or a coupe provide the biggest flavor burst when drinking champagne.
Secret #4: Use the Right Glass
Forget the champagne flute. It may look fancy, but it does nothing for the flavor of sparkling wine. Sommelier Heather Queen (@queenofgrapes), owner, the Queen of Grapes, said a coupe or a traditional wine glass are the way to go. “You get a better feel for the wine, you can smell it, you can taste it, the bubbles are there, it just gives you a better experience,” she said.
Shay Lavi, owner, Let’s Eat Catering, created this hummus quartet to pair with André TIXIER & Fils Premier Cru Brut Rosé Organic Champagne.
Secret #5: Prioritize Food Pairing
Compliment your champagne with the right food, and you’re in for an explosion of layered flavors.
Chef Shay Lavi (@shayish3_shay_lavi), owner of Let’s Eat Catering, joined the virtual tasting from a pop-up shop to talk about the Hummus Quartet he created to pair with the Brut Rosé. “It’s a collection of stuff that works together. All of them have the same flavor profile as the wines,” he said.
The result was electric. After taking one bite of hummus with lamb ragu, I was overwhelmed by the savoriness and butteriness of the hummus. Paired with the champagne, it was unbelievable. Want to make it yourself? Shay shared his recipe!
At the same time, the Queen of Grapes was enjoying rutabagas and carrots sautéed with dill and the combination was phenomenal. “It’s the sweet and savory that go well together,” she said.
Next time you are settling in to relax and enjoy a bottle of bubbly, put these secrets to the test. They are sure to enhance your champagne experience.
AVID Vines is planning more collective champagne tasting experiences. Check our website for upcoming events and be sure to register. All the Premier Cru champagnes from André TIXIER & Fils are available if you’d like to re-order or purchase for the first time.
Love to you, your friends, and families.
Stay present, stay well,
David
P.S. Remember to check out the schedule of our upcoming Virtual Champagne Tastings here: https://avidvines.com/new-events !