one lucky bastard...

That's me!

This is the thought that went through my head while attending a "garage" champagne tasting the other week with my friend Andrea, who also happens to be a sommelier.

When Andrea initially invited me to the tasting, I had this idea in my head that we were going to some elegant locale where sommeliers would be serving up sips of superb bubbly all decked out in their AIS (Associazione Italiana Sommelier) uniforms...with embellished golden spittoons carefully placed on tables perfectly dressed in white linen.

It wasn't until he picked me up that he informed me that we were going to some dude's garage.

Fortunately Andrea arrived early, which as you can imagine is a very non-Italian thing to do, so I had time to change out of my more fancy pants threads and into a pair of jeans.

Then we were off to Enzo's garage in Lonigo!!

Enzo is a professor by day...and a French wine specialist by night. And has one of the most interesting knife blocks I have ever seen (visual reference provided).


We were joined by three of Andrea's friends for the tasting: 2 fellow sommeliers and another wine enthusiast.

An individual glass was placed in front of each of us...and Enzo did not waste any time and started pouring.

We ended up tasting 11 champagnes & 1 cremant.

Being a bit of a champagne novice, Andrea needed to explain the difference between a champagne and a cremant.

If you see "cremant" on the label, the wine inside the bottle is sparkling and made in the same way as a champagne, but was produced outside of the Champagne region in France. Only wines from the Champagne region can be called champagne according to EU regulations.

Quick note for other champagne and/or sparkling wine novices: most sparkling wines go through two fermentations. The first turns the grape juice into a still wine (the base wine), and the 2nd turns this base wine into a sparkling wine through the trapping of the carbon dioxide in the wine. Carbon dioxide is naturally produced when the yeasts convert sugar into alcohol.

The 2nd fermentation can take place in large, closed, pressurized tanks (generally referred to as the "charmat" method), which is the quicker and less expensive method. However, when it comes to champagnes, the 2nd fermentation is always conducted in the individual bottles in which the wine is ultimately sold. This method is called the traditional or champagne method...or "metodo classico" in Italy.

Now, I found all of the champagnes and the cremant we tasted quite lovely...but as I mentioned above, I am nowhere near being an expert on champagnes. Fortunately Enzo was and Andrea comes pretty gosh darn close.

Here were some of my favs from the evening (in no particular order):

1) Brochet-Hervieux a Ecueil. Premier Cru. Brut Extra (75% pinot noir, 25% chardonnay) - ideal as an aperitivo. Very fresh and crisp. This is a safe bet if you need to pick up a bottle of champagne for a dinner and/or cocktail party...or want to give a bottle of champagne as a gift. It is also reasonably priced (23 EUR).

2) Doyard Cuvee Vendemiare. Le Mesnil sur Oger. Brut (100% chardonnay) - this one was interesting because it was the only one we tasted that had a bit of oak aging in barrique, which you could tell in the nose but was very subtle.

And since this was made purely with chardonnay, it is called a "blanc de blancs," or "white from white." So a white wine made from white grapes. "Blanc de noirs" (usually 100% pinot noir) do exist but are quite rare.

3) Hubert Paulet Rose. Premier Cru. Millesime 2004 (80% chardonnay, 20% Pinot Meunier) - upon serving this wine, Enzo and his assistant starting slicing up some sopressa. And what a fantastic pairing.

Now the sopressa was not 100% up to par but I am spoiled since I live right across the street from a spectacular cheese and cured meat shop (La Casara). However, the champagne rose was wonderful.

4) Bérèche et Fils. Le Beaux Regards. Brut Nature (100% chardonnay) - Enzo described this wine as a palette cleansing champagne...and he was spot on. This one was very dry and extremely refreshing with citrus fruit.

5) Libert-Fils a Cramant. Brut. Grand Cru (100% chardonnay) - This is a slightly more elegant champagne with a mineral quality and freshness...and I could see myself easily drinking more than one glass.

This champagne tasting really opened my eyes not only to the wonderful world of champagne, but also gave me a new appreciation and understanding of the chardonnay grape.

and it confirmed that I must have been some excruciatingly good person in a past life or am reaping the benefits of the good deeds of the other members of the Shea family.

There were a few nuns in the Shea family tree and a priest at one point...but my Uncle met, as Chiara would say, "the woman of his life" and put his days as a priest behind him.

Che posso dire? There are certain things us Sheas just aren't willing to give up.

A votre sante!

- Zucca