All of our managers and wine staff travel at least once a year to a wine-growing region somewhere throughout the world. Traveling is one of the many aspects of Joe Canal’s that sets us apart from other wine shops. We know that by meeting the winemakers, walking the vineyards and tasting new wine from the barrel, we can see first-hand the passion that goes into each bottle. We can then convey this commitment to quality to our customers. Rather than having you just looking at a label and a score, we believe it is our responsibility to bring you closer to how the wine was made and the people who made it. We'll be sharing their trip reports with you here on the BottleBlog.
In October 2011, members of our staff including Shannon Spare from our internet department, had the privilege of traveling to California wine country! Here is the final installment of the trip, as told by Shannon.
Day 3
Mumm Napa
The final stop on our incredible wine tour was Mumm Napa, a winery that specializes in sparkling wines. We were given a tour of the facility, and learned a whole lot about the making of sparkling wine, and how it has changed over the years. While interesting, this was definitely the most “scripted” tour of our trip. There was a part of the tour where we got to “play winemaker,” where we mixed two different still wines in different proportions to approximate the blends of the final wines.
I learned that the bubbles in sparkling wine come from fermenting yeast. At the end of the fermentation, the yeast has to come out of the bottle somehow! To get the yeast out, they load all the bottles into a machine that ever so slowly rotates the bottles, causing the yeast to gather together and settle at the bottom of the bottle. The tops of the bottle are then suspended, upside down, in a liquid that freezes the yeast. Once frozen, the machine pops the top off the bottle and the yeast comes flying out. The leftover yeast is then sold to companies who make champagne vinegar with it.
Our tasting at Mumm was really incredible. We sat outside on what was a gorgeous day, and tasted through six different sparkling wines: Brut Prestige, Brut Rose, Cuvee M, Blanc de Blancs, Brut Reserve and DVX. Since my palate tends to prefer wines that are on the sweeter side, I definitely liked the Cuvee M the best.
Mumm Napa Cuvee M
Cuvee M is the sweeter side of sparkling. You’ll find a complex bouquet that includes citrus, mineral and a bit of strawberry, and lots of peach and melon on the palate. The sweetness of this would balance nicely against spicy or salty dishes, but I think I most prefer this as an aperitif, to begin a special evening with a toast.
We then enjoyed lunch with Ron Lee, Trade Relations Manager. The lunch was buffet style, and we were encouraged to sample each wine with each of the different dishes to experience the different pairings. The lunch ended with little two-bite desserts and quite possibly the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had in my life.
Conclusion
I consider this to be one of the best trips I’ve taken. I’ve been in my position for a little over a year now, and have kind of felt like an “outsider” when it comes to the world of wine. Seeing everything first-hand and really experiencing the wine has opened up a world of opportunity for me. I look forward to learning more about wine with these new eyes.
No comments:
Post a Comment