Debate a Bubble - Pinot Meunier - What Is It And Why Use It?

champagne22

champagne22

Debate a Bubble - Pinot Meunier - What Is It And Why Use It?

Link to Debate a Bubble - Champagne News and Reviews

Pinot Meunier - What Is It And Why Use It?

Posted: 22 Jun 2010 02:35 AM PDT

If you're already an enthusiastic champagne drinker then you'll probably know that only three grape varieties are allowed in champagne.

Well, if you want to be absolutely precise there are more, but the others are hardly ever used.

The three most common varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir – both of which you may have heard of already – and a third called Pinot Meunier which is another matter entirely.

So what is Pinot Meunier and why is it used in the Champagne region?

The word Meunier comes from the old French word for miller (as in flour miller) and the name was given to the grape variety because of the white down on the leaves that makes them look as though they've been coated with flour – it's stretching the imagination, I agree, but that's where the name comes from anyway.

Whilst Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are considered to be noble ' grape varieties, Pinot Meunier is considered, by some, to be something of a poor relative.

To illustrate this point there's not a single village in Champagne that has been given either Grand Cru or Premier Cru rating for the quality of their Pinot Meunier grapes – only Chardonnay and Pinot Noir can claim this distinction

That means that a champagne that contains even a small amount of Pinot Meunier is not allowed to use either Grand Cru or Premier Cru on the label. Now you can understand why you'll search in vain for these words on the label of any of the well known brands – they've almost all got some Pinot Meunier in them.

If you ever get to try a still wine made from Pinot Meunier or a champagne made entirely with Pinot Meunier, you'll immediately notice it's main characteristic – it has very little length in the mouth. You take a mouthful and one moment you taste the fresh fruity flavour and all of a sudden it's gone

This is a generalisation, of course, and there are some champagne makers who rate Pinot Meunier very highly and produce marvellous results with it, - Krug use it a lot, Moutardier is committed to Pinot Meunier as are many others down the Marne Valley, such as Christian Briard for example - but the statement broadly holds true.

So why use it at all?

Well, in fact Pinot Meunier has a lot of positives for a champagne maker:

A ) Pinot Meunier buds slightly later than the other two varieties so it is less prone to damage by late Spring frost than the other two grapes. This is a really important consideration in Champagne where frost in early or late April can wipe out the crop. In 2003 the Chardonnay vineyards (this is the grape that buds first) were extremely badly affected by frost with up to 85 % of the vines ruined in some areas

B) Pinot Meunier needs only two years ageing, or thereabouts, to develop whilst the other two varieties need a lot longer to reach their full potential – that's why most older, vintage, champagnes have little, or no, Pinot Meunier in the blend – it's not necessary because the Pinot Meunier would be past its best before the other two grapes were ready to drink.

C ) Most champagne makers would tell you that Pinot Meunier is a vital element in blending because what it does is bring together the other two varieties.

It brings freshness and fruitiness and makes a champagne pleasant and easy to drink. Some people find it helpful to think of a ladder with the Chardonnay and the Pinot Noir being the two uprights whilst the Pinot Meunier provides the rungs and of course the uprights can't stand without the rungs .

There are a couple of other reasons to use Pinot Meunier which are both business related.

D ) In total Pinot Meunier accounts for well over a third of the vines planted in Champagne. Most Pinot Meunier vineyards are found in the Vallée de la Marne where the heavier soil and the higher risk of frost do not suit the other two grape varieties. So, when you're making tens of millions of bottles every year like Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot and other big names it's simply not possible to do without Pinot Meunier. There aren't enough Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes out there.

E) Using all three varieties produces what some houses call a more 'complete ' champagne. This is certainly the philosophy at Moët & Chandon where the objective is to produce a champagne that reflects the diversity of the Champagne region and also appeals to a wide range of consumers

F) There's a cost advantage in using Pinot Meunier: it generally costs less per kilo to buy Pinot Meunier and it needs less ageing. Looked at on a cost per bottle basis or even on a cost per kilo of grapes basis, Pinot Meunier is not much cheaper, but if you accumulate the saving over the entire production then these factors really can reduce costs and / or push up profits according to which way you look at it.

All this goes to show what I'm always going on about when you're buying champagne: you really need to know what blend of grapes has been used.

If there's a high proportion of Pinot Meunier – I reckon that anything over 25% is high – then it's likely that the champagne has been aged for a relatively short time and may not have much of a finish. Mind you it will probably be deliciously fruity. It all depends what you like

Pricewise you shouldn't expect to pay top dollar for a champagne of this style.

champagne22

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZH4RJK-KHY

champagne22

http://www.dailymotion.com/user/sportscorner22/video/xdrv3o_thegolfchamp11golf-swing-pros
http://www.kewego.com/video/iLyROoaf89I5.html
http://www.viddler.com/explore/sportsspot22/videos/1/
http://blip.tv/file/3786292
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4790676
http://youare.com/sportstime22/2010/06/22/8712576
http://sportsspot22.buzznet.com/user/video/?id=4618961
http://post.ly/kIVV
http://www.sendspace.com/file/5gc6gq
http://v6.tinypic.com/zwmbs3.flv

champagne22

Debate a Bubble - A Few Champagne Discoveries

A Few Champagne Discoveries

Posted: 17 Jun 2010 01:30 PM PDT

The last few weeks have been full of champagne discoveries and a lot of fun so I thought I'd share some of them with you.

First off was a trip back to the U.K. for a week where I was hosting a few champagne tasting events, both in Liverpool as chance would have it.

Then a quick train journey down to Brighton and Hove to the inaugural Hove Champagne Festival where I was giving a talk on champagne and helping friends on their champagne stand.

We were serving a whole range of small grower champagnes but the favourite proved to be

Christophe Mignon which was available on special offer for the ridiculously low price of £20 a bottle.

'Christophe' as most of the customer called it, is unusual in that it is 100% Pinot Meunier. Most champagnes are a blend of two or more grapes varieties and even when you do find a mono-cepage champagne, (just 1 varietal) it's usually made from Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, so a pure Pinot Meunier is something of a rarity .

This seemed to add a point of interest for the folk at the festival rather than the opposite. They loved the fresh fruity taste and the price as well

Needless to say it was going fast, 17 cases of it in fact and judging by the way people kept coming back for more I'd say there isn't much of a recession in Brighton

It was a great event and well worth a visit next June - lots of great champagnes to taste, good food, music, dancing and sunny weather in a lovely setting right by the seafront.

By the way, if you're in Brighton and want to try Christophe Mignon, then take a trip to Drake's Hotel - Brighton's finest boutique hotel - where it's their specially selected champagne ( don't you just hate the term 'house champagne'?)

Then it was back home to Champagne for appointments with a couple of champagne makers I hadn't met before

Both these makers are in the village of Villers Marmery which is just two miles from where I live. They are Arnaud Margaine and Henriet Bazin. Probably names you haven't heard of before but well worth discovering for all that.

To get the low down on both these fantastic champagnes and another Grand Cru rosé that's an absolute steal at £22.97 take a look at my June newsletter.

Then, to ensure you receive the newsletter every month and much more besides, visit my web site and just leave your first name and e-mail address in the box in the top right-hand corner.

There's always something new to discover in champagne and I hope you'll let me show you around

Stay Bubbly

Jiles

champagne22

champagne22

Putting Aids
Golf Training Aids
The Golf Workshop
Izzo's Golf
The Golf Swing Enthusiast
Mind That Golf Stance
Golf Swing Man

Monday, June 28, 2010

Check Out These Links

Tuesday, June 22, 2010