Champagne toasts: Brian Nembhard schools us on the best of the bubbly.Champagne is the festive wine par excellence, says Brian Dalkeith Nembhard, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Nembo Imports Ltd., a New York- and Caribbean-based importer and distributor of fine champagnes and wines." It's one of the most expensive of quality wines. Nembhard's company represent brands such as Champagne Mountaudon and Dulong/Huet, as well as Thandi, an up-and-coming brand by black producers in Cape Town Cape Town or Capetown, city (1991 pop. 854,616), legislative capital of South Africa and capital of Western Cape, a port on the Atlantic Ocean. It was the capital of Cape Province before that province's subdivision in 1994. . South Africa South Africa, Afrikaans Suid-Afrika, officially Republic of South Africa, republic (2005 est. pop. 44,344,000), 471,442 sq mi (1,221,037 sq km), S Africa. . Nembhard, 37, who was recently commissioned to reconstruct the wine list for the Ritz Carlton hotel Carlton Hotel can refer to:
THE PROCESS The high price and quality of champagne grapes is partly responsible for champagne's luxury status. Its status is also due to the lengthy, complicated process of Methode Champenoise: the process by which Chardonnay, Pinot, and Pinot Meunier grape varieties are blended, explains Nembhard. Liqueur liqueur (lĭkûr`), strong alcoholic beverage made of almost neutral spirits, flavored with herb mixtures, fruits, or other materials, and usually sweetened. The name derives from the Latin word to melt. d'expedition is the process of adding wine and sugar to champagne to give it varying degrees of sweetness. TIMING IS EVERYTHING The year inscribed in·scribe tr.v. in·scribed, in·scrib·ing, in·scribes 1. a. To write, print, carve, or engrave (words or letters) on or in a surface. b. To mark or engrave (a surface) with words or letters. on a bottle's label identifies the year of the harvest, while other markings classify the champagne by age, Non-Vintage of NV champagne (made with grapes from various harvests) is aged for at least year, Vintage champagne (made with grapes from a sole harvest and bottled that same year) is aged for three or more years, and Prestige Cuvee Cuvée (or Cuvee on some English language labels) is a French term used on wine labels to denote wine of a specific blend or batch. The word originates from the French word cuve meaning "vat". champagne (made with the very best grapes) is aged for five or more years. STORING AND SERVING The more explosive the bubbles in a champagne, the higher the quality, says Nembhard. Store your champagne in a dark room at 55 degrees Fahrenheit on a horizontal rack. This prevents the cork from drying out and shrinking. PRICE PREMIUM? "Mediocre champagne producers demand high prices simply because their product is grown and produced in the French province of Champagne," reveals Nembhard. But a leading champagne house "produces great champagne in successive years and consistently fetches high prices around the world." |
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