L.A. WINELINE FOR FANS OF BUBBLY, A NIGHT TO SAVOR.Byline: - Larry Lipson There'll be bubbles galore once again at Wally's 13th annual Grande Marque Champagne Tasting, 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Le Merigot Santa Monica Santa Monica (săn`tə mŏn`ĭkə), city (1990 pop. 86,905), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1886. Tourism and retailing are important, and the city has motion-picture, biotechnology, and software industries. Beach Hotel, 1740 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica. The fundraiser for the City of Hope, UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation and Madisons Foundation offers attendees some 50 champagnes and the wares of around 20 top restaurants to taste. Along with such bottlings as Billecart-Salmon, Bollinger, Charles Heidsieck Charles Camille Heidsieck (1820-1871) was a 19th century French Champagne merchant who founded the Champagne firm Charles Heidsieck in 1851. He is credited with popularizing Champagne in the United States and was known as "Champagne Charlie" during his stay. , Delamotte, Deutz, Etienne Dumont, Dom Perignon Dom Perignon renowned vintage French champagne. [Western Cult.: Misc.] See : Luxury , Krug, Laurent-Perrier, Louis Roederer Cristal, Moet & Chandon, Mumm, Perrier-Jouet, Piper-Heidsieck, Pommery, Salon, Taittinger and Veuve-Clicquot will be a variety of food served by the likes of Drago, Michael's, Melisse, Brentwood, Josie, Chez chez prep. At the home of; at or by. [French, from Old French, from Latin casa, cottage, hut.] chez prep at the home of [French] Melange mé·lange also me·lange n. A mixture: "[a] building crowned with a mélange of antennae and satellite dishes" Howard Kaplan. , Yamashiro, La Terza and Il Grano, also raw oysters from Ocean Avenue Seafood. Cost per person is $150. Reservations: (310) 475-0606. EUROPEAN SLEEPERS: The wines of Alsace and the Cotes du Rhone of France and the sherries of Spain were pictured as underrated and still somewhat undiscovered by the American wine-buying public at a recent promotional media lunch and wine tasting at Melisse in Santa Monica. Wine expert Steven Olson described the historic similarities and differences between these wine regions and their current activities and aspirations. Chef-owner Josiah Citrin prepared a seven-course meal of innovative and appropriate complementing dishes that accompanied four sherries, four whites from Alsace and four reds from the Cotes du Rhone. My sherry and white picks as outstanding were the Emilio Lustau Bodega bo·de·ga n. 1. A small grocery store, sometimes combined with a wineshop, in certain Hispanic communities. 2. A warehouse for the storage of wine. Vieja amontillado amontillado (əmŏn'tĭlä`dō), dry sherry noted for its delicate bouquet, resembling the wine of Montilla, Spain, from which it derives its name. A blend of pale, dry sherries of the palma type, it assumes in aging a darker color. ($40) and Sandeman Royal Ambrosante old solera A solera is a series of barrels or other containers used for aging liquids such as Sherry, Madeira, Marsala, Mavrodafni (a dark-red fortified dessert wine from Greece), Muscat, Muscadelle, Balsamic and Sherry Vinegars. pedro ximinez ($34) sherries, Albert Boxler's lovely 2001 pinot blanc ($24) and the round, smooth Domaines Schlumberger Grand Cru 2001 Saering riesling ($18). I noted the 2001 Paul Jaboulet Aine Cotes du Rhone Villages ($15) and E. Guigal 2001 Cotes du Rhone ($10) as superb wines, wines of such fine flavor and length that you would expect them to cost double or triple their asking price. PROUD AS A PEACOCK "Proud as a Peacock" was the advertising campaign used by the NBC television and radio networks from 1979 to 1981, used to help introduce the "Proud N", a logo that would be used until 1986. The campaign By 1979, NBC had fallen to third place in the ratings. : If you haven't heard about it yet, you probably will pretty soon. I'm referring to the estate 2001 cabernet sauvignon from Peacock Family Vineyard of Napa Valley's Spring Mountain district. Given its price ($60), it's one of those very well-made (by young winemaker Craig Becker) special wines that you buy to lay down for the right occasion in the future or give to a wine-loving friend or relative as a gift. Information: (707) 337-5237 or www.peacockfamilyvineyard.com. NEW RELEASES: Look for the latest in box wines called Wine Block in comparatively small (but heavy) and colorful 1.5 liter boxes that last up to six weeks after opening. Available in merlot, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, and produced by Kendall-Jackson, they cost $9.99 each and can be found at Albertson's, Ralphs and Whole Foods. ... Small Monterey County pinot noir producer Tudor has just released its Santa Lucia Highlands 2003 vintage ($35) that winemaker Dan Tudor describes as ``exploding with dark cherries and raspberries, firm in structure with lush ripe tannins tannins, n.pl polyphenolic phytochemicals whose name derives from their use in tanning animal skins. Used as astringents, antioxidants, and styptics; treats burns, relieves diarrhea. ; a big, complex, yet classic pinot.'' Information: (831) 224-2116 or www.tudorwines.com. ... Sauvignon blanc fans should pick up a bottle (or two) of the recently released 2004 Guenoc Lake County rendition ($12.99). It's full of classic grassy lemon flavors, a lovely summer wine enhanced with 15 percent viognier grapes. ... Ol' wine cooler buddies Bartles & Jaymes are back with a 20th-anniversary, limited-edition four-pack ($4), on the shelves through September. Larry Lipson, (818) 713-3668 larry.lipson(at)dailynews.com |
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