The Cult Of Champagne

[Al_Osterheld]

Following up on the cult of red wines comment, I’ve been at informally organized off-lines where a few people quickly race to the bigger and better known reds, which causes everyone else to get a pour before the bottles are gone. So, we ended up drinking La Chapelle or Chave with the salad, and soon have only the whites and flawed or crappy wines for the rest of the meal. I tend to skip those events these days. Fortunately, my normal crowd will figure out a sensible order to open bottles even without planning ahead of time.

-Al

[lleichtman]

Doing a vertical of Villmart tonite. Champagne makes 2020 bearable.

[Mary_Deem]

I gladly worship at the altar of Champagne. It deserves my full attention, requiring no other accompaniments of the food or wine sort. Due to health reasons, I am an occasional drinker yet Champagne seems to be the majority of wine consumed and stored these days.

[Jan_Janas]

I have an acquaintance who calls himself a Champagne slut. This led to an awkward moment when he approvingly told a woman at a tasting “I see you’re a Champagne slut, too”.

-Al

[Jan_Janas]

I’m more tempted to say there’s a Cult of Red Wine, as so often the reds are treated like the main event and everything else is secondary, as others have said. Of course there are those of us who don’t think that way - some of whom have chimed in already - but it’s pretty common with both geeks and non-geeks.

Also, off the top of my head:

With just a few exceptions, when people post their CT stats, the great majority have mostly red wine in the cellar.

The notion that whites are for chicks, and real men drink red, is ubiquitous in the real world.

It’s not uncommon to hear a board participant say they drink only red. It’s very uncommon to hear a board member say they drink ONLY white/champagne.

When I look around at BYO restaurants, regardless of the cuisine, the tables are usually full of bottles of reds, maybe a white for the girls.

When I order wine for a work event, I’ve learned to get 75% red and still the white doesn’t get finished (I’m often the only one drinking it).

All this is strange to me since at least half of what I eat is much better with white wine or champagne than with red. But even that puts me in mind of another observance: when people get defensive about pairings, a la “drink whatever you want - a good pairing is what I like!” more often than not it’s defending how a red can work when it probably doesn’t. You get a lot more people defending barolo with sushi than you do defending chardonnay with steak.

This is so true and a common occurance when multiple people come together. It might be a cultural reflection of when people mostly had meats and heartier dishes, but nowadays doesn’t make much sense anymore, as you noted too. Most dishes today fare better with whites than reds. I wonder if it is mixture of cultural representation (red is for men so I drink red) and easyness of appreciation, with reds having more “in-your-face” flavors compared to the often more sublte flavors and aromas of whites. Lastly, reds-only folk wear it as a badge of pride “I only drink red!” as if that made them superior, which is very odd to me, whereas white-only drinkers will have to defend that statement…

[K_John_Joseph]

Lastly, reds-only folk wear it as a badge of pride “I only drink red!” as if that made them superior, which is very odd to me,

This is, to me, a huge marker of a wine poser. If you act like you know wine and then “only drink red” it’s pretty certain that you have very little actual knowledge or experience with fine wine, and that your collection is probably 99% 15.5% abv Napa cabs. Your wife probably has a Louis Vuitton branded purse, you wear a rolex as a status symbol, all of your shirts are Brooks Brothers, and you probably had a Sabona copper bracelet in the mid-90s.

[todd_waldmann]

I’m more tempted to say there’s a Cult of Red Wine, as so often the reds are treated like the main event and everything else is secondary, as others have said. Of course there are those of us who don’t think that way - some of whom have chimed in already - but it’s pretty common with both geeks and non-geeks.

Also, off the top of my head:

With just a few exceptions, when people post their CT stats, the great majority have mostly red wine in the cellar.

The notion that whites are for chicks, and real men drink red, is ubiquitous in the real world.

It’s not uncommon to hear a board participant say they drink only red. It’s very uncommon to hear a board member say they drink ONLY white/champagne.

When I look around at BYO restaurants, regardless of the cuisine, the tables are usually full of bottles of reds, maybe a white for the girls.

When I order wine for a work event, I’ve learned to get 75% red and still the white doesn’t get finished (I’m often the only one drinking it).

All this is strange to me since at least half of what I eat is much better with white wine or champagne than with red. But even that puts me in mind of another observance: when people get defensive about pairings, a la “drink whatever you want - a good pairing is what I like!” more often than not it’s defending how a red can work when it probably doesn’t. You get a lot more people defending barolo with sushi than you do defending chardonnay with steak.

I often get a raised eyebrow when discussing wine with non-wine people when they ask me what I like to drink & I freely admit that our current wine consumption is probably 75% white wine or Champagne…

We occasionally have small social gatherings associated with work. While everyone I work with enjoys wine, I’m the only one who is “into” wine and I’m often asked to supply the wine at these events. I love pouring Champagne and have managed to convert several of my partners who thought they didn’t like Champagne, into people who now really enjoy and occasionally buy grower Champagne. This is perhaps my most significant contribution to our practice.

[Marshall_Manning]

This is, to me, a huge marker of a wine poser. If you act like you know wine and then “only drink red” it’s pretty certain that you have very little actual knowledge or experience with fine wine, and that your collection is probably 99% 15.5% abv Napa cabs. Your wife probably has a Louis Vuitton branded purse, you wear a rolex as a status symbol, all of your shirts are Brooks Brothers, and you probably had a Sabona copper bracelet in the mid-90s.

I’ve run across a number of these people. They often drive Escalades or other giant SUVs, and sometimes the men think white wine is “wimpy” yet they’re totally happy with their 5% alcohol Michelob.

[Paul_McCourt]

My view of Champagne has completely changed since joining this forum. Now I open Champagnes with dinner regularly, or have it in the evening with some snacks to wind down. I view it and appreciate it like any other wine and I think that’s great.

I agree with this. The love for champagne here has led me to reach for it and look for it much more often than I did in the past.

[David_Bu3ker]

Menu plan for the coming week:

Thai Panang Curry
Indian Chick Pea and Potato masala
Garlic-ginger stir fry
Drunken noodles
Double smoked ham frittata

I do not think I am likely to open a single red wine. I might grab one with the chick pea dish, but it will have to be gamay or something similarly low tannin and fruity. The frittata calls for some kind of sparkler.

[Paul_McCourt]

Menu plan for the coming week:

Thai Panang Curry
Indian Chick Pea and Potato masala
Garlic-ginger stir fry
Drunken noodles
Double smoked ham frittata

I do not think I am likely to open a single red wine. I might grab one with the chick pea dish, but it will have to be gamay or something similarly low tannin and fruity. The frittata calls for some kind of sparkler.

What time should I be there?

[David_Bu3ker]

If you want to help prep, 4:30 PM.

[Jim_Stewart]

Menu plan for the coming week:

Thai Panang Curry
Indian Chick Pea and Potato masala
Garlic-ginger stir fry
Drunken noodles
Double smoked ham frittata

I do not think I am likely to open a single red wine. I might grab one with the chick pea dish, but it will have to be gamay or something similarly low tannin and fruity. The frittata calls for some kind of sparkler.

David, I couldn’t help noting the irony of juxtaposing Sarah’s comment about “whites are for chicks” with your plan to drink whites throughout the week, except a red with your chick peas !

[Keith_A_k_e_r_s]

Lastly, reds-only folk wear it as a badge of pride “I only drink red!” as if that made them superior, which is very odd to me,

This is, to me, a huge marker of a wine poser. If you act like you know wine and then “only drink red” it’s pretty certain that you have very little actual knowledge or experience with fine wine, and that your collection is probably 99% 15.5% abv Napa cabs. Your wife probably has a Louis Vuitton branded purse, you wear a rolex as a status symbol, all of your shirts are Brooks Brothers, and you probably had a Sabona copper bracelet in the mid-90s.

I’m in tears right now because of how utterly spot on this is

Champagne has basically been my number 1 or 2 most drunk region for effectively a decade and has been my number 1 for 5-7 years. It pairs with everything including daily life and I wouldn’t change a damned thing about that at all.