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Important Champagne Advice:

FaRMer Fizz – When you’re in the wine shop and you can’t remember the secret code,
think: RM puts the faRMer in faRMer fizz.

Champagne only comes from the Champagne region of France. No imposters!

French #Winophiles Celebrate Champagne!
Thanks to some excellent planning on Christy Majors‘ part, our French #Winophiles blogging group is exploring the Champagne region during the celebration-heavy month of December. So read up and go grab your own bottle(s) of the classic celebration beverage, Champagne.

Champagne Secrets You Can Use
Champagne producers in France want you to know: It’s only Champagne if it’s produced from the Champagne region in France. Everything else is sparkling wine; NOT Champagne.

• Champagne method= 2nd fermentation in the bottle
• Grapes – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
• Blanc de Blancs – made solely from Chardonnay
• Blanc de Noirs – Made from Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier
• Rosé – some red wine mixed in with the white
• NV – non-vintage.  Base wine is mixed over multiple years.  Most Champagne is NV.  Vintage Champagne is significantly more expensive.

• Brut Nature / Non-dosage – no added sugar at all, can be austere
• Brut – very dry (but can have a touch sweetness)
• Extra Dry –starting to taste a bit sweet
• Dry – noticeably sweet
• Demi-Sec – very sweet
• Sec or Doux – sweet as in syrup

Look for the tiny RM immediately above “Product of France”

• NM – negociant manipulant – Corporate, think Veuve Clicquot, Moet & Chandon. 95% of the Champagne in the market is NM. Not bad, the Champagne will always be consistent in style. These are big operations who purchase lots of grapes. Note: part of the price of your bottle is all that advertising…
• RM– recoltant manipulant – This wine maker grew the grapes on the estate and made the wine themselves. AKA Grower Champagne, Farmer Fizz. Today, about 5% of the Champagne market, but growing! The Champagne will be more likely to reflect the vintage and the vineyard. These are the small business operations of Champagne.

Potée Champenoise is a stew with similarities to many northern regions.

Food from the Champagne and Ardenne Regions
These regions are in the northeast quarter of France.  Almost too cold to grow grapes, the foods take on similarities to other northern parts of Europe: warm winter stews, cabbage, charcuterie and pork. We think of Champagne as being all about luxury, but winegrowers are first and foremost farmers.  In fact, many of the classic dishes are homey, comfort foods.

You’ll know you’re not in the US when you see the ham hocks and cabbage in the pot!

Potée Champenoise (recipe here) is a classic cool weather dish from the Champagne-Ardenne region. It’s easy to make, and will fill your kitchen with wonderful aromas all afternoon as it simmers. The ingredients bring to mind Choucroute Garni from just to the east in Alsace, or even Kielbasa & Sauerkraut from Poland.

A surprising “what grows together goes together” pairing

I decided to try a Rosé Champagne with the pork and charcuterie, due to their deeper savory flavors. Unfortunately, I missed a bit on the  match with Potée Champenoise. The Brigandat Champagne was unique and very nice, but a normal Champagne would have been a better pairing. We loved the Potée Champenoise and plan to incorporate it into our “simmer away a Sunday afternoon” meals. It’s easy to make, tasty, and provides lots of leftovers to enjoy during the week. Drinking Grower Champagne with such a humble meal seemed like a contrast at first, but why not?

Pierre Brigandat & Fils boldly announces Recoltant Manipulant

Pierre Brigandat & Fils Brut Rose NV ($30/bottle in a 6 pack through Cruzu)
Eye: Clear, deep pink, active mousse initially
Nose: Clean, medium+ intensity, bright red cherries, very fruity
Mouth: Dry, high acidity (tart), tart red cherries, medium+ body, active carbonation, something savory in the background.

This wine is 100% Pinot Noir, and it impresses me as a Rosé first, and a sparkling second. So often, Rosé Champagne is clearly sparkling first with a little red wine inside.

From the Champagne Brigandet website (translation by the always entertaining Google Translate):

The Dress – Champagne wears a pink dress raspberry supported, with intense pink highlights. From a silky and very fluid aspect, it is animated by very fine bubbles and vivid that feed a persistent flange. The visual sensation announces a fruity and fresh Champagne.

The Nose – The first nose evokes frankly a fruit basket which rub shoulders blackcurrant, raspberry, pomegranate, red apple, black pepper and noted the dramatic elegance of the ruby ​​red rose. Aeration of wine complete our enjoyment on caressing notes of violet, cherry cherry, with a typical smoky accent of marl minerality.

The Mouth – The palate is soft and fresh, with effervescence and a creamy fondue. The wine develops in the palace density of red and black fruit with great delicacy, the elegance fall floral notes. The balance is maintained by a pink grapefruit acidity that provides a titillating freshness. The finish is marked by a fruity and floral aromatic back leaving a sweet sensation, fresh and delicious, an experience of great emotion.

French #Winophiles Posts and Twitter Chat
Want to chat with our group? Join us on Saturday December 19 at 10am CST. Join in the Champagne conversation on Twitter at #Winophiles!

• Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla presents “Celebrating with Crustaceans, Caviar Limes and Champagne”
• Jeff from foodwineclick shares “Farmer Fizz and Farmer Food”
• Martin from Enofylz Wine Blog has the 411 on “How to Host a Champagne Pairing Dinner Illustrated”
• Michelle from Rockin Red Blog shares “All That Sparkles is Gold”
• Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva will share “Champagne Everyday”

And mark your calendar for Saturday, January 16, when the French #Winophiles will visit Burgundy!