I bought this wine on sale and celebrated some birthdays with it, and enjoyed with with oysters and Ceasar salad. SRP $54.

Five fun facts about Champagne by the numbers:

• 58 million bubbles in a bottle of Champagne!
• 50F degrees for chilling Champagne!
• 350 bottles of Champagne went into Marilyn Monroe’s bathtub
• 52F degrees is the annual year round temperature in the Champagne region
• 2 bottles opened by us to celebrate!

Philip Lancelot and Sue Hill in his biodynamic vineyard on a drizzly fall day in Champagne.

Last year on Champagne Day, Sue and I had just returned a few days before from France where we spent several days in the Champagne region seeing the sites like these 10 Unexpected Pleasures  and visiting several biodynamic champagne houses like Vincent Charlot. 

We even went into the biodynamic vineyard of Philip Lancelot — pictured above– where we brought bottles and glasses and sipped there!

Champagne is for sharing

Champagne is the classic bubbly for special occasions, and when I found this rose from Charles de Cazanove on sale, I splurged and bought four bottles, two full size and two splits. I gave one split to Jim Morris of Charles Krug as a thank you for his hospitality to me and to the MusiKaravan, I opened a full bottle with Pattea Torrance of the Bees Knees on her birthday, and I left a split with her, too as thank you. That’s the Bee’s Knees and Pattea pictured; we stayed there in our van — so cute and conveniently located to SLO wineries as well as Morro Bay for kayaking, mountain biking, and hiking.

I have one full bottle left that’s slated to share with another friend who just had a birthday (yes, I recognize that many of my good friends as well as family and spouse are all Libras born within a few days of each other!)

Cheers!

Palmer & Co Brut Reserve Champagne, Reims
ABV 12%. SRP $50; purchased at WineHouse LA on sale $30

Founded 1947 by seven grower families with prized Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards in the Montagne de Reims region of Champagne, Palmer & Co masterfully blend these vineyards with grapes from:

• Côte de Sézanne
• Côte des Bar
• Marne Valley

Committed to sustainable wine growing, they follow a plan that includes soil and vine nutrition, soil maintenance, treatment of the vines, sustainable protection of the vineyards and waste management to produce wines while respecting the environment.

Color: Lemon yellow with tiny vivacious bubbles.

Nose: Minerals on the forefront, limestone, wet limestone, flint, seagrass, lemon, stone fruit, toasted almond, toasted hazelnut, slightly yeasty, smells very French. This non-vintage is bright and fresh.

Palate:  Clean acidity, tart, bright, very cleansing, clean finish, that does not linger too long. Baked apple tart with roasted nuts, but for us it’s the minerality on the palate that stands out. Lovely wine for a warm day. Great greeter wine at a party. This wine tells one to chill out, relax, and enjoy. Fresh and balanced.

Pairing: Grassy bay oysters bring out a sweetness in the wine, and the wine brings out lovely creaminess in the oysters, the two together have a very long finish. The laguna oysters have a melon quality with the wine and the wine becomes very saline with the oysters. The kumo oysters were very nice with the wine. Both very clean and enjoyable. Minerals are on the forefront when both are pair together.

Great with an herbed brie, it loves the herbal qualities in the cheese and tames the creaminess. Great with rosemary Marcona almonds. Tames the salt in the Delice cheese tackling the creaminess at the same time. It even handles salt cured olives. Sue was unsure, but I reminded her of how much we love champagne and caviar. This is a great brunch wine. Fantastic with a simple green salad dressed with a simple vinegarette. With a simple ham and cheese wrapped in a puff pastry, the wine has fun cherry notes.

Happy Champagne Day 2020!