Try Old Champagne For A New Century

Like most of you, I’ve got a hot date with a big bottle of bubbly in 64 days.

Yes, that’s right. I’m hopping aboard the millennium hype machine with champagne chatter even before Halloween.

So sorry if you’re already sick of hearing Y-too-much about the turn of the century. But this is a serious party and we’ve got some planning to do.

Like I said, champagne is this toaster’s choice. I bought my celebratory cocktail back in July at a wine shop in Paris. (And then, purchased an extra suitcase to haul back all my loot.)

Sparkling wine is made around the world, but there’s really nothing like the elegance, the all-out pop of French champagne.

Its special quality can largely be attributed to the quirky growing climate and the chalky soil of the Champagne region, where it’s a yearly struggle to ripen the fruit. That makes for a lean, low-sugar, high-acid grape that produces a low-alcohol wine. It’s ideal for the secondary fermentation which turns the still wine into sparkling.

Champagne is generally a blend of a couple of red wine grapes - pinot noir and pinot meunier - and chardonnay. That mix is rare in domestic sparkling wine.

Of course, you’re going to pay beaucoup bucks to drink the best. Most nonvintage bruts are $30 and up. Vintage champagnes made with a blend of the best wines from the best years start at around $50. The so-called luxury cuvees such as Dom Perignon go for $100.

Among the top champagne producers whose products are available in this country are Billecart-Salmon, Bollinger, Charles Heidsieck, Krug, Laurent-Perrier, Pol Roger, Louis Roederer and Veuve Clicquot.

So far, there appears to be no shortage. Yet, I wouldn’t recommend waiting until Dec. 31 to make your pick.

And it’s unlikely you’ll find any bargains out there. But what better time to splurge?

Definitely not second best

Now, having gushed about bubbly a la francaise, I must pay homage to what I think is the finest champagne made in the U.S.A.

At a recent tasting, I was blown away by Mountain Dome’s latest.

Not only does the Cuvee Forte come in a gorgeous bottle, it’s got all the finesse, all the flavor of its fine French cousins.

It’s made with a classic blend of pinot noir, chardonnay and a touch of pinot menieur grapes harvested, interestingly enough, at the Arbor Crest Cliff House vineyard.

The wine from that family-run operation near Mount Spokane just keeps getting better with each release. And that’s no small feat because the Manz clan (all dedicated champagne devotees) had the bar raised pretty high to start.

The just-released ‘94 brut was also exceptional, with tiny bubbles and a toasty rich taste neatly balanced with sharp fruit.

I suspect that if you slipped Mountain Dome wine into a brown paper bag and poured it head-to-head in a blind tasting with French champagne, it would be tough to tell the difference. (Hey, now there’s a possible New Year’s Eve party game for you.)

The lovely brut and the nonvintage sparkler from Mountain Dome are available in large-format bottles, too. Look for them in the stores next month.

Cheese, fabulous cheese

There’s no sweeter union than a chunk of cheese and a glass of wine.

During November, Mizuna’s wine bar will be doing a special promotion showcasing cheeses from Quillisascut Farms.

This small family business south of Kettle Falls, Wash., produces some distinctive French-style cheeses. (Meaning they’re pungent, powerful and, to some palates, off-putting.)

But pair a so-called stinky cheese with a Rhone red or a Washington cab and you just might see the light.

The Quillisascut cheese plate features a goat’s milk crotin; another goat’s cheese that’s aged in an ash crust (come on, you can do it); a buttery cow’s milk cheese; a lavender-fennel goat cheese that’s got a firm texture and assertive flavor, and chevre aged in olive oil.

The plate is designed for two and comes with fresh fruit, rustic bread and eggplant caviar for $12.50.

It’s just the thing to order to mark the arrival of beaujalois nouveau next month. There’s an annual party at Mizuna to celebrate the release of the first ‘99 wine on Nov. 18 from 6 until 8 p.m.

The restaurant is located at 214 N. Howard. Call 747-2004 for reservations.