Finally, we come to the tasting portion. It uses chardonnay (30 percent) pinot noir (45 percent) and pinot meunier and is toasty, rich, and sumptuous. and now we try the Cuvee Lalou 1999, which is 50/50 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. mumm tour and tastingMumm in Reims. Do you have a poster?" years. MORE >>

In fact, during one session during a Society of Wine Educator's conference, the audience blind tasted Franciacorta vs. Cru Champagne. Unlike the grapes of Champagne, the primary grapes for Franciacorta is Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier. Vintage Franciacorta must spend a minimum of 30 months on the lees. MORE >>

After lots of tasting in the cellar we were back in the comfortable and warm reception room, tasting through the current lineup of wines. thought of this again later that day, tasting with Raphaël Bérèche. Beginning with the 2007 vintage, he makes an old vines Pinot Meunier from the vineyard of Les Misy in Port à Binson. MORE >>

want to try more of them - are you having a spring tasting?" This wine is Cabernet Franc, Pinot Meunier (yes, you read that right), and a third mystery grape which the producer will not reveal. Perhaps the most memorable wine for me was the final wine of the night, a sweet wine, a rosé of Pinot Noir. had a blast. MORE >>

had the distinct honor and pleasure of tasting as much of the Terry Theise Grower Champagne portfolio as I could last week, at the Michael Skurnik tasting last week at TriBeCa Grill. am still developing my personal tasting scaffolding in Champagne, the structure that everything else will go on top of. What an opportunity! MORE >>