Champagne Taste

Elegant and Affordable Mumm Napa Valley

By Dianne Boate and Robert Meyer

"Did you have wine with dinner?"
"Oh no, this was an occasion. We drank champagne."

(From Andre Simon’s 1962 book Champagne, found in our bookcase.)We can think of no other beverage whose mention brightens one’s prospects so instantly. The idea of a glass of champagne can lift your mood and change the atmosphere. It’s not a case of remembrance of things past, Mr. Proust, but the anticipation of things future that count, making each minute more attractive when it comes to champagne. Writer M.F.K. Fisher had recurring themes in her books about food and life regarding the values of "restoratives" for the body, mind, and spirit, and did it in such a way that you thought you were having the experience with her, and later, really wanted to try it out for yourself.

In the Valley

And there is nothing like a firsthand experience. We recently drove north to visit Mumm Napa Valley--oh yes, the day was sunny and warm, but from years of experience living and visiting in the Napa Valley, whatever the weather, it is always beautiful. It takes many visits to explore and appreciate the contours of land and leaf and what is in a wine glass. Sometimes you feel like you would like to stay forever.

First impression: A staff that is smiling and glad to see you, ready to answer questions and assist you in having a great experience. That is reason enough to go anywhere.

Second impression: Choices.

— There are hourly complimentary tours; you can learn about all the intricate steps of
making sparkling wine.
— A spacious and graceful tasting room to sample the exciting range of sparkling wines.
— A patio that invites you to sit and admire the first-class view of Napa Valley.
— A wine shop that offers anywhere from 8- 12 different vintages, some of these
available only at the winery and priced from a split for $5, to
a Salmanazar for $325. This bottle contains an entire case of wine. Wouldn’t you
make someone’s day giving this for a gift? Or a pair of decorative champagne flutes?
— Fine art photography galleries to visit, featuring four shows per year with a permanent
collection of Ansel Adams’ work. It was a great treat to meet Ansel Adams
grandson, Matthew, who was installing the newest show of high quality photographers the day we were there.

About Mumm Napa Valley

Beginning as a gleam in a Frenchman’s eye, Mumm Napa Valley has been a work in progress since 1979. The ideal location in the Carneros District of Napa Valley was found;112 acres were planted with the classic combination of champagne grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. In addition to the advantages of warm days and cool nights this area is famous for, the land possesses a key component essential to the taste of a wine made from Champagne district vineyards in France: limestone.

When you investigate what is behind enduring qualities of a product, the answers always come in the form of the people involved. The founder and first winemaker to set the mark was Guy Devaux (you can see the vineyards he developed and that are named for him on Highway 121 in the Carneros region), who later appointed Greg Fowler. Mr. Fowler brought in sparkling wine producer Rob McNeill, who served as winemaker for five years. Last year, Mr. McNeill became general manager, and a new winemaker was named: Ludovic Dervin. A native of Champagne, France, Dervin is highly experienced in both still and sparkling winemaking.

While admiring the continuity at Mumm Napa Cuvée, we had a question: "Does Mr. Dervin, having been there just a year, work with existing formulas? How can a new-to-the- company winemaker be creative?" Greg Ahn, marketing manager, Allied Domecq Wines, USA, replied.

"In most cases, a new winemaker, especially at a sparkling wine house, could only affect wines two years from release. However, Ludo came in at a very unique moment in the winery’s history, arriving just in time for the 2002 harvest and then blended the 2001. What is in the market now is 1999 and 2000 vintage, so his wines are not yet available; however, he has developed new products; one will be released on June 1, 2003--an Extra Dry-style product named Cuvée M. He was also instrumental in final dosage and stages of the reserve program, releasing this September as the 25th Anniversary Cuvée. His ideas have created tremendous improvements in efficiency and productivity. He’s done an amazing job in his first year."

Personal Notes

One of us had a very demanding job for several months. The creative solution to this stress problem was half a bottle of fine chilled champagne every night. Yes, you can.

The old saying about having a champagne taste on a beer budget no longer needs to apply with the quality products in today’s market at prices you can afford. We have always believed one of the reasons for practicing small daily economies is to afford a better bottle of champagne. You feel like you deserve it, and you do. With champagne at hand, the plainest most inexpensive meal will take on a new luster; we are fond of good canned chili topped with sliced avocados and sour cream, hot steaming cornbread, and chilled champagne.

At home or in a restaurant, the most expensive ingredients seem even more exclusive served with champagne. Try a glass of good champagne as your cocktail when you next go out to eat. It starts everything out just right. Oh, do we need more of that!

Things that sparkle catch our attention --diamonds, a shooting star, sunlight playing on a river, lovelight in someone’s eyes. Champagne poured into a glass embodies what is magical, mysterious, and fascinating. Aren’t we all composed of sparkles just like that?