WineSpectator.com: Q&A's

How serious are the laws (and legal teams) protecting the name "Champagne"? (Wine Spectator)
Dear Dr. Vinny, What actually constitutes the use of the name “Champagne”? Is a product that uses a word that sounds like "Champagne" but is spelled differently illegal? —James, Dover, Ohio Dear James, “Champagne” technically only refers to bubbly made using traditional methods and grapes from the Champagne region of France. As you might imagine, the French want to protect the use of the term. The history of their efforts goes back to 1919, when the Treaty of Versailles was signed and included direction on how to use the word. But the United States never actually ratified the Treaty of Versailles, and in 1919, the U.S. was on the verge of enacting Prohibition, so alcohol-labeling laws weren’t a big priority. For a long time, domestic sparkling wine producers felt comfortable using the term. Then in 2006, the United States and the European Union signed a wine-trade agreement, and this time the U.S. agreed to not use the term, along with other protected terms of wine origin like “Port,” “Burgundy” and “Chablis.” But anyone who already had an approved label was grandfathered in and could continue to use the word. That includes domestic brands like Cook’s Champagne and Korbel, as well as Miller High Life, which had “The Champagne of Beers” as a tagline on their labels dating back to 1906. (A small concession: The wines can only use the term in conjunction with their actual place of origin, i.e. "California Champagne.") Lately the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne, or CIVC, has been suing or threatening to sue people who try to misuse the term “Champagne.” They took issue with a company that promoted its water as “the Champagne of Water.” A flooring company had to discontinue their “Champagne Collection.” There was a kerfuffle with a sorbet made with legit Champagne in it, but after a legal battle was still allowed to be called “Champagne Sorbet.” The CIVC even enforces the uses of the word to describe a product, most famously when it preemptively stopped Apple from describing an iPhone color as “Champagne.” I get it—Champagne doesn’t have a single color, and it feels like shorthand for something luxurious or high quality. Yet I still see the term used to describe lipstick colors, a shade of marble and even jellybean flavors. As far as words that sound like “Champagne” but are spelled differently, there was the case of Champín, a berry-flavored Spanish children's soda with a clown on the label. The CIVC tried to sue, but a judge threw out the case saying there was no way the two products could be confused. I couldn’t find any additional examples of products that use an alternate spelling. (But my goodness, there are plenty of people who can’t spell “Champagne”!) There’s a song by the band Five Finger Death Punch called “Sham Pain,” and you can still buy a T-shirt with the famous (if corny) quote, “Champagne for My Real Friends and Real Pain for My Sham Friends,” on it. But I certainly wouldn’t suggest pushing the point—the CIVC seem intent on protecting the reputation of Champagne. —Dr. Vinny
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What kind of wine grape is Gamay? (Wine Spectator)
Dear Dr. Vinny, What kind of grape is Gamay? —Ranjit, Delhi, India Dear Ranjit, A good one! Most wine lovers have heard of Beaujolais Nouveau, which is the most famous wine made from the Gamay grape; it's released on the third Thursday of November after harvest (a tradition launched by vintner Georges Duboeuf in the early 1980s). It’s a fruity, easy-drinking red that is celebrated as the first wine of the newest vintage. (Unlike more traditional red wines, Beaujolais Nouveau is made using a fermentation method called carbonic maceration, which allows the wines to be ready to drink much sooner.) But there are also other terrific examples of wines made from Gamay, most of them from the Beaujolais and Loire regions of France. The grape has a long history in France, where it was originally in competition with the Pinot Noir grape in Burgundy (until it was unceremoniously banished in 1395). Gamay was prized for its early ripening and high yields. If you’re looking for the most revered bottlings of Gamay, look for cru Beaujolais, made from one of the 10 classified areas within the Beaujolais region. The grape’s signature red fruity notes still come through, but when made more seriously, spice, floral, tea and pepper accents emerge. Crus Beaujolais grabbed the attention of sommeliers a few years ago. They loved the fresh, vibrant and food-friendly profiles, as well as their attractive prices. As other grapes and regions emerge on trendy wine lists, I still look for them, especially the top crus like Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie and Juliénas. —Dr. Vinny
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Are any wines made in maple or apple wood barrels? (Wine Spectator)
Dear Dr. Vinny, Are any wines made in maple or apple wood barrels? —Alan, Concord, N.H. Dear Alan, I'm not aware of any wines made in maple or apple wood barrels. Oak is a popular choice because of its tight grain (no leaking!) and the flavors it can impart, including spice and vanilla. Redwood barrels were once popular in California, and chestnut and acacia barrels are currently becoming trendy. Some some whiskey producers are experimenting with maple barrels (as well as oak barrels that maple syrup was aged in). I’ve read maple barrels impart a sweet, maple-like flavor, as you’d expect, but they can also be prone to leaks. I can’t find any evidence of barrels made from apple wood, but I do see some home brewers experimenting with aging wine with apple chips. —Dr. Vinny
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Is a bottle of wine "open" if the cork is partially pulled out? (Wine Spectator)
Dear Dr. Vinny, In order to bring an unopened bottle of wine home from a restaurant, our server pulled the cork out about half an inch, so that that the bottle appeared to have been opened. How long will the wine last with the cork pulled halfway out? —Brian, Seekonk, Mass. Dear Brian, Massachusetts, like most states, distinguishes between on-premise and off-premise retail alcohol licenses. Off-premise licenses are for supermarkets and convenience stores—places where you’d buy the wine and consume it elsewhere. Restaurants, taverns, hotels and such will have an on-premise license, meaning the wine will be consumed where it’s sold. It’s an important distinction, because those licenses mean you can’t open the bottle of wine you bought at the supermarket while you’re still in the store, and restaurants and bars are technically not allowed to sell wine that’s not going to be consumed there. By pretending the bottle of wine is open and you’re just taking the leftovers home, the server was skirting the law. Unfortunately, by breaking the seal even a little bit, there’s a good chance that some oxygen has gotten into the bottle, and you should treat it as any other open bottle of wine: Consume it within a day or two, and store it in the fridge until then to get some extra life out of it. Eventually the fruit flavors will start to fade and take on nutty notes. It won’t make you sick, but it might leave you disappointed. Meanwhile, if you’re reading this and wondering about the legality of traveling home with an open bottle of wine, Massachusetts has an “open container” law, but people are allowed to take a partially consumed bottle of wine home from a restaurant if it was purchased with their meal and the bottle is resealed. The bottle also needs to be in a part of the car inaccessible to the driver, like the trunk. —Dr. Vinny
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In winemaking, what are punch-downs and pump-overs? Are they important? (Wine Spectator)
Dear Dr. Vinny, During fermentation, when the grape skins and other bits rise to the top, is it best to leave it be? Or should it be pushed back down into the fermenting juice? —Frank, Windsor, Ontario, Canada Dear Frank, While grape juice is fermenting, those bits of grape stems, seeds, skins and pulp that float to the top are referred to as the “cap.” Why does it float? One of the byproducts of the fermentation process is carbon dioxide gas, and as it escapes, those solids rise with it to the top. Those solids in the cap also happen to contain most of the polyphenols that give wine its color, aroma and body, so if you want a full-flavored wine, you should definitely punch down the cap to extract those elements. If you leave the cap untouched, it can also become a breeding ground for bacteria, so that’s another good reason to keep things circulating! There are two primary methods of extraction: Punch-downs (also know by the French term pigéage) and pump-overs (aka rémontage), and they’re pretty much exactly what they sound like. A punch-down can be done by hand using a huge potato masher–looking device, by foot (preferably with the assistance of waterproof waders), or by machine. Breaking up and submerging that cap usually requires a lot more force than you’d think. A pump-over typically involves pumping juice up from the bottom of the tank and splashing it over the cap. As you might imagine, both of these methods (and how forcefully and frequently they’re performed) have a big effect on how much pigment, tannins and flavor are extracted. These are some big decisions. Another method, not so common, is called “rack and return.” (“Racking” is a fairly common practice for removing fermented wine off of the sediment, or lees, to clarify it.) This, too, is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: The wine is drained into a second tank, leaving the solids behind, and then returned to the original tank with the grape solids. It’s kind of like an extreme pump-over. Eventually, when all the punch-downs and pump-overs are complete and the fermented wine is removed from the tanks, the solids left behind are known as pomace, and there’s some pretty cool stuff you can do with that, too! —Dr. Vinny
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