Cesare wrote:Great explantion on why champagne should be stored vertically.

most excellent C! follow-up question: if you had to pick between the two findings in that study, ie store below 58F OR store vertical in a cool place (but not below 58F), which is the more important factor? a lot of us don't have cellars per se but rather coolers that are not readily modifiable to take vertical bottles.

dearest Mumm winemaker, please jump in if you know the answer - and i'm willing to bet that you do!

NOTE: this is otherwise a non-issue for most of us, since my read of the findings in this study is that this is really only of concern to those who intend to age the bubbly, rather than consume it in the short term.

Although you can get the Cuvee M for < $20 at Safeway (at least in OR; i think that i got it for $17 last time i bought), the inclusion of the Cuvee M Red and the Reserve Brut make it appealing to me- even if it isn't a super-deal. Mumm Napa is a great place to spend a summer afternoon if you happen to be in wine country! oh yeah, and the bubbly isn't too shabby, either.

cjsiege wrote:Where is our favorite BubblyKindaGal, Liz??? Will she be back to chat?

Good morning, errr, afternoon! Of course I am back; I would not miss sanctioned web time while working for anything, and what better way to spend it than chatting with Wooters? Thank you for the warm welcome!

WD and I had fun putting this offer together, we hope you enjoy! I seem to recall a lot of chatter about the Red M last time I was visiting...we could finally pull it off for you this time around. Sounds like there is a lot to celebrate around here!

Sorry about the no ship states thing. It really bites all the way around. "Reciprocal" is a throw back to the "olden" days of direct shipping, before the Supreme Court decision. The theory was that an agreement between two states was made, like Illinois and California, that said "Wineries of your state can ship to consumers in my state if you reciprocate". All was well and good until the Supreme Court hinted that was in violation of the Commerce Clause since it excluded wineries of another state, like PA, that did not allow for shipping. Now states have begun to "level up" or "level down" and rewrite laws that treat all wineries, both in state and out of state, the same. In the process, a few states like Ohio closed to wineries that exceed a certain size, while others like Georgia have opened and began issuing permits to out of state wineries just like their in state wineries.

Nice link on storing bubbly, btw!

I can't wait to hear what the La Brats have to say about the Red M. It is very unique. I like it with a thicker sweeter BBQ sauce or brownies with raspberry sauce ala mode. Someone at the winery made a reduction sauce with dried cherries and Red M over lamb chops - YUM!

Reserve Brut is just simply a great all around sparkling wine. My new easy entertaining recipe is a Kettle Chip topped with a sliver of smoked salmon, add a smidgen of sour cream or creme fraiche and garnish with a snippet of fresh dill or chives. A platter of these looks so elegant, and it is easy and tasty!

Blue M is so great with peach cobbler. Or Spicy Thai Kettle Chips - Ovaltina, my goat - the heat and touch of ginger are a natural for the Blue M.

I am open for questions and will try to be on here most of the day.

Cheers!
~Liz

I hope I didn't miss this earlier in the comments, but I was wondering if this was produced méthode champenoise or charmat...

For those of you wanting to get a "preview" tasting with this offering, Mumm Napa will be on the RPM Wine Tour itinerary.

woopdedoo wrote:For those of you wanting to get a "preview" tasting with this offering, Mumm Napa will be on the RPM Wine Tour itinerary.

Who hoo! This is the first concrete name we have for the tour. Any more names?

themostrighteous wrote:most excellent C! follow-up question: if you had to pick between the two findings in that study, ie store below 58F OR store vertical in a cool place (but not below 58F), which is the more important factor? a lot of us don't have cellars per se but rather coolers that are not readily modifiable to take vertical bottles.

dearest Mumm winemaker, please jump in if you know the answer - and i'm willing to bet that you do!

NOTE: this is otherwise a non-issue for most of us, since my read of the findings in this study is that this is really only of concern to those who intend to age the bubbly, rather than consume it in the short term.

I will ask Ludo his opinion, but for me, what does not fit in my modified wine fridge (shelves taken out, bubbly standing up right) goes in a closet downstairs - but not the one that borders the washer and dryer. My still wine fridge that I scored on clearance at Target is set to 55*. That one holds eight bottles laying down and does not fit one single bottle upright.

paryb wrote:I hope I didn't miss this earlier in the comments, but I was wondering if this was produced méthode champenoise or charmat...

All of Mumm Napa's sparkling wines are produced in the méthode champenoise, aka méthode traditionelle. We do not employ the charmat method in any of our wines. Our label reads méthode traditionelle, so by TTB regulation, that is what you get!

As always, great questions!

~Liz

I was at a winery last week, and during the tasting, I tried their Late Harvest Petite Sirah. And one of their suggestions was to mix it with 2 parts Champagne with 1 part of the LH PS. It actually was pretty good!

Have you ever tried the same with any of the Mumm's? And if so, which varietels?

Cesare wrote:Great explantion on why champagne should be stored vertically.

Huh. That's extremely interesting - and good to hear, since the last time around for these, I didn't really have any storage space yet, and I HAD stored them vertically, against what I thought was better judgment. And they sure were tasty when we popped them!

thrawn1020 wrote:In for one. Really interested in trying one of these soon, and I really shouldn't be in w/o a real job, but whatever. Let's get ready to party!

Maybe we can get some DVX on Thursday for like $45 apiece? Cause that would be fun

Absolutely not! *protects the DVX* Just back away slowly; nothing to see here. Nothing to see at all.

Hey WD stop logging in as winefarm and check yer PMs Please

Bubblykindagal: did I read that correctly? You store the extra bubbly (vertically) in the closet? Just wondering because that article said to keep it below 59*. My on-clearance-on-overstock.com cooler is already full and the on-sale-at-target cooler is nearly full. No chance of taking OUT shelves at this point. Think the bubbly will keep for 6-12 months without refridgeration?

JOATMON wrote:Who hoo! This is the first concrete name we have for the tour. Any more names?

Yes.

great deal !
going to Mumm next weekend but this is better than buying the bottles there!

in for one!

woopdedoo wrote:Yes.

Now you're just teasing us!

kttest wrote:Now you're just teasing us!

He's been hanging out here for over three years, now. What did you expect?

eric9tx wrote:My on-clearance-on-overstock.com cooler is already full and the on-sale-at-target cooler is nearly full. No chance of taking OUT shelves at this point. Think the bubbly will keep for 6-12 months without refridgeration?

I'd like to know this as well. Although I finally sprung for a big cooler, I have a variety of bottles that were stored for 6-12 months at approx. 72 F. I don't really have any sense if or how that shortened their longevity and/or accelerated or changed their maturation. I know there's no exact answer, but I'd be curious if those with experience would either say, "no big deal" or "don't count on it, drink them early".

eric9tx wrote:Bubblykindagal: did I read that correctly? You store the extra bubbly (vertically) in the closet? Just wondering because that article said to keep it below 59*. My on-clearance-on-overstock.com cooler is already full and the on-sale-at-target cooler is nearly full. No chance of taking OUT shelves at this point. Think the bubbly will keep for 6-12 months without refridgeration?

Yep, you did. This is the bubbly I drink frequently, so I just want to keep it in the dark and somewhat climate controlled until I pop the cork, which is usually pretty soon after purchase. The DVX and vintage wine to save is stored vertically in the wine fridge. These wines should be fine for 6-12 months stored as best you can. You don't want them in direct sunlight or on top of the fridge though.

MarkDaSpark wrote:I was at a winery last week, and during the tasting, I tried their Late Harvest Petite Sirah. And one of their suggestions was to mix it with 2 parts Champagne with 1 part of the LH PS. It actually was pretty good!

Have you ever tried the same with any of the Mumm's? And if so, which varietels?

Hmmm...never with still wines, but MANY times to make bubbly cocktails. A favorite not listed on our site:
Sparkling Mojito
In a shaker filled 3/4 with ice, add 2 to 3 lime wedges (that were cut into 1/8s from a whole lime) and 2 to 3 fresh mint leaves. Add 1.5 ounces white rum and 1 ounce triple sec, muddle vigorously.

Strain into a flute*, top with 2 ounces Cuvée M Blue. Garnish with lime wedge.

*You don't have to strain, but it looks prettier in a flute. Many a time, I have filled a bucket or tumbler and topped with M. It takes the place of the club soda and simple syrup - what is the point of watering down a drink? Eeek!

~Liz

Current numbers (updated each minute):

First sucker: mill
Speed to first woot: 0m 6.017s

Last wooter to woot: JOATMON

In for one. The finances haven't gotten any easier.

kttest wrote:Now you're just teasing us!

It wouldn't be fun if you weren't teased just a bit... Napa day will almost certainly include the opportunity to see a mobile bottling operation in action.

rpm wrote:It wouldn't be fun if you weren't teased just a bit... Napa day will almost certainly include the opportunity to see a mobile bottling operation in action.

This is true, but the suspense is killing me (this is the planner in me talking). ooh I always wanted to see bottling in action!

I'll be passing on the bubbly, but if the mid week offering has LH Petite in it I'm all over that.

For those concerned about less-than-optimal storing I offer this purely anecdotal, un-scientific bit of experience. I recently (edit: yesterday, actually) opened a bottle of 1997 Domaine Carneros Le Reve (the current release is a 2002 so that means I've had it about 5 years. Always stored on its side at room temperature (but in a dark closet). Then about 3 weeks ago I intended to serve it so put it in the fridge - something came up and it stayed in the fridge for 3 weeks (also a no-no). Anyway, opened it yesterday and it was absolutely marvelous. Could it have been even better had I stored it properly? Perhaps, but I guess my point is don't necessarily let absence of perfect storage conditions discourage you from making a selection - oftentimes the wine is tougher than it might seem.

Ok, ok, ok. So storage doesn't seem to be the pressing issue I had been fearing. And it's not like I actually have the willpower to save these for more than a year. So I'll be in just as soon as I see if Mom wants in for one also (thus reducing MY shipping costs, hehe...). For someone who "doesn't drink", she sure likes sparklers!

I have a 1993 Dom Perignon sitting around. Has not been stored optimally for most of its life and in fact had been stored poorly for part of its life. Maybe I'll open it one of these years and see how it is. Can champagne age that long?

Cesare wrote:I have a 1993 Dom Perignon sitting around. Has not been stored optimally for most of its life and in fact had been stored poorly for part of its life. Maybe I'll open it one of these years and see how it is. Can champagne age that long?

Yes. I once had a 20+ year old Dom that was wonderful!

jwhite6114 wrote:I just updated the "How good it this deal?" spreadsheet to show savings percentage both with and without retail shipping (woot shipping is included in all numbers as you can't get it from woot without paying shipping, so is really part of the cost). As some of these are bottles that a lot of folks can find locally, I figured the alternative comparison might be helpful.

Either I don't understand how you compute the "Savings vs. Retail" column or something is wrong with it. The individual percentages are not created the same way as the "Order Total."

Cesare wrote:Great explantion on why champagne should be stored vertically.

This is why I love these boards.
Thanks Cesare for the incredibly useful info.

briffe wrote:Either I don't understand how you compute the "Savings vs. Retail" column or something is wrong with it. The individual percentages are not created the same way as the "Order Total."

Because bottle price is variable, the Order Total savings may be different that the per bottle savings. Check your PM's for more info.

It's about time... even though it's too late.

I'm so glad that I passed on last week's offerings. I can afford some bubbly for the honeymoon!

bhodilee wrote:We served the Brut at my wedding reception two weeks ago and it was a HUGE hit. Very tasty indeed.

I also served the brut at my fiancee's graduation party two weekend's ago, also a big hit.

kttest wrote:This is true, but the suspense is killing me (this is the planner in me talking). ooh I always wanted to see bottling in action!

I did too, then I worked a bottling line for a day . . . and although mesmerizing to watch the bottles fill, the rest is hard, loud work. ALthough, when a bottle breaks, the aroma is quite pleasant.

mydoppelganger wrote:It's about time... even though it's too late.

I'm so glad that I passed on last week's offerings. I can afford some bubbly for the honeymoon!

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!! Enjoy!

Cesare wrote:I have a 1993 Dom Perignon sitting around. Has not been stored optimally for most of its life and in fact had been stored poorly for part of its life. Maybe I'll open it one of these years and see how it is. Can champagne age that long?

Given that Dom is currently hawking the 2000s and the '99s are still available in many stores, that wine isn't as old as it might sound. Under optimal conditions good champagne can supposedly age quite a while (with the usual disclaimer that it depends on your personal tastes); Under poor conditions? Probably not.

Guesses for Thursday? More sparkles?

kylemittskus wrote:Guesses for Thursday? More sparkles?

Little early, ain't it?

cheron98 wrote:Little early, ain't it?

Apparently, I have no clue what day it is. I thought it was Tuesday or Wednesday at least. Does this mean that my calendar has become woot instead of, well, a calendar.

You know you're a wootaholic when:

You're not going to order, but still compulsively check the boards to see where the discussion is going.

Yup. Me. Guilty.

It was a Friday in September or October in the early 1990s -- maybe 1991 or so -- and I had been in depositions all week in Berkeley. Unexpectedly, we finished early. I was scheduled to take the redeye home. Rather than try to get on an earlier flight, I decided to drive up to Napa. I made three very quick stops: Mondavi, Heitz ,and on the way back Mumms. I have a great memory of siting on a porch, late in the day, looking over out over the vineyards, with fall colors just suggesting themselves, sipping a glass of wine. A wonderful moment. I'm in.

bubblykindagal wrote:Hmmm...never with still wines, but MANY times to make bubbly cocktails. A favorite not listed on our site:
Sparkling Mojito
In a shaker filled 3/4 with ice, add 2 to 3 lime wedges (that were cut into 1/8s from a whole lime) and 2 to 3 fresh mint leaves. Add 1.5 ounces white rum and 1 ounce triple sec, muddle vigorously.

Strain into a flute*, top with 2 ounces Cuvée M Blue. Garnish with lime wedge.

*You don't have to strain, but it looks prettier in a flute. Many a time, I have filled a bucket or tumbler and topped with M. It takes the place of the club soda and simple syrup - what is the point of watering down a drink? Eeek!

~Liz

well, well, i guess now i know what i'm doing w/ my bottle of Cuvée M Blue when it arrives! AWESOMEST!!! thx.