Comments on: Mr. Henry Drinks Champagne

By: Joe Bartender

Joe Bartender — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 22:02:15 +0000

Being the uncultured boor that I am, I had no idea it was in poor taste to drink champagne when your companions are drinking wine. Once I get started on champagne, it's hard for me to stop, so I usually wake up with a hangover regardless of what I've been eating. Joe Bartender

By: La BellaDonna

La BellaDonna — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 22:47:33 +0000

La BellaDonna asks, rather timidly, why Mr. Henry could not drink champagne while his hosts were drinking wine. Is not champagne a sparkling wine? Then it is merely a question of what wine each prefers: red, white, sparkling or not sparkling.

La BellaDonna has one suggestion for Mr. Henry, if he invariably suffers from a champagne hangover: he might try the expedient of drinking great quantities of water before retiring for the evening; the hydration should lessen the next day’s discomfort.

By: Frolic and Detour

Frolic and Detour — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 04:38:35 +0000

“Never drink champagne with sweets.”

Better yet, never drink champagne with anything else. Having recently finished off a bottle of 1998 Dom Perignon, I can safely say that good champagne is like a great diva: it needs little to no accompaniment to shine.

By: FrippetyFra

FrippetyFra — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 01:33:16 +0000

For those of us who love champagne but are on a limited budget, Cristalino is outstanding for about $7/bottle. I didn’t think you could have a decent champagne for so little, but it beats out much more expensive bottles hands down.

By: Emir

Emir — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 19:12:55 +0000

I wonder whether Mr. Henry’s prescription against indulging in other libations when drinking champagne extends to less noble grapes that sparkle? In particular, I am quite partial to the Catalan custom of beginning each proper meal (and Catalans, being at least as civilized as the remainder of Iberia, tend to take most meals properly) with a glass of cava. Also, a bit of prosecco to start the conversation flowing has always improved my experience of a meal. Surely, I am not meant to abstain from well-matched wines for the remainder of each such meal?

By: Emily

Emily — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 00:23:01 +0000

I love champagne but am still a poor student and do not get to drink it very much. I greatly enjoyed your advice, and I am thrilled to know that it does indeed go with everything excepting sweets (but then if you have champagne you are already extravagant enough). Sadly my beau does not like champagne and will embarrass me by drinking the whole glass in one go to get rid of it, and even worse swirling it like a reisling in the glass. It’s very sad because otherwise he has very refined taste and can be taken almost anywhere.

By: Courtney

Courtney — Sun, 28 May 2006 20:28:50 +0000

I must disagree with Mr. Henry regarding Rose Champagnes. Roses are achieved by leaving the skins of the Pinot Noir grape (one of the 3 grapes used in Champagne, along with Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier) in with the juice for a short time, thus achieving a “pink” color. The best Roses are not “pink,” but more a lovely salmon laced with hints of gold. Beautiful! And because they are often made with 100% Pinot Noir grapes, they can be a bit more robust than the blended Champagnes or those made with all Chardonnay (Blanc de Blancs). I have never had a Brut Rose that wasn’t incredibly refreshing with lovely acidity. And I often find them much more enhanced with mineral and earthy flavors, rather than fruity or “sweet” notes. On the other hand, I have had some brut Blanc de Blancs that could certainly be described as “fruity,” “sweet” and “cloying.” Basically, what I am saying is that I have had some magnificent Roses, and hate to see them all disparaged in one sweep of the blog. As with the people, judge not the Champagne by its color!

By: ushie

ushie — Sat, 27 May 2006 20:00:29 +0000

What does Mr. Henry think of the French 77?

By: Mr. Henry

Mr. Henry — Fri, 26 May 2006 14:29:47 +0000

Dear Paperpusher,

Mr. Henry does not approve of rosé champagne, which is synonymous with pink champagne. Even in its driest form, brut, cloying sweetness overcomes the refreshing astringency of the true brew. This is not to say that Mr. Henry cannot imagine himself in a situation where he might drink it, please understand. But the scene would have to be a theme evening where decor (and perhaps undergarments) were all principally pink and where Mr. Henry had cast aside all pretense of modesty.

By: PaperPusher

PaperPusher — Thu, 25 May 2006 21:59:55 +0000

I’ve just started to enjoy champagnes, and so reading this was extremely helpful. I will definitely keep in mind of the once the cork is opened dictum, as well as the dangerous act of mixing champagne with dessert, both of which are new lessons. As you had so effectively and eloquently provided suggestions before for scotch, I would very much like to hear your recommendations for champagne, especially, rose champagne or pink champagne. Sorry, I’m still not familiar enough with champagne to know which is the right reference.