Champagne

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Belgium Seizes, Pours Out 'Champagne of Beers'

European Union rules clash with Miller High Life's slogan

(Newser) - The guardians of Champagne will let no one take the name of the bubbly beverage in vain, not even a US beer behemoth. For years, Miller High Life has used the "Champagne of Beers" slogan. This week, that appropriation became impossible to swallow. At the request of the trade...

Champagne Spiked With Ecstasy Proves Fatal

One man dies, 8 others hospitalized in Germany

(Newser) - One man died and eight other people were hospitalized in serious condition after unknowingly drinking Champagne spiked with ecstasy at a bar in Bavaria, German prosecutors said Monday. The man who died was 52, and the others were between 33 and 52, police told the German news agency dpa, per...

French Champagne Makers Decry 'Scandalous' Putin Law

His legislation suggests the only real champagne is from Russia

(Newser) - French Champagne producers make one thing very clear : The only legal Champagne comes from the Champagne region of France. To their chagrin, Russia sees things a bit differently. Under a law signed by President Vladimir Putin on Friday, only local producers can slap the word "shampanskoye," the Russian...

Champagne Sales Point to Gloomy 2012

Europe isn't snapping up the bubbly like it used to

(Newser) - Whether it's a stand-in for Europe's spirits or its wallets, the message is the same: It's been a rather gloomy 2012, at least according to Champagne sales, with shipments of the bubbly down 5% in the first three quarters. And though a holiday bump will occur per...

France's Champagne Harvest Is Worst in 40 Years

But this year's bubbly won't be affected

(Newser) - Wet weather and hailstorms combined to make this year's Champagne harvest—the real capital C stuff from France—the worst in 40 years, reports BloombergBusinessweek . Damaged vineyards in the Champagne region yielded 40% fewer grapes this year, says an industry spokesman in Paris. The only good news is that...

Champagne Gets Out of Its Funk

Shipments from Champagne region rebound

(Newser) - Champagne has got its fizz back: In the first three quarters of the year, France's champagne industry shipped 192 million bottles; tack on the boffo sales that typically occur during the holiday season, and that number will likely rise to levels last seen in 2007, when 339 million bottles...

French Uncork World's Oldest Champagne

Critics don't agree about 184-year-old vintage

(Newser) - In honor of its "liquid history," the French champagne house Perrier-Jouët uncorked a bottle of the world's oldest vintage: an 1825 that went straight to critics' heads. "There were flavours of mushrooms, woods and a bit of honey," said one, while another detected "...

Champagne Loses Fizz With Economy

Industry is worried a tough holiday season will leave sales flat

(Newser) - Champagne companies are anything but bubbly this year as they head into what’s predicted to be a “horrible” holiday season, hurt by a sagging US economy and weak dollar, reports Advertising Age. November and December are crucial for the industry, with as much as 25% of sales during...

Pairing Leaves Writer Red-Faced
Pairing Leaves Writer Red-Faced
OPINION
Feb 29, 2008 5:25 PM CST

Pairing Leaves Writer Red-Faced

Times oenophile comes out of shell, tries vin rouge with his oysters — and lives!

(Newser) - Oysters and red wine? "Why not?" asks Eric Asimov in the New York Times. Wine pairing as a science can drain a meal of its pleasure, while instincts and taste-testing add adventure. After Parisian waiters twice recommended red with a foodie blogger's oysters, Asimov traded the usual suspects (muscadet,...

Sour Grapes Over Napa Bubbly
 Sour Grapes Over Napa Bubbly
Jan 19, 2008 5:34 AM CST

Sour Grapes Over Napa Bubbly

Lawsuit divides members of top wine-making family

(Newser) - A feud between members of the family that produces one of the top sparkling wines in the US is making California's Napa Valley the setting for a real-life soap opera, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Hedge-fund manager John Davies is battling for his stake in Schramsberg Vineyards, charging that his...

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