I tried out all the different models in an attempt to find the best one for both cork and artificial cork stoppers. The best part was drinking all the uncorked wine in the name of science.

After experimenting for a few weeks I have decided on two. First let’s look at an extremely popular apparatus. The estate opener (picture on the left) looks great on the top of any bar or table, and does the job. It works by the use of a lever that is moved up and down to push and pull the spiral into the cork. I found it a bit uncomfortable when it is placed on a bar, as the bar-top is higher than most tables. On a table it works a little better as you have more leverage and can maneuver the opening of the bottle with more force. While it functions as expected, it is still not the ideal opener for me. The long wooden handle goes up too high and places your arm in an awkward position that limits the strength you can use to bring the handle down. Other than that, it is a good opener but not my favorite.

Now for my two favorites. The Italian-style lever wine opener (picture on the right) has  an insertion and extraction lever that is a U-shaped double arm, giving it a wide grip at the handle. It makes it very easy and comfortable to uncork the bottle. I actually inserted and extracted the cork in less than 3 seconds. This lever opener is strong and sturdy. It brings a foil cutter that is simple to use, and a spare spiral. The spiral is Teflon coated so that it is easy to insert into the cork. Once you learn how to use it properly it will become your must-have opener, and your guests will be impressed with the smoothness and brevity of the uncorking.

The lever corkscrew really impressed me. The simplicity and ease of use was extraordinary. All you have to do with this corkscrew is raise the lever and place the unit over the bottle’s top opening. Once it is firmly in place, squeeze the handles on the side of the bottle and bring the lever down, pushing the spiral smoothly through cork. Simply hold the bottle down using the handles and pull the lever. The cork will slide out of the bottle with ease. After the extraction bring the lever down and grab the cork with the handles. Once again pull the lever up and the spiral will pull itself out of the cork. Once you release the handles, the cork will drop into your hand. While the whole process sounds complicated, you can actually extract the cork from a wine bottle in about three seconds. One of the features that I really enjoyed was how compact the opener is, and how efficiently it uses all of its parts.

All the models that I tested were VIP brand openers, come in a set with an extra spiral and other utilities, are gift packed and are fully guaranteed. In addition to the above models, the screwpull, rabbit, pulltaps and other types of corkscrews were tested.

Charles Mignon & Fils wines are affordable priced and are practically the same as his Domaines Roux Père & Fils that have earned ratings of 94 out of 100 from industry publications. It’s a way for Sebastian Roux to enter some U.S. markets without affecting the price and profile of his higher priced flagship wines.

His 10 family members tend to the Estate of 160 acres in Burgundy, France and 250 acres in the Languedoc, France. Each year his family is rewarded for their efforts by the top industry magazines and wine guides throughout the world. Roux’ wines have gained notoriety and have received some of the highest ratings and reviews. Talking to him and seeing his passion for wines reveals why their wines are so well regarded. Wine is his life.

This family winery provides premium wines through 60 appellations. Sebastian proudly promotes his wines as only the person personally making the wine can. Even though most of his wine production is drunk in France, he wants more than the experienced wine drinkers and collectors in the United States to drink his wine. As he explains it, he wants the world to drink his wines. It was obvious that it was not about the money, but rather his true love of wine. I’ve seen this same characteristic in the world’s greatest wine makers.

Afer the first bottle was gone, he kindly uncorked a delightful white Burgundy from his 2004 vintage. The nose clearly prepared my palette for what was to come. An elegant and full wine that satisfied. It’s no wonder that wine critic Robert Parker called this wine an “Excellent value, opulent, luscious Meursault” concluding that this is “Burgundy’s most hedonistic white.”

You’ll be hearing a lot more of Domaines Roux Père & Fils fine wines as they are aggressively expanding their distribution in the United States. Even though their wines are already discovered, the price is still affordable as Roux’s goal is to have as many as possible enjoy his wines. Will the price go up afterwards, probably. In the interim, enjoy this great value while you can.

Malbec is a grape used in making red wine that tends to have a dark and rich color.  Another characteristic of Malbec is that it has robust tannins. While historically it is one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of French Bordeaux red wine, the French Malbec plantations are now only visible in Cahors, the Southwest wine region of France. It was introduced in Argentina in 1868 and little by little, this grape has become prominent in Argentina and has finally reached the celebrated level as an Argentinian varietal wine. Due to its growing popularity, growers from Chile, Australia, California and Washington have been moving quickly to grow Malbec. These growers have improved the wine producing processes. The quality of Malbecs from Chile and Australia are getting close to their competitors from Argentina.

Here’s a little background info. Malbec is named after a Hungarian peasant who introduced it to France. The Malbec grape is thin-skinned and requires more sun and heat than Cabernet or Merlot to mature. Malbec ripens mid-season and can display a very deep red color with lots of tannin and a fruity plum-like flavor. The red wines made from Malbec grapes are rich, dark and extra juicy. As a varietal it is a deep red color with intense flavors and bouquet.

So what’s my favorite? It’s a boutique wine produced by Argenvine. The Malbec from the Reserva Especial of 2002 is one of the most intense wine drinking experiences that I have had from an Argentine varietal. The grapes are from the Mendoza region and the wine is aged 12 months in French oak barrels. The deep purplish red color is delightful. The bouquet is of dried fruits, plums, toast and chocolate. On the palate, it is silky and pleasant with delicate fruity overtones of truffles and dried plums, which give it an excellent long lingering finish. It’s a great bottle to enjoy with a steak dinner. 

It’s easy to use. Just place the lever to the back and place the bottle in the holder. Tighter the handle flaps around the bottle and move the lever to the front. It will place the corkscrew tip into the cork. Pull the lever back and the cork will be pulled out of the wine bottle cleanly. After you release the handle flaps and remove the bottle, just move the lever back to the front and the slightly to the back. The cork will be released in one piece.

There are subtle variations in a wine’s character from year to year, that’s why some years are better than others. So an older wine does not really mean that it is better than a younger one. The year to year differences can be in color, palate, nose, body and development. Quality red wines usually improve in flavor with age if properly stored. That is why wine enthusiasts save bottles of an especially good vintage year. 

The United States has rules and laws for vintage wines. For a wine to be vintage dated and labeled with the area that the grapes were grown, it must contain at least 95% of the grapes from the harvested year. If the wine does not have a specific area where the grapes where grown then the percentage drops to 85%. Vintage wines are generally bottled in a single batch so that every bottle has a similar taste. The climate where the grapes were grown can have an impact on the character of a wine. Different vintages from the same vineyard can vary dramatically in flavor and quality. Vintage wines are produced to have individual characteristics of the vintage. That is why great vintages from reputable producers and regions will cost much more than average vintages. Some wine makers only release vintage wines in years when the grapes are better than average, and therefore those vintages are only available in very limited quantities.

Now the bottom line. Is a vintage worth the higher price? In most cases it is but the true test is your palate. If it is the wine you like, then it is worth it. If not, no matter how great the vintage was, it is not. You have to make that decision.

Champagne is a sparkling wine that is typically derived from a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier grapes. While Champagne originally came from the Champagne region of France, many sparkling wines from Spain, Italy, Australia, New Zealand and the United States have gained in prominence and are considered just as good as those coming out of Champagne, France. Champagne is a sparkling wine because it has lots of bubbles, which are formed during a second fermentation process. In the first fermentation the carbon dioxide bubbles are released out of the fermentation tanks. This second fermentation takes still wine and seals in the carbon dioxide that is formed when yeast converts sugar into alcohol. The process makes millions of bubbles inside the bottle with no place to go.

Champagnes and Sparkling Wines are categorized by their sugar levels. The categories are Extra Brut, Brut, Extra dry, Sec and Demi-sec. An extra Brut Champagne will be very dry, while a demi-sec is the sweetest option, with Brut (dry), extra dry and sec lying somewhere in the middle with an off-dry to semi-sweet offering.

Now that you know a little about how it is made and the different taste levels, here’s some useful info that will help you select great sparkling wine at reasonable prices.

• Anything labelled Champagne is produced in the Champagne region of France and conforms to the appellation standard.
• The terms Blanc de Blancs and Blanc de Noirs indicate wines made solely from white grapes (Chardonnay) and black grapes (Pinot Noir and Meunier) respectively.
• Rosé Champagnes are made by allowing the wine to stay in contact with the red grape skins or by adding red wine to the sparkling wine.
• Crémant is the generic French name for sparkling wine that is made outside the Champagne region of France.
• Cava is sparkling wine that is produced in the Penedès region of Spain. It is made in the same manner as champagne but does not come from that region in France, so it known as Cava.
• Cava is categorized based on its level of dryness, and the levels are: Brut nature, Brut (extra dry), seco (dry), semiseco (medium) and Dulce (sweet).
• Cap Classique is a sparkling wine made that is made in South Africa using the traditional Champagne method.
• Asti is sparkling wine produced in the Asti region of Italy.
• Spumante is Italian sparkling wine.
• Sekt is German sparkling wine and Germany is the world’s largest per-capita consumer of sparkling wine.

Regardless of the name used or where it is made, a great sparkling wine will have you tasting stars.

My newest best friend in the sparkling area is the Louis de Sacy “Cuveé Nue” Champagne. It obviously comes from the Champagne region of France but unlike any other from that area, it is totally natural and all the fermentations are in the bottle. That’s why this pure Champagne it is called Nue, the french word for nude. The Sacy Family settled in Verzy, France in 1633. Since then, they have remained on the same property, growing prized grapes. After twelve generations of proud wine growers and wine makers, they lead the Champagne region by being the first to produce a pure sparkling wine from their select Grand Cru grapes.  The bottle is elegantly nude and the taste will have you tasting shinning stars.