The experience went something like this: following a very pleasant half-hour of chatting with fellow invitees/bloggers and the supremely charming Jean-Marc Gallot, president of Ruinart, we took our places, which were set thusly:

Each of the 8 vials in the box contained a different scent, which, according to the brain trust (nose trust?) over at International Flavors + Fragrances, was present in Ruinart’s Blanc de Blanc champagne. It was our job to identify each of the smells and match them to the correct answer on a pre-printed list of 16 different aromas. Of course, we each had a glass of the Blanc de Blanc to help us along.

With Gallot teasing/encouraging us, we sniffed and scribbled away. Was #2 lemon…or grapefruit? The table arrangements held clues — like this little pot of pink peppercorns:

You’ve heard of blind tastings? This was more of a “blind smelling,” which put our collective olfactory skills to the test.

1. The folks over at LVMH are some damn fine marketers. Ruinart is the oldest continuous champagne house, and one with a slightly below-the-radar profile here in the U.S. This event was the perfect way to position Ruinart as a “boutique” brand, less mainstream than Moët or Veuve-Clicquot, but more accessible than Dom Pérignon or Krug. Gallot is the perfect guy to lead the charge. He has that all-too-rare combination (at least in the wine business) of American openness and French, well, Frenchiness. When I asked him what he liked to drink when he wasn’t drinking champagne he said he loved Bordeaux but…was beginning to really enjoy Burgundy. In New York, where obscurity is often touted as a virtue, and it’s nearly impossible to keep up with whatever the wine hipsters are drinking (“What you mean you’ve never had Grolleau? That was so 2010!”) it’s refreshing to remember that one can very happily stick to the classics. (If one has the budget for it, that is.)

2. Delicacy and simplicity are not the same thing. The chief virtue of Ruinart’s Blanc de Blanc is its finesse. Made from 100% Chardonnay — that’s what “Blanc de Blanc” means — this champagne is definitely on the lighter, crisper, end of the spectrum, which is the style I prefer. I think of champagnes like this as “lacy,” although I’m not sure how helpful that comparison is for anyone else. Nonetheless, it’s fair to argue that most of the smells they gave us were somehow present in the wine itself. I might take issue with the white peach, and I definitely wasn’t buying the pineapple (not coincidentally, the only one I got wrong), but ginger, jasmine, cardamom? Why not? Just because a wine is delicate or subtle, that doesn’t mean it can’t have a lot going on. I think it’s particularly difficult to detect this complexity in champagne, where texture (i.e., those bubbles) rather than aroma/flavor, makes the strongest first impression. Hence my classification of this wine as “lacy.” If that word doesn’t make intuitive sense to you, so be it: but I’d encourage you to pay as much attention to a wine’s texture as to its flavor. This is easiest to do with the extremes — say, sparkling at one end of the continuum and port at the other — but it’s not too hard to detect the silkiness of a good Pinot Noir or the roughness of a too-young Barolo or Bordeaux.

3. Wine bloggers are a competitive bunch. I’ve been to some fancy schools over the years and live in a city filled with Type A personalities, but nothing compares to a roomful of wine writers trying to out-smell and out-taste each other. I’m not sure why that is. Perhaps the subjectivity of wine-tasting makes it all the more important that we state our opinions with authority? Or because an evening of sipping champagne in each other’s pleasant company doesn’t feel enough like work, so we have to be extra-serious in our wine analysis? Whatever the reason, I’ll cop to it as much as the next wine blogger. God knows, I’m still annoyed I only got 7 out of 8 right. Do you think I can turn in an extra-credit assignment?

That’s too bad. They’re missing out on a lot of great wine. Plus, it makes them less-than-ideal dining partners for those of us who love whites as much as we love reds. But all is not lost. I’ve spent 12 years convincing my husband that there are worthy whites out there and, in the process, have discovered a few categories of wines that will please even the most avowed red chauvinist:

1. White Rhône wines. I know, I’m on a bit of a Rhône kick these days (OK, always) but there’s good reason. These wines, made from varieties like Viognier, Roussanne, and Marsanne, are full-bodied, robust, and go well with rich dishes like lobster. If you’re on a lobster roll budget, go with a white Côtes-du-Rhône. If you’re feeling more lobster thermidor, try a Condrieu.

2. Madeira. The wine of our Founding Fathers: intense, nutty, historic, and with searing acidity that’ll put hair on the chest of even the manliest of men. (OK, so Madeira is more brown than white.)

3. Chablis. These Chardonnay-based wines from northern Burgundy are taut, dry and austere — Gran Torion-era Clint Eastwood in a bottle. They’re great with shellfish and seafood.

4. Pinot Gris. Versions from Oregon or Alsace, in eastern France, pack a lot of punch. These are full-bodied, high-alcohol wines with a unique smoky, almost roasted quality that goes well with poultry cooked outdoors: think grilled chicken or fried turkey.

5. Champagne. I’ve found that even the most passionate white wine haters will make an exception for Champagne. And if they do resist, offer them a Blanc de Noirs, as it’s made solely from red grapes, Pinot Noir Pinot Meunier.  And if that doesn’t convince him, well, it’s probably a lost cause.

I also have a NYE wine pet peeve: drinking too much champagne without food. As a drink on its own, a glass or two of champagne can of course be delicious. But after that, diminishing marginal returns set in. On their own, the wine’s high acidity and bubbles can be rough on the palate — but paired with food, they’re refreshing and restorative. This is particularly true if you’re drinking champagne with salty, fatty and/or fishy foods, which really need the cleansing bite of a sip of champagne. Let me go on the record here by saying that dry champagne with desserts and chocolate makes no sense to me: the sugar in the food will make the champagne taste tart and thin in comparison. No, champagne really comes into its own when paired with savory things. The solution to this New Year’s Eve dilemma then is to set out something salty and snacky before the countdown begins. Potato chips would do the trick nicely, but if you’re looking for something fancier, then I’d recommend this easy salmon spread. It’s champagne’s best friend, you can make it ahead, and any leftovers will be delicious on bagels the next morning.

As for champagne to pair it with, you can see some of my holiday sparkling recommendations here. And if you’re looking for the full multi-media STBNY experience, check out this video tasting of the Georges Gardet NV Blanc de Noirs ($39) I did on Food52. (It’s my first foray into video, so please be kind. Or not. Let me know what you think!)

The recipe comes from Patricia Wells’ The Food Lovers Guide to Paris, although I’ve modified some of the proportions and added a few of my own touches.

One other thing: this dish is luxurious, but no single ingredient is horribly expensive. True, it does call for Cognac, but you can pick up one of those tiny bottles of Hennessy at the liquor store — absolutely no need to splurge on fine brandy here. And please just use whatever decent white wine you happen to have lying around to poach the fish. As always, my editorializing is in parentheses.

Salmon spread

1/2 lb skinned fresh salmon filet

1 c. dry white wine

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons Cognac

salt and black pepper to taste

1/2 lb smoked salmon

9 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons fresh thyme

toast for spreading (go Nordic — those little rye bread squares, toasted, or else Wasa crispbread are both good)

1. Cut the fresh salmon into bite-sized pieces. In a small saucepan, combine the fresh salmon and wine and bring slowly to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and drain the salmon, discarding the wine.

2. In another small saucepan heat the olive oil and add the fresh salmon. Cook gently over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Do not let it brown. Add the Cognac, salt, and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Cut the smoked salmon into bite-sized pieces. (You’ll ultimately put this in a food processor so don’t be too fussy about the size here.) In (yet another) small saucepan over medium heat, sauté the smoked salmon in 5 tablespoons of butter until it is heated through, 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. Then blend in a food processor, adding the remaining butter.

4. Working by hand, combine the fresh salmon and smoked salmon mixtures with a fork in a small bowl until well-blended. Check for seasoning. Transfer to a serving dish. (I used 4 4-ounce little ramekins and still had a little left over. For aesthetic reasons I’d recommend using a few small dishes, if you have. There’s something about a huge mound of this pink stuff that puts me off — I think it looks much prettier and more sophisticated in tiny vessels.) Carefully smooth the top. Refrigerate at least 12 hours before serving.

5. To serve, remove from the fridge about 30 minutes beforehand. Sprinkle with thyme leaves on top and serve with toast.

As they say in Trading Places, Merry New Year!

First, a little explanation of why Champagne is so expensive. It’s made using a complicated, and pricey, technique, called “traditional method,” that involves fermenting the wine a second time in the bottle. (Bubbly wines get their bubble from this second fermentation, where yeast and sugar are added to wine, creating alcohol and carbon dioxide. By doing this in a closed container — like the bottle itself — you capture the carbon dioxide, which creates the fizz.) And second of all, well, it’s Champagne. You’re paying for centuries of expertise, prestige, and millions of dollars of marketing. So if you’re looking for bubbles for less, you should look to other regions and/or other ways of making sparkling wine.

So here are some good champagne substitutes, as well as the ideal time to use them:

Thanksgiving — American sparkling wine: I am a complete jingoist when it comes to Thanksgiving. I think it’s a crime to serve anything but American wines on this most American of holidays. We have plenty of good sparkling wines to offer, and this is the day to uncork them. Gruet, in New Mexico, (yes, seriously, New Mexico) makes some good value sparkling wine, using the same method as Champagne, starting at around $14. Roederer Estate, in California’s Anderson Valley, produces very good sparkling wines for under $30. (I particularly like the rosé.) It’s the American venture of the Champagne house Roederer, so between the French expertise and the benevolent climate — the Anderson Valley is cool, which means grapes with good acidity, which means good sparkling wine — it’s a no-brainer.

Christmas Eve/Hannukah — Cava: OK, so this one is personal. I’m half Puerto Rican and was raised Catholic, but surprise! we found out a few years ago that my mom actually descends from Sephardic Jews. Therefore, Spanish Cava seems like the best way to honor my complicated religious heritage and split the difference. Cava is made the same way as Champagne, but it’s made using indigenous Spanish grapes (Parellada, Xarel-lo, and Macabeo, if you must know.) Cava tends to be earthier than Champagne and can hold up well to the kind of substantial starters that are a part of my Christmas Eve, like smoked salmon, pâté, and spicy shrimp, and, though I’ve never tried it, would definitely work well next to a potato pancake. (And yes, there is kosher Cava.)

Christmas Day — Crémant: Crémant is the name for traditional method sparkling wine made elsewhere in France aside from Champagne. It’s labelled as Crémant + the name of the region (Crémant de Bordeaux, etc.) Crémant d’Alsace is among the best and most widely available, and you can usually find it for around $20 or even less. (Lucien Albrecht makes a nice one that’s widely available.) If you’re expecting a full house, this is a relatively affordable way to serve a crowd.

New Year’s Eve — Champagne/Prosecco: A little master of the obvious here, but if there’s one day a year where you should be drinking champagne, this is it. If you want to mix it up, forsake the big labels (Moet, Veuve-Clicquot and the like) and try what’s called a “grower Champagne.” While the big Champagne houses buy in grapes from various farmers and just take care of the production, the wineries behind these grower Champagnes do it all, from growing the grapes to making the wine.  You’ll still be spending anywhere from $40-$60 a bottle, but you’ll likely get wine with more character. Also, grower Champagnes have become quite the trend among the wine cognoscenti, so they’re a great gift for the New Year’s Eve host who’s really into wine. Gaston Chiquet and Egly-Ouriet are two good producers to try. You can tell it’s a grower Champagne from the initials “RM” on the the label, which stands for Recoltant-Manipulant. When in doubt, find the most knowledgeable wine retail person in your neighborhood — grower Champagne is a topic that wine geeks love to geek out on.

Now, if you’re planning on drinking vast quantities of sparkling wine or hosting a party and spraying it on your guests, I definitely don’t recommend drinking Champagne all night. Go with Prosecco instead. Unlike Champagne, the second fermentation of this Italian bubbly wine, made from the Prosecco grape, takes place in a big tank, rather than in the wine bottle itself. Obviously, this is cheaper and less labor-intensive.  The bubbles aren’t as fine — when it comes to fizz, smaller is better — and the wine lacks the elegance and refinement of Champagne, but at 3 AM, really, who’s paying that much attention?

*By law, Champagne comes from the region of the same name in North central France and is made by this traditional method. Nothing else can be legally called Champagne. The generic term for all other bubbly is sparkling wine.

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