OK, I couldn’t resist sounding a bit like a Damon Runyon character, on the day we made a trip to Mumm Napa Valley.  We stopped by, just in time to take a tour of the winery; they have several tours a day.  After all, any time can be a time to open a bottle of Champagne, actually a bottle of Methode Champenoise.  To be fair, only Champagne that legitimately comes from the proper delineated sections of France is Champagne.

Mumm Napa Valley is a joint affair between the famous G.H. Mumm Champagne house and Joseph E. Seagram & Sons.  During the tour they discussed how they quietly had a winemaker from the Champagne region go to different districts in the United States and make small runs of the wine.  They finally settled on Napa Valley and created a state-of-the-art facility.

The wine is made in the classic and traditional Methode Champenoise.  This way they can offer several classifications of the wine, based on the sugar that is added during the process, so one can have dry or semi-sweet.  They also make different types of the wine based on the grape selections.  It was a very informative tour, and then we finally ended up in the tasting room.  Are you not surprised?

Every now and then, it is fun to try different “champagnes.”  You may think that you prefer a certain type, and find out that another actually pleases you more.  When you are celebrating, one normally doesn’t buy several different bottles to party with.  So, if you get a chance to try some “champagnes” at one time, by all means do.  You will be pleased with the results.  I also remember that while we tasted the wines, I heard a very distinctive laugh from another table, I looked around, but I couldn’t see a familiar face.  I boldly yelled out a name and that person turned around from his party of friends; and I met someone I knew from Michigan out in California.  Sparkling wine brings out the best of people and good times.