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Just FYI that any WSJ link requires a subscription to read. They're a bit ridiculous in that way, believing such an impenetrable firewall is good for business. -
Seems that great minds think alike. Here's the first part of the wine column from today's Wall Street Journal: ============================================ Talking Wine Around The Water Cooler By DOROTHY J. GAITER AND JOHN BRECHER For Clients and Colleagues, Our Holiday Wine Tips; Reading the Small Print December 9, 2005; Page W8 Around the holidays, wine plays a prominent role not only with friends and family, but at the office, too. Christmas parties, gift exchanges -- there are all sorts of issues. As you can imagine, we're the go-to people in our office when it comes to wine-related holiday questions. Here are four questions we've been asked by our own colleagues over the past year, and we'd guess they're pretty common everywhere this time of year. All of these questions have many possible answers, but we'll tell you exactly what we told our colleagues and what we'd tell you if you were in the cubicle next-door. Q: The other secretaries and I want to give a nice bottle of wine to the boss, but he knows a lot about wine and we don't want to spend too much. What should we get? A: An "RM" champagne. This will show care, taste -- and good eyesight. Let's explain: Most of us are familiar with the big Champagne makers of France, such as Piper-Heidsieck and Mumm, and the big guys dominate the market. Heck, for all we know, the boss even buys Dom Perignon by the case (since he is, after all, the boss and perhaps can afford it). But there are thousands of small producers in Champagne who make a limited amount of highly personal wine and, in some cases, export a little bit of it to the U.S. Some of these names, such as Pierre Peters and Egly-Ouriet, are fairly well known among wine-lovers, but we see new ones all the time. A California wine store recently featured a small-production Champagne called René Collard from the 1985 vintage that was just recently released from the winery. The cost: $59.99, a real bargain for a wine with such history. We had to order it, of course, and it was simply beautiful -- golden, with languid bubbles and nutty, toasty, citrus flavors. Here's where the eyesight comes in: If you look closely, there is a tiny registration number on a Champagne label. Most begin with "NM," which includes the big Champagne houses that buy most of their grapes, then blend the wine and ship it. If it says "RM," that means it's a grower's own wine. This Champagne will be rare, special and distinctive -- and there's an excellent chance it will be new to your boss. Not only that, but it will likely be a bargain -- often $30 to $40 -- because it is, after all, an unusual label that no one has ever heard of. The boss will understand just how special this is. You won't find RM Champagnes at every corner store, but many fine wine shops carry at least one. Copyright - 2005 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved =========================================
