A Taste of Wine
Happy New Year! What better way to start 2016 than by
enjoying some Champagne? In most cases, Champagne is an
extremely complex blended wine; not only a blend of grape
varieties, but also a blend of wines from vineyards throughout
the Champagne region of France. The blend, called the cuvée,
combines the strengths of each vineyard. Champagne is also
typically a blend of wines from different vintages and is made
primarily from Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay.
About 85 percent of Champagnes are a blend of about 2/3 red
grapes
and STEAKHOUSE
1/3 Chardonnay.
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LEFF-T’S STEAKHOUSE has been a favorite local
Restaurant for some time. Walk in & enjoy the
relaxed western atmosphere, where you can feel
comfortable in cowboy duds, sneakers
& shorts, or dressed up for a night on the town.
We don’t care what you wear, just come!
We serve high quality steaks,
mesquite smoked barbecue chicken & ribs,
freshly ground burgers, tasty salads
& delicious home-made desserts.
You can also enjoy an ice cold beer, wine or
a classic cocktail with your meal.
We are open Daily at 11:00
We offer Lunch & Dinner Specials everyday!
928.632.1388 ♦ WWW.STEAKSAZ.COM
150 South Hwy 69 in Dewey, Arizona
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Chardonnay
is that each grape variety has
strengths to contribute to the final blend:
• Pinot Noir adds body, structure, aroma, and a complexity
of flavors. This difficult variety likes the cool climate of the
region, and it grows well in the chalky limestone soil.
• Pinot Open
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928.632.1388
| WWW.STEAKSAZ.COM
| 150 SOUTH HWY
69 | DEWEY, AZ
•Chardonnay, a star performer in the Champagne region,
gives freshness, delicacy, elegance, and finesse. For
this reason, many producers make a blanc de blancs
(Chardonnay) Champagne.
Aside from the glorious taste of Champagne, part of its joy
comes from those little bubbles rising in the glass. I was
Text iswritten
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intrigued bySue,
an article
a team of scientists who
60C,40Yof fine bubbles that arise in a freshly
studied the patterns
poured glass100K
of Champagne. They say the bubble patterns
evolve as the
amount of dissolved carbon dioxide changes
40Y
in the glass. The bubbles start out as strings of bubbles that
rise in pairs, then gradually transition to bubbles in groups
of threes, and finally settle down in a clockwork pattern of
regularly spaced individual bubbles. Further, the researchers
observed the carbon dioxide bubbles in a champagne glass as
they rise from nucleation points on the glass wall. A nucleation
point is a small defect in the glass that traps tiny vibrating
pockets of carbon dioxide. Dissolved gas in the champagne
gradually collects in a bubble inside the defect, causing it to
grow and soon expel gas from the defect, forming another
bubble that sticks to the outside of the defect. That bubble, in
turn, grows as more dissolved carbon dioxide collects inside
it and it eventually breaks free of the defect to rise through
the champagne. Then the process begins again with a new
bubble expelled from the defect, forming rising strings of
tiny bubbles. Sadly, the scientists were not able to drink the
champagne that they were testing because
it went flat and was too warm after they ran
their tests. Let’s not let that happen to us.
Happy tasting! And, have a terrific 2016
filled with plenty of great wine!
-Nancy Biggs, Wine Aficionada
Nancy Biggs
pccnews
928.632.1388 | WWW.STEAKSAZ.COM | 150 SOUTH HWY 69 | DEWEY, AZ
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