J is for Japan (2)
One of the surprises on my recent trip to Japan (and there were many) was to have a copy of the Financial Times shoved under the door of my hotel room in Tokyo on a Saturday morning. As far as I could remember, I didn't ask for the FT nor do I recall having been given the choice. I have never been offered the FT in any hotel in Japan. It was always the Japan Times or the Yoimuri or more likely, the Nihon Kezai Shimbun in Japanese. So, a pleasant surprise.
The best bit about getting the FT on a Saturday anywhere in the world, let alone Japan, is of course Jancis Robinson's weekly wine column. JR is probably one of my favourite writers on wine - for an MW, she manages to maintain an engaging tone and she does not shove her opinions down anyone's wine glass - although she did call one particular vintage "execrable". In the column that week, an update on non-vintage champagne.
First the bad news, prices have gone up in the UK. I did my own check on this - just surfing the websites of the places where I used to buy my stock from last week and it is true that prices have gone up by a whopping 25-30% for the cheaper NV stuff like Canard-Duchene and Heidseck. Where one used to be able to buy these in bulk at about £10.99, they are now £14.99 or more. The big commercial brands which used to cost just north of £20 have also raised their prices by about 20%. London must be one of the most expensive places in the world to drink champagne - that's why I've decided not to live in London.
Next the no news - JR reckons that it is cheaper and better to buy NV champagne from small makers dotted around Rheims, Epernay and especially Ay. I could have told you that as well except most of us are highly unlikely to be triapsing down the M20 then onto the Chunnel rail link every other weekend in search of cheap fizz. Or are we? I don't speak French and I would not trust myself on these winding French roads.
Finally the good news, JR does a sidebar in which she lists her favourite cheap NV fizzies. It is very reassuring to know that she prefers the more rounded style of champagne preferred by the English. The French like their fizz a little livelier and slightly on the raw side. So the usual Anglicised suspects are all there including my favourites like Billecart Salmon, Louis Roederer, Laurent Perrier and Pol Roger. Remarkable absentees include Veuve Cliquot, Taittanger and Moet et Chandon. Rightly so. There were also a load of stuff which frankly I would not have a clue about or where to buy them from. Oh well, so much fizz and so little time.
One of the little surpises was also that she rated the Ruinart NV above the Billecart Salmon which I am very surprised at - I have only had the NV of the Ruinart once and didn't think much of it so this goes straight to my "to do" list. The only other bit of good news to report this week is that Carrefour in Singapore is selling the Laurent Perrier Rose for $88 (that's less than £30) so I'll throw out some files in my office and clear some space for my next purchase.
In the midst of all this, you must be wondering how low and how quickly we have sunk - extolling the virtues of NV fizz when scarcely a year ago, we were debating the relative merits of the 1995 vintage as compared with the 1996 vintage. None of which can raise a candle to the 1990, of course. Truth is that it is quite difficult to find good fizz in Singapore even if one were prepared to pay the premium and certainly storage conditions are highly suspect although fizz probably fares better then say a delicate Burgundy. So if you are flying out to see me, please stop by the BBR concession in Heathrow Terminal 3, say hello to my friend Gavin and bring me a bottle of Billecart 96.
It's life, Captain, but not as we know it.
The best bit about getting the FT on a Saturday anywhere in the world, let alone Japan, is of course Jancis Robinson's weekly wine column. JR is probably one of my favourite writers on wine - for an MW, she manages to maintain an engaging tone and she does not shove her opinions down anyone's wine glass - although she did call one particular vintage "execrable". In the column that week, an update on non-vintage champagne.
First the bad news, prices have gone up in the UK. I did my own check on this - just surfing the websites of the places where I used to buy my stock from last week and it is true that prices have gone up by a whopping 25-30% for the cheaper NV stuff like Canard-Duchene and Heidseck. Where one used to be able to buy these in bulk at about £10.99, they are now £14.99 or more. The big commercial brands which used to cost just north of £20 have also raised their prices by about 20%. London must be one of the most expensive places in the world to drink champagne - that's why I've decided not to live in London.
Next the no news - JR reckons that it is cheaper and better to buy NV champagne from small makers dotted around Rheims, Epernay and especially Ay. I could have told you that as well except most of us are highly unlikely to be triapsing down the M20 then onto the Chunnel rail link every other weekend in search of cheap fizz. Or are we? I don't speak French and I would not trust myself on these winding French roads.
Finally the good news, JR does a sidebar in which she lists her favourite cheap NV fizzies. It is very reassuring to know that she prefers the more rounded style of champagne preferred by the English. The French like their fizz a little livelier and slightly on the raw side. So the usual Anglicised suspects are all there including my favourites like Billecart Salmon, Louis Roederer, Laurent Perrier and Pol Roger. Remarkable absentees include Veuve Cliquot, Taittanger and Moet et Chandon. Rightly so. There were also a load of stuff which frankly I would not have a clue about or where to buy them from. Oh well, so much fizz and so little time.
One of the little surpises was also that she rated the Ruinart NV above the Billecart Salmon which I am very surprised at - I have only had the NV of the Ruinart once and didn't think much of it so this goes straight to my "to do" list. The only other bit of good news to report this week is that Carrefour in Singapore is selling the Laurent Perrier Rose for $88 (that's less than £30) so I'll throw out some files in my office and clear some space for my next purchase.
In the midst of all this, you must be wondering how low and how quickly we have sunk - extolling the virtues of NV fizz when scarcely a year ago, we were debating the relative merits of the 1995 vintage as compared with the 1996 vintage. None of which can raise a candle to the 1990, of course. Truth is that it is quite difficult to find good fizz in Singapore even if one were prepared to pay the premium and certainly storage conditions are highly suspect although fizz probably fares better then say a delicate Burgundy. So if you are flying out to see me, please stop by the BBR concession in Heathrow Terminal 3, say hello to my friend Gavin and bring me a bottle of Billecart 96.
It's life, Captain, but not as we know it.
posted by porcorosso at 11:08 PM
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