What is in a name???? A whole lot if you share it with Biblical kings. Glass wine bottles come in a variety of sizes but did you know that many of those bottles have names of Biblical kings? That is right…famous kings like Jeroboam, Rehoboam, Methuselah, Salmanazar, Balthazar and Nebuchadnezzar share their names with glass bottles which contain fine wines and Champagnes. Standard wine bottles usually are 750 milliliters in size. The information below, however, explains the sizes of the bottles that carry the name of the Biblical kings.

• Jeroboam (first king of the northern kingdom of Israel) = 3 litters or 4 standard bottles
• Rehobam (first king of Judea) = 4.5 liters or 6 standard bottles
• Methuselah (the oldest man in the Bible) = 6 liters or 8 standard bottles
• Salmanazar (king of Assyria) – 9 liters or 12 standard bottles
• Balthazar (one of the Three Wise Men) = 12 liters or 16 standard bottles
• Nebuchadnezzr (king of Babylon) = 15 liters or 20 standard bottles

A mneumonic to help you remember the names in order is….“My Judy Really Makes Splendid Belching Noises.” The M in My is for Magnum.

Wine bottles also carry other Biblical names like Solomon and Mordechai. How bottles started to get these Biblical names is really not clear today. The earliest use of biblical names for large bottles comes from 1725 where winemakers in Bordeaux were using the name Jeroboam for the four-bottle size. It is believed that they chose Jeroboam because he is referred to as “a man of great worth,” as were the larger size bottles.

In doing some research I’ve read  that it is no longer legal to use the Biblical names on the bottles of large wine. I cannot confirm or deny this. It states that the only name that is still okay to use (which isn’t Biblical) is Magnum which is a bottle that holds two standard bottles of wine. What I can say is that if you are lucky enough to find one of the Biblically named bottles I say snap it up. I would think that one day it may be worth a pretty penny.

Below please find a picture of the world’s largest bottle which is said to contain six and a half Nebuchadnezzars (130 bottles). This sherry bottle measures 1.5 meters and holds 220 pounds of wine.

The Wine House

Yesterday  The Wine House hosted an in-store wine tasting featuring Terry Theise, USA’s premier importer of German & Austrian wines as well as, growers Champagnes (sparkling wines of Champagne that aren’t produced in the larger houses). A true wine aficionado, Terry  started importing wines from Germany in the 1980’s. To say that Terry is knowledgeable about wine would truly be an understatement. He is an award winning, progressively intellectual wine professional and I truly enjoyed meeting him and tasting some of the wines he imports.

Adam Zuckert & Terry Theise

I also had the pleasure of meeting another lovely man, Adam Zuckert. Adam had the most important job of the day. He poured all of the great wines we got to sample.

Featured were the following:

Champagne

• NV Hebrart, Brut, Cuvee de Reserve

Austria

• 2008 Hofer, Gruner Veltliner Liter
• 2006 Prieler Leithaberg Weiss
• 2003 Brundlmayer, St Laurent Ried Ladner

Germany

• 2007 Spreitzer, Rielsing Trocken Liter
• 2007 Leitz, Redesheimer Magdalenenkreuz Spatlese

Also poured were a Wagner Stemper and the AJ Adam Riesling. The Riesling was absolutely delicious. A smooth and creamy wine with flavors of citrus fruit and honey. It was definitely a welcomed surprise.

Of the wines listed above I had two favorites…the Brundlmayer and the Lietz. As most of you know I love Zinfandels and the Brundlmayer had the frutiness of Zinfandel with the pizazz of Grenache & Pinot Noir. The sugar content of the Brundlmayer was not as apparent as an American Zin but the full fruitiness was certainly there. I found this wine very tasty and appropriate for any occasion.

The Lietz Riesling is a fruity wine with a silky texture and  flavors of peach and grapefruit. I found it to be semi-sweet with a tangy twist. This delicious wine can be enjoyed with a meal or alone (as long as it is chilled) on a hot summer day.

From the standpoint of the wine…most of what was poured was delicious. One suggestion to the owner of The Wine House… please get a bigger, more comfortable tasting area. For a store this size there should be a bigger area to accommodate  the people who attend the wine tasting.

One special or unique thing that The Wine House offers is a self serve tasting room (see pictures below). These machines are set up with various bottles of wine that patrons can taste at their leisure. You just insert your money or pre-paid card and push the button for the wine you want to taste and voila…you glass is automatically filled.

Wine Dispensers at The Wine House

This is the wave of the future in wine tasting… Sorry Adam.

If you have never been to The Wine House you must check it out. Not only do they have rows and rows of wine for your drinking pleasure they have a great restaurant for a unique dining experience. Check them out today.

At most celebratory events the drink of choice is “champagne”. However, what most people consider champagne may not really be that at all. Sparkling wine and champagne are pretty much the same but there is a subtle difference. You see, in order for the sparkling bubbly to really bear the name “champagne” it must come from the Champagne region of France and undergo a particular method of processing called Methode Champenoise.

All over the world different versions of sparkling wines are produced. Some are of extremely good quality and some are cheap imitations made from inferior grapes. These are the ones that usually give drinkers headaches, causing them to think they really don’t like champagne. True champagne and good quality sparkling wines don’t usually have this type of an affect. The two primary grapes used to make sparkling wines in France and in most of the New World are chardonnay and pinot noir. Again, the traditional process called Methode Champenoise makes true French Champagne. This process requires that grapes be harvested at low sugar content levels. This is done for two reasons: (1) to obtain a lower alcohol level during fermentation of the base wine because a second fermentation process (which creates a natural carbonation) will also occur creating more alcohol and (2) to obtain a higher acidity level & lower pH causing the wine to have greater longevity as well as a crispness.

Foam on Champagne is called "Mousse"

Now I know that some of you are saying well there are some sparkling wines made in the United States that have the name “champagne” on the label. That is correct but there is a good explanation for this and quite an interesting story. In 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed to end World War 1. Included in the treaty were limits on the use of the word “champagne”. However, during this time the U.S. was in the middle of the prohibition so they didn’t ratify or sign the treaty. This caused a gap and many producers decided to call their sparkling wine “champagne” even though the French frowned it upon.

In 2006, though, the U.S. and the European Union signed a wine trade agreement. During this time the issue about champagne resurfaced. The U.S. finally agreed to not allow any new producers of sparkling wine called their product “champagne”. Producers were also not allowed to use other names like Burgundy, Chablis, Port and Chianti. However, if you had used these names prior to the 2006 agreement, you could continue using them on your label. That is why today we still see this on some wine labels.

We have also seen French winemakers seek out opportunities and expansion in the New World. A very well known champagne producer, Moët & Chandon of Champagne, France stumbled upon and purchased an Abbey where a French monk had made a discovery of a sparkling wine. The monk researched the process of how this wine was made and ultimately made some significant contributions which are still used today. This monk was none other than Dom Pérignon for whom one of the best brands of champagne is named. Moët & Chandon expanded to the U.S. in 1973 and eventually created Domaine Chandon in Yountville, California. Domaine Chandon is the producer of great sparkling wines.

Sparkling wines can also be found in other countries. Below are a list of countries and the names their sparkling wines are known as:

• Italy – Spumante
• Spain – Cava
• South Africa – Cap Classique
• Germany – Sekt

Some popular brands of champagnes and sparkling wines include:

Champagnes

• Dom Pérignon
• Louis Roederer Cristal
• Moët & Chandon – White Star
• Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label
• Pol Roger White Foil
• Bollinger’s Special Cuvée

Sparkling Wines

• Montana Chardonnay Pinot Noir Brut Cuvée
• Roederer Estate Quartet Brut
• Castillo Perelada Brut Reserva
• Presecco Veneto Extra Dry
• Domaine Chandon Brut Classic
• Domaine Chandon Reserve Pinot Noir

No matter what the name sparkling wines are fun and exciting to drink. They continue to make any occasion festive and joyous. So for your next party or special event go out and pick up a bottle of champagne, sparkling wine or just plain old bubbly.

Map of the Champagne-Ardenne Region of France