More Bubbly? French Farmers Are in Uproar

You may not have heard of them, but they're 'thrilling'

(NEWSER) - Ready to move beyond familiar cabernet sauvignons and chardonnays? Eric Asimov of the New York Times suggests a dozen little-known but “thrilling” wines to explore:

• Assyrtiko: This white wine grape from the volcanic island of Santorini “produces dry, deliciously minerally wines” that pair well with seafood.
• Frappato: These grapes from southeastern Sicily make “lovely, fresh and lively wines that are delicious summer reds, especially when lightly chilled.”

Industry pushes President Sarkozy for carbon emission cut

(NEWSER) - A warming world has French winemakers sweating more than a little, experts tell the Financial Times. “Current research suggests that by the end of the 21st century, one summer out of two will be at least as hot as 2003,” the year of a record-breaking heat wave that prompted early harvest and lackluster vintages, notes one scientist. Industry experts are worried enough that they penned a letter asking Nicolas Sarkozy to get behind a steep carbon emissions cut at a meeting in December. More»

Don't fret: new metal cork will still create pop and fizz

(NEWSER) - Fed up with imperfect corks tainting its high-end Champagne, one French winemaker is tossing tradition aside in favor of a—gasp!—aluminum cork. BBC reports. Before you faint in horror, Duval-Leroy stresses that this is no screw-top cap: the new plug will make the same pop and spray a traditional cork creates. More»

Quality rivals mean champagne prices shouldn't take the bubbles out of festive drinking

(NEWSER) - Champagne may feel like a vestige of a world without a credit crisis, but there's no need to go without bubbly on New Year's Eve. Slate offers some moderately priced options:

• Cava is Spain's answer to champagne, made by the same method. A thrifty seeker of festive spirits can pick up a bottle of Cristilano Cava Brut and get change from $10.

The bizarre techniques behind the Scholium Project

(NEWSER) - Abe Schoener is reinvigorating California wines with a decidely unorthodox, almost experimental, approach, writes Jon Bonne in the San Francisco Chronicle. Schoener, who lacks formal training, eschews the traditional do's and don’ts of the craft with his Scholium Project winery. His wines "are bizarre, ingenious and polarizing—quite simply unlike anything else being made anywhere in this country," writes Bonne. More»