Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin is both a champagne house in Reims, France, and a brand of premium Champagne. Founded in 1772 by Philippe Clicquot-Muiron, Veuve Clicquot played an important role in establishing champagne as a favored drink of the rich (peasants were not drinking champagne!) throughout Europe. They were also credited with advancing the development of a modern “methode champenoise.” When his son died in 1805, his widow (veuve in French hence the name “Veuve Clicquot”) focused on the champagne business (they were also involved in banking and trading). Madame Clicquot died in 1866 having established the brand through clever marketing (the bright yellow labels) and by cozying up to the royal courts of Europe. This vintage is hard to find and known for its nutty nose, hint of orange peel, and a vibrant acidity with great length. Perfect for serving with oysters as well as quite rare.

Lustau is one of the only Sherry houses not to be owned or founded by the English and has remained in control of a Spanish family through out its history. Sherry was a common accompaniment to Mock Turtle Soup and the tradition was to take a sip of the sherry and then to pour the remaining sherry into the bowl of soup. (We tried this and found that this amount of sherry was overwhelming.) This particular sherry has a deep golden color and is rich, subtle and naturally dry. Amontillados are easy to serve with food, accompanying lighter meat soups as well as hame, terrines, and seafood. They should be served cool, not not cold.

The Trimbach family started making wines in 1626. It was not until the late 19th century, however, under the leadership of Frédéric-Emile Trimbach, that the business began to truly expand. Success came when he exhibited his wines at an international fair in Brussels in 1898 and received much acclaim. Today, they plant a great deal of Riesling and Gewurztraminer with an emphasis on dry structure and acidity without residual sugar. This framboise is an eau de vie made from ripe fermented fruit which is distilled and quickly bottled to preserve the freshness and aroma of the fruit -- it is not aged in wooden casks hence it is a clear liquid. At first tasting, the raspberry flavors are clear but then the strong alcohol does take over.

Yves Cuilleron specializes in making white wines in a region that is normally associated with red wine production. Yves believes that grapes crushed by foot are superior since the seeds are not bruised so they are less likely to release their tannins resulting in a smoother, fruitier wine. He also says that “making wine is like making babies and that takes nine months,” a longer period of time than is normal for most white wines and the gestation period is spent in stainless steel tanks at lower than normal temperatures. The result? Bright and fruity wines with a very solid acid balance.

This particular wine and vintage has good structure and good body without being heavy. It has a solid medium pear fruit up front with a little oak and a slight grapefruit finish. The wine balances nicely with the richness of the lobster, with the acid from the tomatoes, and the hint of spice from the cayenne in the sauce. This St. Joseph is made with a blend of Marsanne (rich fruit flavors) and Roussanne (acid balance) when grown in cooler climates such as the Northern Rhone.

This wine is not typical of the style of Bordeaux in the late 1800’s but it is more similar to a Burgundy that would have been served with venison in Fannie’s time. Since the late 1800’s there has been much change in wine making style in France: Bordeaux were generally lighter bodied (the English called them clarets) than they are today while the Burgundy was a heavier-styled wine because of the grapes that were grown in the region at the time. Today, only lighter style grapes, Pinot Noir for example, are allowed to be grown and called Burgundy as opposed to heavier-style grapes that were favored in the late 1880s. This is a terrific wine with excellent structure and balance, lightly oaked with medium spice and black current overtones. It pairs will with the gameyness of the venison and the earthiness of potatoes and onions. It is a blend of cabernet, merlot and cabernet franc.

The Germans have the three Bs of music, Bach, Brahmas and Beethoven, but they also have the three Bs of wine, Bassermann-Jorden, Brürklin-Wolf and von Buhl, all three being very old vineyards from the Pfalz wine-making region. This particular reisling is quite bright and fruity wine with a solid balance of acid and fruit that stands up to most foods. This was perhaps the hardest course to find a good wine pairing due to the acidity of the sauce for the salmon and the strong vegetal flavors of the artichokes.

The Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé has origins in 1450 and the Chambolle vines of Jean Moisson. The vineyard uses fewer sprays that most, preferring to intervene only when absolutely necessary, weeds are allowed to grow between the rows during the off-season (they use no weed killer; instead they plough between the rows with horses from the spring onwards), and they do not agree with the California notion of bright, clear wines; instead, they prefer less filtering and a more nuanced approach. Stephen Tanzer rated this wine a 93 in 2005 and said, “Good medium-deep red. Slightly reduced aromas of raspberry, minerals and mint. It is wonderfully detailed and vibrant in the mouth, with sappy flavors of red fruits and minerals.

The vineyards at Guiraud have seen many ups and downs over the years, a host of different owners, many of whom have been impoverished by the investment required to keep a great estate operating at full capacity. Currently, Guiraud has 100 hectares of vines, of which 85 are committed to the production of traditional Sauternes, without doubt the grand vin, which is named Chateau Guiraud. The vines are 65% Semillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc. As is the norm with Sauternes, the fruit is harvested by hand in a series of tries, up to six, selecting only botrytised grapes. Once brought in the fruit is pressed using modern, pneumatic equipment, and then transported under pressure to the wooden vessels where the must is fermented on a plot-by-plot basis. Once done, the wine goes into new oak for up to two years. The best quality wines are bottled as Chateau Guiraud and the lesser quality as Le Dauphin de Chateau Guiraud. The estate only produces about 12,500 cases.