A look at the best of the bubbly - Champaigne
A look at the best of the bubbly - ChampaigneBy Justin Persons
Well folks, a true winter is finally upon us! How about all that snow? I couldn’t believe that it didn’t rain once in December! Let’s just be thankful the snow Gods are skiers and are showing Girdwood some love. With the new ownership of the resort and all this snow, I think that it’s time to celebrate. Let’s pop some corks on some Champagne!
Most people refer to all wine w/ bubbles as Champagne (I have to catch myself all the time). But in fact a wine can only be called Champagne if the grapes are from the Champagne region of France. All other areas must be called sparkling wine. The Champagne region is the Northern most wine region in France. This is very important because this greatly affects the taste. The grapes are picked with higher acidity than most other regions and this gives Champagnes a distinct taste found nowhere else.
Three grapes may be used for Champagne: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier. A typical blend is 60 percent to 70 percent Pinot grapes and 30 percent to 40 percent Chardonnay. There are also three main types of Champagne: Non-Vintage/multiple vintage: A blend of two or more harvests.
Vintage: From a single vintage (Only done for exceptional years). “Prestige” cuvee: (koo-vay) from a single vintage w/ longer aging requirements. More than 80 percent of all Champagne is not vintage dated meaning they are a blend of several years’ wines.
Acidity in Champagne is important to its longevity and it stimulates the palate before dinner or lunch. The balance of the fruit and acidity, along with the bubbles (CO2) are what make good bubbly. The reason for the wine being white is because the grapes are pressed and the red Pinot grape skins are removed. As a general rule, the more white grapes in the blend the lighter the style, the more red grapes, the fuller and richer the style. Blanc de blancs is Champagne made from 100 percent Chardonnay. Blanc de Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir grapes. Rose’ (rose-ay) is pink Champagne made with a little bit of the red grape skins.
One way to evaluate Champagne is to look closely at the bubbles. A better Champagne will have smaller bubbles and more of them. Bubbles are very important to the texture and mouth feel of the wine.
The sugar levels in Champagne are also very important. Check the labels for these words: Brut- means dry which means not sweet at all, Extra Dry- semidry, Sec- semisweet, and Demi-Sec- sweet. Brut and Extra-dry are the wines to serve as apertifs and throughout the meal. Demi-sec and Sec are to be served with dessert and wedding cake! There are also some characteristic aromas common in Champagne: Apple, toast, citrus, walnuts, and yeast (bread dough.).
Here are some common Champagnes/sparkling wines and their style of wine: Light to Medium style- Perrier-Jouet, Mumm, Taittinger , Korbel and Kenwood. Medium-Full style: Moet-Chandon, Charles Heidsieck, Piper-Heidsieck and “J.” Full, Rich style- Louis Roederer, Krug, Veuve Clicquot and Roederer Estate.
There are many sparkling wines produced outside of Champagne, France that are great. “J” is from the Russian River Valley, CA and is one of the best the U.S.A. has to offer. Korbel is widely available and is a great value. Roederer Estate is produced in CA by Louis Roederer of France and is also a great value. Iron Horse is from Sonoma CA and is wonderful. But in my humble opinion, Champagne from France is the best in the world. The soil, climate, and grapes all come together perfectly unlike anywhere else and it shows in the wines.
At the Double Musky we have all styles covered. The majority are on the full, rich style side because it must hold up to our full, rich style of cuisine. Here in the States we too often reserve Champagne/Sparkling wines for New Year’s or weddings. Let’s break the mold and start having a glass before dinner or with lunch to get the palate juices flowing! How about scallop stuffed mushrooms with garlic white wine sauce and a glass of bubbly? Now that’s worthy of a celebration! Until next time when we’ll explore another grape and the wine it creates.
Justin Persons is co-owner and chef at the Double Musky Inn restaurant in Girdwood.
By Sam Daniel
Special to the Turnagain Times
It’s been a busy month for phone calls at our office in Girdwood. Following the Municipality of Anchorage’s annual issuance of “green cards” letting property owners know the value the city is assigning to their property we received many calls from frustrated and angry property owners. Many had seen their assessments increase by 30-50% in one year. The most common question asked was whether or not their property was worth the amount they were being assessed for.
Almost without exception everyone I spoke with has seen the value the city places on the land portion of their property assessment double.
My understanding from talking with the folks who crunch the numbers to come up with the assessed value you receive in the mail is that they are trying to gradually bring property valuations closer in line with current market values. For many years the municipality was assessing property for considerably less than property owners could actually sell it for. If you are curious what properties the city is using as comparables with your own you can go to the Municipality of Anchorage’s web site at http://www.muni.org/services/departments/treasury/property/askViewer.cfm. You will need to enter your parcel ID number or the owner’s name to get started.
Now this only works on residential property (property with a home on it) and even then sometimes it comes up blank. One of the things I like to share with property owners is that we do not live in a public disclosure state. We are one of very few states that do not require the seller of property to report the sales price of the property to the municipality or state. Within the Municipality sellers receive an official questionnaire asking for the details of the sale however there is no statutory requirement that requires reporting the sales price information. When a property sells through the state wide Multiple Listing Service the sales price is posted within the system (unless it is a non MLS listing). This enables Realtor’s to better assist their clients with determining sales pricing. To my knowledge the only other group that has access to this information is licensed appraisers. Appraisers also keep their own database which includes property selling without the assistance of a licensed real estate sales person. Cash sales price disclosures may not necessarily show up in either of these two databases.
Most of the improved property assessments that I was asked about were not valued greater than their potential sales price. That being said the real estate market in Girdwood has changed in the past year. There are more homes and condominiums on the market than we have seen in recent years however vacant land remains in short supply. Upper end homes over $500,000 may (in my professional opinion) be over valued by the city. As of January 29, 2007 there were seven residential properties on the market listed at over $500,000.00 and many of these have been on the market for a over 90 days.
The two major concerns I heard from property owners fell into two categories. Long time residents who owned their property outright were being faced with a level of taxation that was forcing them to spend a much higher percentage of their annual income and to reevaluate their long term financial plans. Virtually everyone I talked with questioned whether it was appropriate for the Municipality to make such a huge upward adjustment in valuations in a one year period.
What ever your personal view may be on property taxes rest assured that there are two things you can be guaranteed local talk about in January. Green cards and the weather!
Sam Daniel is the Associate Broker for
Next Home Girdwood Property Management
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By Philip Peterson II
Special to the Turnagain Times
Some holidays can be troublesome. When we are faced with finding the perfect gift for a loved one, our minds often go blank. You probably have a list full of gift ideas to get yourself out of this predicament, but the list has vanished along with the creative portion of your brain. Valentine’s Day can be the toughest of all because it puts a spot light on your relationship. You really have to put your best foot forward to show that you are the partner of choice in these here parts. Anyone who has or has had a significant other knows that relationships can take a lot of work. It takes love, patience, understanding, and sacrifice, but I find that the most vital aspect of relationship maintenance is buying skis for each other.
This may sound rather materialistic, and it is but skis are a multifaceted gift. They will help your loved one get more exercise and stay fit, helping them feel happier and more attractive. Such a present will also help them stay excited about our long, dark Alaskan winters. While others are hibernating in their easy chairs, your partner will be running to the slopes. Receiving a new pair of skis is almost like a physical and spiritual makeover.
Now you might be saying to yourself, “this guy works at a ski shop, that’s a conflict of interests,” and you’re right. However, working at a ski shop also has allowed me to see thousands of happy couples walking away with new slippery sticks of winter fun. It is extremely rare, when a person says, “I am truly disappointed that you bought these super cool, new skis for me. I wish you would not have done that.” Usually, one-partner walks away glowing and smiling at their beloved ski buyer.
So the next question is, what to buy? Most people shop for the one ski to do everything, something that carves well and floats in the powder. The problem with the one ski for all conditions is that although they do everything well, they don’t excel at anything. An all mountain ski won’t float as well as a powder specific ski, nor carve as well as a carving specific ski. Just like Cupid, we all need a properly filled quiver to get the job done.
Skis can generally be broken down into three groups (some might argue that this is a gross simplification, but it will do for now): powder skis, all mountain skis (do everything skis), and carving skis. Each genre has its own merits, and the perfect quiver would have a pair from each. If your valentine has a carving or an all-mountain set up, I would recommend purchasing a pair of powder skis. If they already own a set of powder skis, then I would recommend something from the carving category.
Ski flex is another important factor when purchasing skis. In general, most skis are far softer than they have been in the past. Technological advancements in materials and design allow for softer skis that still have excellent edge hold. Skiers who enjoy faster speeds will usually appreciate a stiffer ski, while those of us in less of a hurry tend to enjoy softer flexing skis.
The footprint of a ski has a huge impact on how it will handle. Skis with greater side-cut will want to carve tighter radius turns, while skis with less side-cut will seek longer arching turns. Most people are familiar with this concept since the shaped ski revolution, but people tend to forget that it still applies to powder skis. Some powder skis have tons of shape, while others have very little. Several of the newest powder skis leave this all behind and go for a non-traditional reverse side-cut, modeling the shape of the ski after surfboards.
The weight of a ski package can be surprising. Skis and bindings tend to be heavier than in the past due to the weight of the performance enhancing materials packed into them. This weight, though annoying in the parking lot and on the lift, translates to a smooth, powerful ride on the mountain. There are however, many exceptional skis that are specifically designed to perform without this added weight. If you are going to spend time hiking for your turns you might want to ask your sales person about these lighter skis. Then again, you might just want to suffer on the uphill so you can enjoy the downhill that much more.
Skis are often something we want but have a hard time buying for ourselves. Buy a pair for your loved one and on the back of a lovely card draw a picture of yourself wishing for a new pair of skis. Or, right after you’ve given your valentine the ultimate gift of skis drop a hint in casual conversation. For instance, “Well I hope you like them, I know I sure wish I had a pair of Atomic SX12s.”
For those of us that tend to screw up a lot, such gifts can also get you out of the doghouse with your spouse. Perhaps you should think of a ski purchase as a preemptive strike for the next time you slip from your podium of perfection.
To bring it all home I’ll leave you with a heart felt message from Girdwood resident, Di Hibner, “I recommend that all husbands buy a pair of the biggest, fattest, powder skis they can find for their wives, and I recommend that all the wives spend each night crying, yelling, screaming, and fighting until they do!”
By Natalie Osborne
Special to the Turnagain Times
If you’ve been a resident of Girdwood for any length of time, chances are you’ve seen recycling programs come and go. Most of these programs were run on volunteer support and grant money; and for a variety of reasons they no longer exist today. There is a new recycling effort in town, perhaps you’ve seen the flyers – printed on recycled paper, of course.
There will be a One-Stop Recycling Event on Saturday, Feb.10 from 10 a.m – 2 p.m. at the Hotel Alyeska parking lot D. Girdwood residents can drive up and drop off their recyclable materials for free. Green Star will also be giving away free engine block heater timers, and if you have old electronics (computers, televisions, printers, etc…) Total Reclaim will recycle them for you, for a small fee. Complete event details can be found at www.recyclegirdwood.org.
Recycle Girdwood is a grassroots organization with a specific goal: To establish a permanent recycling solution in Girdwood. For the past four months Recycle Girdwood has been soliciting feedback from the community. Many Girdwood residents feel that a permanent recycling program in Girdwood is long overdue. Although the Girdwood Elementary School has a successful Green Star program that includes recycling, and the Post Office recycles mixed paper, residents and business owners are left to transport their recyclables to Anchorage—a costly and time-consuming trip.
“Creating a recycling program that’s both convenient and cost-effective for households and businesses in Girdwood is the best way to ensure that the program has staying power,” said Jeanne Carlson, program director at Green Star.
Unfortunately, establishing a recycling program in Girdwood is not as simple as just setting up some trash cans with signs. The complexity can be attributed to two things: Municipality infrastructure and economics.
Many cities in the Lower 48 have recycling facilities in their own backyard, making it easier for local agencies to integrate recycling services with weekly trash collection, therefore, diverting tons of recyclables to a processing facility. Unfortunately, there are no such recycling facilities in Anchorage at this time. Approximately 90 percent of recyclable material collected at the Anchorage Recycling Center (operated by Smurfit-Stone) is shipped to Tacoma, where it is eventually processed for use in new products. The other 10 percent of your recyclable materials do stay in the Anchorage area, with the help of some local businesses. Polar Supply Company uses recycled glass to create traction sand for the Alaska Railroad. Thermo-Kool of Alaska turns your recycled newspapers into insulation, among other products that are used in local homes.
Historically the Municipality of Anchorage has played a secondary role in recycling but that is changing. Mayor Begich recently appointed Kevin Harun as the Renewable Resources Manager. His vision is to bring curbside recycling to Anchorage residents. Restructuring the current trash collection process and adding curbside recycling will take a dedicated effort. Harun has begun the process to evaluate the system and explore the options for the most cost effective and environmentally sound program that will make sense and garner enthusiastic public support.
Until a broad based program can be devised and implemented, which could take a year or more, recycling advocates continue to be creative and find new solutions. Recycling programs are sprouting up all over the Anchorage Bowl, thanks to the direction and support of Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling (ALPAR), Green Star, Alaska Center for the Environment and the Muni.
“We have been very successful in making recycling initiatives happen by working together to put all the pieces in place,” said Mary Fisher, ALPAR Executive Director. “With funding and support from local businesses, the Municipality and dedicated recyclers, we will continue to improve how well and how much we recycle.”
Recycle Girdwood will continue working with ALPAR and the Municipality to find a long-term, permanent recycling solution for Girdwood. In the interim, Recycle Girdwood will be hosting several Recycling Events in the Girdwood Valley to conserve resources and help educate the community about recycling options. Participating and supporting recycling events in Girdwood will help demonstrate to the Municipality how much this community wants and needs a permanent recycling solution.