Sovietskoye Champagnskoye

Why not try it in the hotel? And are you sure it is spelled 'Champagnskoye' and not 'Igristoye'? I've had the second one on numerous occasions (before 1989) and it was about the same as the cheap California bubblies. My Russian friends warned me to never drink it, because it was supposedly made by industrial means, but it didn't do me much harm, if any. ;)

Definitely "Shampanskoye"

Try to check whether it's brut/half dry/sweet. If it's on the dryer side, I'd give it a try.

M.

Years ago, while living in Los Angeles I purchased several bottles of a Russian sparkler labeled "Nas Drovia" (sp?) and they were quite good, with a strong resemblance to some French Brut Champagne.

On the other hand, I purchased a bottle of another Russian "Champagnskoye" that came from the Black Sea region that was so sweet that I poured the bulk of the bottle down the drain. This was on a trip returning from Chekoslovakia to Munich.

HTH

Godzilla

Godzilla wrote on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:48:32 -0500:

??>> Mike Tommasi wrote: ??>>

??>>> I've been all week in Moscow, and have received the item ??>>> in the title. What do I do with it? Leave it to the maid ??>>> in the hotel? Try to bring it home? What if Francis ??>>> Boulard finds out I have this in my house? ??>>

??>> Try to check whether it's brut/half dry/sweet. If it's on ??>> the dryer side, I'd give it a try. ??>>

??>> M.

G> Years ago, while living in Los Angeles I purchased several G> bottles of a Russian sparkler labeled "Nas Drovia" (sp?) and G> they were quite good, with a strong resemblance to some G> French Brut Champagne.

G> On the other hand, I purchased a bottle of another Russian G> "Champagnskoye" that came from the Black Sea region that was G> so sweet that I poured the bulk of the bottle down the G> drain. This was on a trip returning from Chekoslovakia to G> Munich.

That reminds me, perhaps some wine historian can enlighten me about the truth of this story. It is said that the peculiar Champagne nomenclature: "Dry, Extra Dry, Brut" is a consequence of Russian aristocrats once feeling that "Dry" was sophisticated while really liking sweet Champagne.

James Silverton Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

| >> I've been all week in Moscow, and have received the item in the | >> title. What do I do with it? Leave it to the maid in the hotel? | >> Try to bring it home? What if Francis Boulard finds out I have | >> this in my house? | >

| > Try to check whether it's brut/half dry/sweet. If it's on the dryer | > side, I'd give it a try. | >

| > M. | | Years ago, while living in Los Angeles I purchased several bottles of a | Russian sparkler labeled "Nas Drovia" (sp?) and they were quite good, with | a strong resemblance to some French Brut Champagne. |

"Na Sdrovia" (or however one spells it) is idiomatic Russian for "to your health," a common toast while drinking. Quite appropriate for the sparkling wine.

pavane

Dosage, in fact, may be added for "ultra brut", and Hugh is not quite up to date for "sweet". The figures (RS in grams per litre) according to EU wine law:

0 - 3 brut nature, dosage zero (no dosage added) 0 - 6 ultra brut 0 - 15 brut 12 - 20 extra dry, extra sec 17 - 35 dry, sec 33 - 50 half dry, demi-sec over 50 sweet, doux.

Any sparkling wine produced and commercialised within the EU has to carry one of these sweetness indicators.

M.

A couple of years ago I brought some Eastern European sparkling wine to my brother's house for Thanksgiving. I didn't think anybody would like it but some of the guests really did and were disappointed that I'd brought only one bottle. So if you have room in your suitcase, why not bring it home and at least give it a shot? Especially if you plan to entertain people who might not be wine experts...

Shaun Eli

Brain Champagne: Clever Comedy for Smart Minds (sm)

Or, possibly even more interesting, get a group of winos together to taste it -- and have something decent as a backup, just in case ... ;-)

M.

Thanks for giving the figures.

To be fair to Hugh (gnashing of teeth 'cos I don't particularly WANT to be), the book I was quoting from was published in 1989, and later editions will possibly/probably have been updated.

-- All the best Fatty from Forges

You're welcome.

To the best of my knowledge, most of the figures I gave predate

1989, save for two younger ones: "brut nature/dosage zero" and "extra brut" are rather recent newcomers.

M.

I tried the bottle, it was fairly ordinary slightly off-dry, no better no worse than your average Prosecco or Cava...