Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, June 24, 2017

7

FOOD AND DRINK & MORE

Mountain Views-News Saturday, June 24, 2017 


SUMMER IS HERE AND THE 
LIVING IS EASY

This week we go back to basic training. A few years 
ago, an unnamed restaurant had a sandwich board 
in which read “Come on in and try Sal’s award-
winning chili”. The local health Inspector (perhaps 
not a fan of chili) wanted to see the “award”. The 
restaurant was unable to produce documentation, 
and was ordered to erase the claim. It was the 
health department’s responsibility to enforce truth 
in advertising.

If I’ve seen it once I have seen it a hundred times: 
banners for a “Champagne Sunday Brunch”. 
Champagne? No way. California produces some 
top-notch sparkling wine, many produced in the 
“méthode champenoise”, but any inspection will 
reveal that it is not “real” champagne, even though 
yes, champagne is sparkling wine. Real champagne 
is made from white grapes (usually chardonnay), 
red grapes such as pinot, and sometimes they are 
blended and always from the region of Champagne, 
France.. If you find a brunch that serves real 
champagne by all means let me know the health 
inspector and I will be first in line.

Here are two sparkling wines to consider for the 
upcoming summer:

Domaine Chandon was my father Elmer Dills’ 
favorite sparkling wine, so much so that he’d often 
wait for those great 30% off wines sales and, literally, 
stock up his garage with it. The amazing thing is 
that price hasn’t changed much over the past few 
years. It retails for $18, and you can find it for $14 
on sale. 

My favorite sparkler is top of the sparkling wine 
price ladder, but well worth it, Domaine Carneros 
Brut. This estate bottles sparkling wine that comes 
as close to the champagne variety bottled in France 
that I have found, and it should since it comes from 
the Taittinger family of French wines. The flavor is 
a little toasty in the beginning with a clean, long 
finish. Domaine Carneros and Chandon are best 
enjoyed with oysters and goat cheese, or any fried 
foods. Domaine Carneros retails for $30, and on 
sale for around $22

Join me this Sunday for Dining with Dills Radio AM 830 
KLAA and the TV Show on Charter 188 3 PM Sundays. 
Follow me on twitter kingofcuisine and Face book Peter Dills

TABLE FOR TWO by Peter Dills

thechefknows@yahoo.com


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com