Many years ago I was reading a book by an Englishman who had been a very successful wine merchant turned novelist, and he had one of his characters insist that the only way to drink champagne was ice-cold and out of a chilled pewter tankard. I must admit that the idea immediately intrigued me. I realized the problems with this – the champagne would have to be imbibed fairly quickly, before the bubbles dispersed and it went flat. Now, I would never in good conscience suggest guzzling champagne, but I have to admit I tried it and for a few years it became my chosen method for drinking sparkly.

           The other problem for some would be the pewter. Once upon a time the lead in pewter could and often did cause anything from gout to lead-poisoning, but there is no longer any lead in pewter these days. No, the problem for some would be any flavors imparted by the pewter. Personally I found this negligible, but the alternative of course would be to use glass tankards.

           Years later, after almost forgetting my little tankard foible, I happened to be staying at The White Hart, a hotel in Devonshire, England. It was a very old hotel, parts of which dated back to the fifteenth century, and had an adjoining pub. I went in to the pub for lunch and guess what they were serving? Champagne in pewter tankards! The difference was that they served it in half pint tankards rather than the imperial pint ones I had once used. This worked well – you didn’t have to drink quite so quickly - and of course if you were in the mood for more you could simply order another half pint.

           Now, I’m not saying this is how you should always drink champagne, but I am saying that there’s nothing wrong with having a little fun with these things. Try it, even if it’s just as a conversation piece, the next time you have some friends over. And if the idea of using champagne this way seems something of a sacrilege to you, remember there are many excellent and fine cavas, proseccos, spumantes, and sparkling wines available at your local ABC Fine Wine and Spirits.

           So let me raise my tankard to you and wish you all a very Happy, Safe, and Prosperous New Year! Cheers!       

Bill Stobbs, Wine Supervisor, West Coast