Let’s open up the Binny’s Mailbag once again.

Hi,

I love wine but no longer can drink it due to giving me terrible heartburn. Someone suggested to try a Sulphite Free Wine. I can’t seem to find it on your site. Do you carry any?

- T.

Hi T,

   We doubt that sulfite free wine would help you much. A big component of wine is acidity. Combine that with alcohol, and you have a recipe for heartburn.

   About sulfites: they are a naturally occurring preservative found in small quantities in wine. They are often added to wine to preserve freshness and color. They sound scary, but really only effect a small group of people who have a severe sulfite sensitivity related to asthma. If you are in this group, you probably already know.

   It’s also interesting that preserved fruit foods such as dried fruits and juices often include more sulfites than wine. Check out this post on the Binny’s Blog for more on sulfites. By the way, we have been collecting data on which wines are low in sulfites. Though this information isn’t on binnys.com right now, we’re working on a future version of the site that will inlcude this information.

   But back to the heartburn. You could try some lower alcohol or lower acid wines, and we would be happy to recommend some to your tastes, but addressing the heartburn issue itself might be the best approach. We had a similar issue, and after seeing a doctor we suffer less heartburn and enjoy food and wine more. We’d hate to see this issue get in the way of a great glass of wine.

   Thanks for the question!

   - Binny’s Mailbag

   Want a peek into Binny’s mail? Let’s open up the Mailbag:

Hello,

I just found a loved a bottle of 2007 Lodi Earthquake Zinfandel…  I see you have other vintages, but if there’s any way I can get more 2007 I’d like to.

Thank you,

CB

   Hi CB,

   Glad you enjoyed the Earthquake Zin. It’s one of our favorites too.

   Unfortunately the 2007 is long gone. We’ve been into the 2009 vintage of the Earthquake Zinfandel for some time now and don’t have access to older vintages.

   Definitely try the 2009 though. We think it’s as good. The only thing it might lack is that little extra bottle aging time, but we’re sure you’ll love it as well. 

   Thanks for the inquiry,

   Binny’s Mailbag

Another great question pulled from the Binny’s Mailbag:

Hello

   One of my colleagues had this wine in France and raved about it. Ive looked at your site as well as a google search on where I might be able to find it with no luck. Ive attached a picture of the bottle. Is this something you are able to order or know where I might be able to?

Thank you!

C.K.

Hi C.K. -

Thanks for the question (and the picture! – always helpful.)

Unfortunately, it looks like Henri Kieffer Fils doesn’t have a U.S. importer. Most estates in Alsace have very small production and don’t often see wide distribution.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t try some awesome wines. We do have a couple of particular favorites in Alsace Pinot Blanc if you’re open to suggestions. Give these a try:

 - 2009 Gustave Lorentz Pinot Blanc has really nice balance and subtlety.

 - 2009 Albert Mann Pinot Blanc has a little more character, a little more crisp than the Lorentz.

- 2009 Zind Humbrecht Pinot Blanc  This is one of the best pinot blancs we’ve had. Made organically by a Master of Wine, the Zind Humbrecht really steps up the concentration and richness while keeping the great balance.

These will all be in the same ball park as the Henri Kieffer in their flavor profiles. We hope this helps. Thanks for the question!

- Binny’s Mailbag

Let’s take another peek into the Binny’s Mailbag:

Can you help me choose a good Champagne for our 15 year anniversary? We are not wine or Champagne drinkers and are looking for something that is really good. Price not an object, but I don’t want to overpay for something I will not appreciate.

thx

- M

Hi! Wow, that’s a loaded question.

First of all, happy anniversary!

Okay, not to be argumentative, but price really is an object. You’re absolutely right to not want to pay a lot for something you might not even like. We don’t want that. We have had folks tell us that price doesn’t matter, but then get offended when we suggest they spend fifteen dollars on a bottle, and others who turned up their noses at forty dollar bottles. It’s all relative.

Plus, we could recommend a Champagne that every critic on the planet agrees is the best, but if you don’t like Champagne, you still won’t like it. If your favorite thing to drink as a couple was pineapple vodka in sprite, well, that would be our first recommendation. Drink what you like!

   You say you’re not a Champagne drinker, so it’s hard to know what you would appreciate. Would you say your tastes are more on the sweeter side or the drier side? Have you had any wines that you liked or didn’t like? What was it about them that caught your attention? If we can narrow down your tastes a bit, we can surely find something special that you’ll love.

With that in mind, here are a few suggestions of sparklers we love at different prices. If you’re looking for something more on the dry side (which would be our preference), try these. For less than $20, Roederer Estate Brut is great. It’s from Anderson Valley in California, and carries the Roederer (the famous French Champagne house that makes Cristal) fingerprint. For about $30, try Nicolas Feuillate Brut. Actually from Champage, this never fails, and is the more light-bodied of our suggestions here – a good choice for you if you’re not used to drinking Champagne. For around $50, one of our all-time faves is Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve. We still think it’s a value at fifty bucks (even if you’re not looking for a value). It’s  just that classy. And if you really, really mean that price is no object, the way to go is Krug Grande Cuvee. This is world-class stuff.

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