You're a VERY good friend. The 2000 vintage is very good indeed. I hope you bought yourself a bottle too!
Thank you! She is a very good friend herself.Sadly I didn't pick up a second; I would have but just can't afford it right now is all. I've never had the good fortune of trying Perignon so I figure this will be fantastic opportunity to do so. I picked it up from a local place for $130, which is around what it seemed to be going for online and it saved me any shipping costs.
When I told her what I did she stated, quote, "we will NOT be sharing".
Speaking of purchasing wine online, is that a viable alternative when you can't find a certain one in local shops? How are they shipped to prevent any bottle shock or anything? Forgive me, for I am a wine newb.
Totally depends on where you buy it from and how good their packaging & courier is. Wine travels all over the world anyway, and manages fine, so travelling a bit more to your place isn't going to ruin it. The wine industry has got a lot better in its consistency/bottling/corking too, so it's less likely that travel will cause problems.
Having said that, I don't buy online myself, but a friend does. The bottles are sent by mail but are very well packed with polystyrene filling up gaps around the bottles in the box, etc, etc. I'd avoid it with particularly unique or expensive bottles, esp. if you haven't used the merchant before and don't know how good their packaging/courier is.
Thanks for the info! I've never had an excuse to buy online, Minneapolis has some really good wine shops with very knowledgeable staff, along with regular tastings.
Re: the Dom Perignon you bought... I have a little fantasy of a tasting I'd really like to do one day. Comparing all the major houses' prestige cuvees side by side: Dom Perignon, Grande Annee, La Grande Dame, Cuvee Winston Churchill, Comtes de Champagnes, and probably Cuvee Rare & Clos du Mesnil to complete the set.
Oh that sounds like heaven!