It is that festive time of year when many people think of champagne as the drink to share at parties or events.
Bryan Maletis won’t argue with that description, but he’d like it expanded a bit. He feels that champagne is appropriate for any day or event.
Maletis is the founder and owner of Fat Cork, a new Queen Anne business that imports special bottles of the bubbly made by the grape growers, themselves, in that special province of France known as Champagne. For those that may not realize it, sparkling wine can only technically be called champagne if it comes from the Champagne Province located in northeastern France.
And Maletis, who opened the business in January of this year, makes clear that for those who have only a passing interest in champagne, they need to try the good stuff. His company offers 51 different types of champagne from 12 different producers. Each has its own characteristics, look and style.
“No place else in the world has the ‘terroir’ or land to produce the exact same grapes as Champagne,” Maletis said from his basement office at 111 W. John St. in Lower Queen Anne. “The topsoil has a certain amount of chalk that gives the grapes all the character. While the style of making sparkling wine can be replicated, the taste cannot.”
Maletis has gone a step further in that he only imports champagne from the growers. These are relatively small, unique batches of champagnes that have special taste profiles you probably won’t be able to find anywhere else.
Maletis also takes great care with how he transports the wine. He said that high temperatures, light and jostling are bad for champagne and can impact the flavor. Often he said the champagne that we are used to may have been stored in a warehouse in New York or at a distribution center here in Washington for months, if not longer, before being sent to a restaurant or grocery store.
“Sometimes champagnes can sit for years in less than ideal conditions,” Maletis said.
That has all changed in the last two years. New laws allow Maletis and his company to import these specialized wines, avoid the big distributors and sell the product in the United States.
“We call it the original farm-to-table experience,” he said. “The real goal for us is quality control. The only way to really insure the quality is to import it myself.”
The wines also aren’t as expensive as one might expect considering all the extra care. Fat Cork’s collection of champagnes range in price from about $39 a bottle to $189 a bottle.
Maletis discovered his passion for wine in 2000 when he went to work for a winemaker in Tuscany region of Italy for a few months. After gaining experience working at a wine shop in New York, he became the major brand manager in America for the Laurent-Perrier label. Eventually, he teamed up with a former executive of the brand and the two created a separate company that would import specialty champagnes direct from the growers and Fat Cork was born.
Through the company’s website, fatcork.com, and through in-office tastings, Fat Cork is building a clientele that understands a quality champagne. But with a company slogan like “Celebrate Everyday,” Maletis wants to introduce more people the joys of champagne. He believes it shouldn’t be relegated to only parties and special occasions, but people should open a bottle to make the moment special.
To help spread the joys of champagnes, Maletis offers free tastings on Wednesdays, from 4-7 p.m. During December, the tastings are open to anyone interested. Maletis is also recruiting new members to the Fat Cork champagne club. For more information, visit fatcork.com, or call 206-257-1730.
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