Wines to Have on Hand for Celebrating a Triple Crown

Wine is the perfect beverage to compliment a winning day at the races. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
This weekend’s Belmont Stakes is the 13th chance since 1978 and the sixth since the 21st century began for a horse to win a Triple crown and we are overdue for a winner.
If American Pharoah wins the first Triple Crown since 1978, youʼll want to celebrate. If the drought continues, youʼll want something tasty to chase away the disappointment so it is best to be prepared. Let’s decide what to drink.
Ahmed Zayat, breeder and owner of American Pharoah, ran a successful beverage company in Egypt but he no longer owns the business and the drink was non-alcoholic. You are welcome to celebrate that way but I will choose something with a little more kick. There are wines made in Egypt but I have never seen one, much less tasted one. Sparkling wine is a logical choice, itʼs festive and celebratory, plus there is a name associated with a Triple Crown winner that is integral in making sparkling wine.
Samuel L. Riddle was the owner and breeder of War Admiral, who won all three races in 1937. Riddling is the term for slightly rotating the bottle of wine in order to get the sediment to the neck so it can be disgorged. This process creates a beverage of clarity and allows for the dosage to be added, which is what makes the bubbles form in the bottle.
With a horse named American Pharoah having the chance to win, it seems appropriate to me to focus on sparkling wine from the good old U.S. of A.
New York State hosts the Belmont Stakes and is home to many wineries, including some fine producers of sparkling wine. Bedell, Lenz and Sparkling Pointe make some well-respected sparkling wine but you may have a hard time finding them outside of the immediate area. I have tried a Bedell and was impressed but I think the search must continue for most of us.
Seattle Slew was the second-to-last horse to win a Triple Crown, winning in 1977, and they make wine in Washington that gets to a lot of states. However, my experience with Washington State sparklers has been mediocre, and none of them come from Seattle proper.
No obvious ties exist with Oregon but they make some amazing sparkling wines. Soter makes a delicious Brut Rosé, which can be hard to find, but Argyleʼs are more readily available. The Blanc de Blancs and Brut Rosé, both 2011 vintage, would make excellent celebratory selections.
California makes a lot of sense. American Pharoah ran his first three races there, two at Del Mar and one at Santa Anita.
Schramsberg is celebrating their 50th anniversary of making sparkling wine and they know what theyʼre doing. Their top offering, J Schram, would be an excellent choice. Their current release is the 2006, though if you see the 2005 that would be fine as well. It will set you back about $100 but the depth and complexity of this wine will amaze you.
A BOTTLE J SCHRAM

Wisely, they also produce more reasonably priced options, all vintage dated. Blanc de Noirs, Blanc de Blancs (my favorite!) and a Brut Rosé are widely available in retail shops and are priced around $35-$40. The 2011 and 2012 are current release and I would not purchase anything more than one vintage behind. This is not because they canʼt age but because retail stores have lots of light and are generally nowhere near cellar temperature. Sparkling wines are more susceptible to heat and light than most other wines.
SCHRAMSBERG BLANC DE BLANCS

Want something with ties to Champagne? Try Domaine Chandon or Roederer Estate.
These are the California operations of the French companies based in Champagne. It has been a while since I have tasted this particular bottling and sometimes I find Chandonʼs wines a bit sweet for my palate but they produce a trio of wines labeled étoile which refers to a lead dancer in a ballet company. While American Pharoah may not be pirouetting across the finish line, he has offered plenty of time for victory dances while cruising to victories in the past. You will find these priced from about $25-$35 with their vintage dated version around $75-$80.
DOM CHANDON ETOILE

My stronger recommendation, one I am very familiar with, is Roederer Estateʼs LʼErmitage. They use a fairly high percentage (four percent) of reserve wine which is added with the dosage to make the final wine more complex. The estate is in Anderson Valley, perhaps the best location in California for making sparkling wine due to the cool climate and long growing season. I recommend this wine to people who swear Champagne has no competition. 2006 is the current release and you will likely find it for $40-$50.

If you must have Champagne, there is an excellent one with ties to two Triple Crown winners, although the connections are a bit of a stretch.
Sir Barton was the first winner of the Triple Crown in 1919 and Winston Churchill was knighted in 1953, adding Sir to his name. War Admiral won in 1937. Winston Churchill never served in the navy, much less as an admiral, but was in the military, the cavalry to be exact. Yes, those are tenuous ties to horse racing and the difficult feat of the Triple Crown but itʼs all worth it if it provides an excuse to open a bottle of Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill. He was an avid advocate of champagne and this bottling honors him and “the qualities he sought in his champagne: robustness, a full-bodied character and relative maturity.” Be prepared to spend a little more than $200 on this bottle. Regular, non-vintage Pol Roger is much more reasonably priced and was Sir Winstonʼs favorite champagne.
POL ROGER SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL

Take one of my recommendations (theyʼre Affirmed) or go your own way. Whatever you decide, feel free to [s]Whirlaway and donʼt be too stingy. This choice will be your safest bet of the day!