I’ll Drink to That!

Traditionally, Champagne, or sparkling wines as they are called from anywhere outside France, seem to be relegated to “special occasions” and celebrations. Case in point, last Thursday night I made farfalle with salmon, asparagus, Gorgonzola and walnuts in a light cream sauce. After some thought, I decided on serving the dish with a Prosecco, sparkling wine from Italy. Both my husband and my daughter upon seeing the flutes arrive at the table, wanted to know, “what’s the occasion?” Simply put,  I just thought this was the right choice. It is after all, just wine, but with “frizante”. And besides, isn’t every day a celebration of something?

So with that in mind, the tasting at this month’s “I’ll Drink to That“, networking for wine enthusiasts event featured four sparkling wines from different countries. We started with a Prosecco, (Prosecco being the grape varietal), from Borgo Magredo in the Friuli region of Italy. Light straw-yellow in color, this sparkler offers a delicate balance of acidity and fruit, with hints of green apples on the palate.  Proseccos are generally modestly priced making them affordable for anytime drinking, this one retailing for about $18.00.  Paired with Pecorino Ginepro, a sheeps milk cheese from Italy, we were off to a good start.

In Spain, sparkling wines are called Cava, and that was next on the line-up. Aria, made by  the French methode champenoise , is from the Segura Viudas Estate in Torrelavit, in Spain’s Alt Penedes region and is styled after the popular Segura Viudas’ top-of-the-line cava, Reserva Heredad. (Yes, that’s the one with the cool pewter coaster attached to the base of the bottle). Aria is a blend of the Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo grapes.  Together they produce a wine with a honeyed aroma with flavors of fresh pineapple, almonds, honey and pears.  Tapas anyone?

Next up was a Brut Rose from Marquis de la Tour located in the Loire Valley of France.  Some of the attendees thought this wine was a bit too “sweet” with it’s long red fruit finish. I thought it was a wonderful wine that could easily be enjoyed with a summer lunch or a light dessert maybe with a bit of milk chocolate. The bright salmon pink color of this wine adds to it’s festiveness.

The last of the sparkling wines was a wonderful offering from Laetitia Vineyards located in southern San Luis Obispo County. This Brut is made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc, and is creamy with an abundance of very tiny bubbles and notes of warm bread and ripe apricots. Paired with a creamy Friesian sheep’s milk cheese from Rapidan, Virginia, it was just delicious!

Just for fun, the evening’s tasting ended with a dessert wine from Martin & Weyrich of Paso Robles, California. Their Moscato Allegro is made from Muscat Canelli in the style of northern Italy’s muscat, and is even bottled in the traditional, long and sleek “Renna Punto” bottle used only for the finest Moscato d’Asti.  The wine is fresh and spicy, with exotic floral and fruit aromas of orange blossoms, honeyed apricots and peaches. We were served a stilton with this wine and the pairing was perfect. Dessert in a bottle.

So whatever the un-occasion may be, don’t forget to consider a sparkling wine to add fun and festivity. Try Champagne or sparkling wine with smoky or salty foods such as lox and eggs for brunch. As an aperitif, it sets the mood for a celebration. Try some with Asian food - great contrast between the bold, often salty flavors of the food and the brisk acidity of the wine. Always serve Champagne and sparkling wines well chilled and in flutes to best appreciate all those tiny bubbles.

I’ll Drink to That!