This is the weekend of flowers, sparkly things and Momosas (see what I did there?). But sometimes we like to change things up a little. I recently featured Mimosa on my Instagram so…
What if we made a Bellini this year? But first:
What is the difference between Bellini and Mimosa?
Mimosa – originally created in 1921 at Buck’s Club in London. Bartender Pat McGarry mixed two parts orange juice and one part Champagne (and maybe a splash of grenadine).
Jump ahead to 1925; a French version was born at the Hotel Ritz (bartender Frank Meyer) using equal parts orange juice and Champagne. It was named for a pretty yellow flower common in French gardens. 🌼
Over the years, many variations have arisen featuring many sparklers such as Prosecco or Spanish Cava, as well as the addition of Cointreau or Triple Sec for a little kick.
Bellini – an Italian cocktail named for the 15th-century artist Giovanni Bellini. Originally created by Giuseppe Cipriani at Harry’s Bar in Venice, it is sparkling wine with a simple peach purée. Traditionally, Prosecco is in the mix but any sparkler will do the trick.
The beauty of these two is that there are no hard and fast rules; there are so many variations that can please every palate.
This year, I wanted to go with the trad Bellini with a wee twist: sparkling Rosé Prosecco!
The pink bubbles are so pretty in the glass and create a cool glow mixed with the peach puree. And I can tell you that it took a while to find any fresh peaches!
Easy Peasy Rose Peach Bellini:
• 6oz Sparkling Rosé (Prosecco if you’re a purist)
• 1 oz peach puree (blend of fresh, peeled peach, splash of fresh lemon juice & honey)
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Instructions:
• Add peach purée to a flute glass (but any pretty glass will do), squeeze a little lemon juice to taste, then top it off with sparkling rose. Garnish with edible flowers.
• Enjoy!
Pair with brunch or sip all on its own.
Here’s to all the hard-working Moms out there, and to the memories of moms who are no longer with us. We toast you, and hold space in our hearts for you all.💜
Bunny is not a book about Easter. Not even close. And it’s not really a story about wine (but there is a wine cocktail reference so, in that sense, it fits nicely into my boozy book review standards). Bunny is a tale of dark academia and the power of loneliness and imagination.
Brief synopsis: Samantha Mackey is an MFA grad student at a prestigious New England college. She has absolutely nothing in common with her privileged writing seminar group who all hug, and express their undying love to each other as they squeal ‘BUNNY!!!’ whenever they meet.
One day, Samantha gets a random invitation to the bunnies’ conclave called ‘Smut Salon’. Well, who wouldn’t be just a little bit curious? On the surface, everything in bunny life is pink mini-cupcakes, fluffy party dresses and mind-altering cocktails. What lies beneath is much more sinister. Or… is it?
The book shines a flashlight on the often fine line between what is and isn’t real. It explores how easily one can fall down a rabbit hole of imagination, while asking the question, “I wonder what those perfect lives must be like?” We accompany Samantha as she enters into this glitter frosted world of privilege, only to find a sordid, inky-dark underbelly. Mona Awad does a deft job of subtly erasing the line between reality and fantasy, and often I found myself asking, “Did that really just happen?”
The cocktail in the book is a French 75 – it’s typically made with gin but I’m not a fan so switched it to vodka. Since a secondary theme includes mini-cupcakes (and one of the characters is nick-named Cupcake), why not add some pink sparkles to the mix?
A daughter of privilege, Barbe-Nicole Ponsant was expected to live an ornamental existence, yet her life was anything but. Married at age 21 to François Clicquot, then widowed at 27, she continued the wine passion project she and her husband started when they first married. Over time, she immersed herself in the art and science of winemaking, keeping a watch on all aspects from the vineyard to the cellar, to blending and aging the wine, and finally managing the business of champagne both in France and beyond. This was not an easy task in a male dominated industry. She had to work twice as hard to be recognized for her ingenuity and business acumen. Does this sound familiar?
While she did not adore the emperor Napoleon himself, nor many of his policies, under Napoleonic code,widows could assume prominent trade roles within business. Barbe-Nicole was able to use this to her advantage. But the road to prosperity wasn’t as easy as popping a cork. Lean times through the wars created an environment of doubt and anxiety at every turn. International trade embargoes imposed by the British left the first shipments languishing in Amsterdam warehouses, where fluctuating temperatures could ruin the wine. Further restraints against Champagne leveraged by Russia and other countries made international dealings difficult and dangerous.
But she pressed on.
The Year of the Comet Vintage in 1811 proved the stars were aligned to create one the best growing seasons in the Champagne’s history. Conditions were perfect from bud to harvest. Sugar levels that produced both alcohol and bubbles occurred naturally in this vintage. The only thing stopping her was fate. War was raging and threatening to ravage her business.
During this time she bottled her wines, and had the foresight to have the cellar bricked up to seal this vintage from pillagers. This had the added effect of allowing the wine to rest on the lees (the yeast) for longer than usual, creating a spectacularly beautiful, flavorful, and potent sparkler. Her 1811 comet cuvée made her an international celebrity, pushing Moët, who had the largess of the Russian markets, back a few spaces.
Prior to the lifting of international embargoes, she gambled by securing passage of her wines into Russia well before her competitors – a move that could have potentially ruined her, but payed off.
“I didn’t have any hope of doing anything [and] the advance of the Russians over the Rhine was the last straw. And now, out of all the misfortunes came the good business I have had, and I dare to hope for more. We can’t always be unlucky, in my experience. And so, my dear friend: courage, patience, and resignation.”
Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsant
Mazzeo paints a rich, sweeping story from documentation, supposition, and anecdotal reportage. There’s much that she assumes the widow Clicquot must have felt and seen. But this works to create an intriguing tale. This is an engaging and fascinating read about the First Lady of Champagne, and what it means to persevere against all odds.💪🍾
We’ve all been there. It’s almost zero hour, almost go time. But wait! You suddenly remember that your primo bottle of bubbly is… still sitting on the counter. At room temperature. Damn. What to do?
If you’ve got 30 minutes, you’ve got it covered!
Your first instinct might be to put your bubbly in the freezer. If you do, make sure to watch your time! The reason? Pressure in the bottle can build up quickly. Any more than 30 minutes in the deep freeze, and you might have some premature poppage, and no one wants that. So maybe try this as a last resort.
And you don’t want to open it warm because you’ll shoot your eye out (or someone else’s). Part of the reason sparkling wine is chilled is to decrease some of the internal pressure; making opening the bottle easier, and less dangerous to everyone around you. Also: who wants to drink warm sparkling wine?
But the clock is ticking, and you don’t have time! Actually, you do. I got you.
The best, quickest, and safest method is an ice water bath.
Click the video below to find out more!👇
Ice Water Bath:
• Fill an ice bucket, pail, deep tray or sink half way with cold water
• Place bottle(s) in the container
• Fill the rest of the way with ice and add some salt.
• Leave 30 minutes (or a little longer if you can). Be sure to turn the bottle occasionally to ensure an all-over chill.
Adding salt to the ice water lowers the freezing point of the water, making the mixture much colder. The ice will melt more slowly because the water’s freezing and melting points have been lowered by the addition of salt. This also helps keep the cold temperature consistent.
When I worked the wine show last fall, we quickly cooled our sparkling wines using ice water baths. It only took about 30 minutes or so to efficiently chill the bottles so they could be opened safely, and were cold enough to drink.
• 2 1/2 oz Kinky Pink Liqueur – I used Mango, Passion Fruit + Blood Orange (chilled)
• Prosecco or Sparkling Wine (or no-alcohol sparkler)
• Fresh raspberries
• Lemon twist for garnish
Directions:
Pour tbsp Mathilde Cassis liqueur into a champagne flute (or pretty glass – Mom always deserves a pretty glass). Add Kinky Pink liqueur. Fill rest of glass with your choice of ice cold Prosecco, sparkling wine or favorite no-alcohol option.
Garnish with raspberries and twist of lemon. 🍋
Enjoy!
To all the hard working moms out there, take a some time just for you, and have a very happy Mother’s Day!💖
With this February being what it is, we probably want to be cozying up under a soft, warm blanket, with a fire or candle glowing and enjoying a glass or two of something nice.
The pickings this year were a little slim in terms of wines marketed specifically to Valentine’s Day. This could be due to the current and pervasive supply chain issues. Whatever the reason, I managed to find a couple that looked fun and holiday ready.
Check out the video I made for a little more info on these fun wines!❣️
Made in the Douro region of Portugal, this is a luscious red blend from Portugal comprised of 35% Touriga Nacional, 35% Touriga Franca, and 30% Tinta Roriz grapes. Hand-picked and quietly left to mature for two years in stainless steel tanks, it is deep in color with an intense dark berry, blueberry vibe with both leathery and hint ‘o’ mint qualities. Younger wines have more of a violet vibe on the nose and they tend to have a dry and grippy mouthfeel due to bolder tannins.
The Douro region has a drier climate, with very warm summers. Because of an unusually dry, warm summer in 2017, harvest was a little early; mid – August, when the fruit was at its peak.
Tasting Notes:
• Deep ruby color – rich and clear – so beautiful in the glass
• Hints of violet (a soft, powdery raspberry vibe on the top) and caramel on the nose
• Dark, rich raspberry and blackberry w/a lush mouthfeel
• Medium tannin and mid-hi alcohol
• Paired beautifully with vegetarian pizza and fresh ripe blackberries
• Decant for at least an hour to open flavors
$19.99
Santero Villa Jolanda I Love You Extra Dry Spumante – This is one of the cutest damn bottles I’ve seen so far. Santero comes up with seasonal cool graphics; Halloween (which always sells out so I can never get my hands on one ), Christmas, and Valentine’s Day.
That’s part of the reason to check it out, and as an affordable sparkler, this is a fun offering. Especially if you’ve spent some of your cash on flowers, chocolate, and dinner, it adds up. Your sparkling wine should never leave you with a negative balance. Some might disagree on that statement. And while it is true, the sky can be the limit on what you can pay for a beautiful sparkling wine, feel free to adjust your Valentine’s budget accordingly.
Tasting Notes:
• Light yellow straw color – lots of pretty bubbles
• Nice acidity, not too sweet
• Flavors of honeydew melon, pear, cream
• Lighter body, refreshing mouthfeel,
• No decanting needed (don’t want to lose those bubbles)
• Serve ice cold
• Pairs: Anything
• $15.99
I hope you all have a happy and safe Valentine’s Day!💝
Please enjoy responsibly, and if you can’t be the with wine you love, love the wine you’re with!🥰
The general rule of thumb for pairing sparkling wines – fish, cheese, chicken.
But what if you’re not feeling that? What if you’re feeling adventurous and want to be free of all rules?
I say, go for it. For the most part, the sky’s the limit, just keep a few tiny guidelines in mind:
Serve your sparkler well chilled – the bottle opens easier and more safely when it’s cold. Allow a bit of time for the bubbly froth to settle and the delicate aromas to unfold.
Here’s a great chart from bubblysideoflife.com gives the levels of sweetness to look for when choosing. Not all sparklers are the same.
And the answer is usually right on the label!
Sweetness Levels🥂 [Image via Bubbly Side of Life]
From dry to sweet, when pairing all wines, not just sparkling, you want to:
Match Flavor and Texture – For the most part, you don’t want your food to overpower your wine, or vice versa. You want both to compliment each other; bringing out each other’s best. Intensity of food and wine means its weight, which includes things like, salt, sweet, acidity, spiciness, etc. You want balance. For instance, I don’t enjoy a delicate, low tanninPinot Noir with a hearty, fatty, juicy steak. The steak, (especially if served with a smoky or spicy sauce) overpowers the delicate flavours of the Pinot Noir, which doesn’t have enough tannins to cut through the robust fattiness of steak. It’s not that the wine is bad, it just doesn’t match with the weight of the food.
A beefy, hearty Cabernet Sauvignon, with it’s higher tannin and alcohol punches within its weight class, and matches the steak sip for bite.
Likewise, pairing a Cab with a delicate white fish, overpowers the flavor and weight of the fish so all you taste is the Cab.
When pairing sparkling wines with food, the same principles apply. Lighter, brighter effervescent wines provide a delicate acidity, and in the case of Champagne, have some richness and aged flavors that give you a different experience. I’ve paired Prosecco with a rich, creamy buttery orecchietti pasta dish that was amazing. The bright, fruitiness and acidity cut through the heavy cream of the dish, cleansing the palate with each sip. So if you’re craving mac and cheese (with any combination of cheeses), do it! Experiment! See what you like!😍
The key is matching the prominent aspects of the food and the wine.
Traditional Pairings [Image via Glass of Bubbly.com]
Sweet with Heat – To avoid feeling the burn, pair spicy fare with a sparkling wine that has some residual sugar in it. Sugar cools down the heat of your dish, creating balance.
⚠️Avoid pairing spicy foods with wines that have high alcohol. These will ramp up the heat, creating a three alarm blaze in your mouth. 🔥Most of us don’t enjoy sweating our way through dinner. 🥵 Going spicy? Choose a sparkler that has Extra-Dry, Dry, Demi-Sec or even Doux on the label.
Acid with Fat – Fatty or fried foods play well with high acid wines like Champagne. The acidity cuts a swath through the fat and fried, salty goodness; cleansing your palate for the next bite!
Try fried chicken or french fries, or put out a bowl of potato chips and watch them disappear!
Smoke ‘n’ Oak – Pair gently charred foods with sparklers aged in oak. Think traditional method Brut or Extra-Brut. And keep the meat on the lighter side; chicken, shrimp. Grilled foods tame the oak intensity and bring out the fruity aspects of the wine.
Sweet and Salty – If you love Chicago Mix popcorn (cheddar cheese and caramel blend) you know what’s going on here. Pairing salty foods with a sweet or almost sweet wine makes sweet wine more fruity (and less sweet), and salty foods more savoury. Try… corn dogs! Think about it – you have the gentle smokiness of the sausage inside, combined with the subtle sweetness of the corn bread on the outside, deep fried, and the sauce you put on top (dijon mustard, sweet bbq, ketchup) can change the vibe even more.
I like to keep it classy!😉
Sweet for the Sweet – with dessert, pair a wine that’s at least as sweet, if not sweeter. Sweet wines tend to highlight the sweet aspects of food. If your food is sweeter than your wine, the wine will fade, and seem dull. Again, go for sparkling wines that are higher on the sweet list; Dry, Demi-Sec or Doux.
Pair it with leftover Christmas cookies, Kit Kats, ice cream.🍪🍫🍨
Whatever sparkler you choose, whatever glass you have, whatever food you pair it with, please have yourself have a very happy, safe and healthy New Year!🎉🥳🍾
**Don’t forget to join me tomorrow, Thursday, December 30th, 11:00am on 900CHML’s Bill Kelly Show -with guest host Shiona Thompson!🎙
Last time, we did a deep dive into sparkling wines, looked at a few different ones and how they’re made. Today, we’ll take a little look at how to show off those tiny bubbles. 🥂 Which glass is best? Best is a tricky term. It can simply depend on what you have on hand, and what you like. But if you want to showcase your sparkling wine, especially if you’ve made an investment in that sparkling wine, it’s good to know some of the differences. Let’s look at four types:
Coupe Glass
Coupe – This glass is the most classic version of all to showcase your sparkling wines. It’s the glass that typically has a wide bowl and opening. The much-circulated myth that King Louis XVI had the glass fashioned after Marie Antoinette’s breast, is just that, a myth. The glass was actually designed in 1660’s England by a Benedictine monk. While it can be a pretty and very classic way to serve your sparkling wine (and the best way to make a Champagne fountain), its design is not optimal. Because of the wide bowl and opening, both the effervescence and delicate aromas of the wine dissipate and fade very quickly. You want to enjoy the bubbles for a while. The coupe glass doesn’t allow for that. Sorry to burst your bubble.
The Flute
Flute – We’ve all seen and held a Champagne flute at least once in our lives. Long and cylindrical, the flute has a much smaller opening and a higher fill line. This can highlight the bubbles as they escape to the surface. Some even have little etches carved at the bottom creating a beautiful necklace effect as the bubbles travel up the sides of the glass. Gorgeous! This design does keep the bubbles intact for prolonged toasting and your 20th try for your perfect Instagram. That’s a plus. But it’s also a minus because the surface area (and high fill in the glass) doesn’t allow for the wine to aerate, or let the delicate aromas of the sparkler to develop or unfold to its full potential. And if you’ve made an investment purchase, you want to fully taste what you’ve paid so much to enjoy. Also, have you ever tried to get your nose into a Champagne flute? That’s trouble just waiting to happen.
Tulip (Redux) – This glass is ideal for any sparkling wine. It has a round shape that narrows gently at the top. This enables both bubble formation and aromas to fully open allowing for the perfect expression of the wine. And you can get your nose into the glass!
Why do I keep wanting you to stick your nose into the glass? To better appreciate all the aromas and flavors of the wine as you sip!
Tulip /Tapering Glass
Tapering Wine Glass – Similar to the red Burgundy glass, this has a larger bowl than the tulip and a somewhat tapered top. This design allows your sparkler to breathe, and open up; bundling all of the flavors and aromas to your nose and palate, and maximizing the full potential of the wine. And the bubbles still look pretty enough for your selfie.
Whatever style of glass you have, try to make sure it has a stem. I know, stemless is a cool looking trend but sparkling wines are meant to be enjoyed cold. Cold temps keep the fresh, vibrant character of the wine and the bubbles bubbling. The heat from your hand as you hold the stemless glass can warm the wine too quickly, removing the chill and tarnishing some of the sparkle.
Of course, if your wine won’t be in the glass that long, all bets are off – a jelly jar is just fine!😁
Next time – Part 3 – Unique Pairings – What to serve with your sparkler when oysters and fish just aren’t your thing.
*Be sure to join me on 900CHML’s Bill Kelly Show, (w/guest host Shiona Thompson) on Thursday, December 30th at 11:00am!🎙🎉
With the holidays fast approaching, we’re all turning our attention to fun, festive wines to fill our goblets. Even if our evenings may still be a little on the quiet side, enjoyable sparklers are out there to lift your spirits. But finding the right one can take little prep and planning; there are so many options to choose from. Where to begin? Not to worry! In this 3-part series, we’ll explore several to help you decide which sparkling wines might make your holiday a little brighter.
So what IS the difference between Champagne and other sparkling wines? What glass should I serve it in? I don’t want to serve it with the same old tidbits…what’s unique and fun? These are the burning questions. We have a bit of ground to cover so… settle in and check out the little video below for a crash course!👇
Let’s take a closer look at four types of sparkling wines: Champagne, Prosecco, Cava, and Asti.
Champagne: Champagne can only be called Champagne if it’s made in the Champagne region of France. No other place. Everything else is sparkling wine and as we’ll see, there are many, many bubbling options. Made in the Traditional Method, and using a blend including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir (and Pinot Meunier), grapes are picked by hand, then quickly and gently pressed in whole bunches to mininmize any skin contact with the juice – leading to unwanted color or tannin in the end product.After press, it goes through a settling process to remove any solids. Primary Fermentation: is much like still wine at a temperature of 64-68F. The fermentation vessel can be stainless steel tanks, concrete egg vessels, oak vats or barrels. It’s here that many go through malolactic fermentation (where good bacteria convert the hard malic acid (green apple like) to the softer lactic acid (a creamier vibe) which lowers the overall acidity of the wine. The still wine is then aged, sometimes clarified by filtering, fining or centrifugation. The wine can also be aged on the lees (or dead yeast left over from fermentation). This is what gives the sparkling wine it’s bready or biscuity flavor and creamier mouthfeel. A pink color can be achieved by adding back some red wine, or giving the still wine a small amount of contact with the red grape skins. After the addition of sugar, nutrients and yeast (liquer de tirage) bottling occurs – here is where the sparkling magic happens! Once bottled, it’s capped with what looks like a bottle cap so that the secondary fermentation can occur. This occurs at a cooler temperature (50-54F) – and a longer process than before. At the end of secondary fermentation, the bubbles have formed, and as the yeast has gobbled up all the sugar, it dies and decomposes. Bottles are then moved to storage where the now sparkling wine will rest on the yeast (lees) for a desired amount of time.
While resting, the bottles are gently and gradually rotated over time until they are in a vertical position – neck of the bottle upside down -to bring any sediment into one smaller area. At this point, the neck of the bottle is placed in a shallow freezing solution of liquid nitrogen and the semi-frozen sediment ‘plug’ is then propelled out of the bottle by the built up pressure. The beauty is that very little liquid is lost, and all of the dead yeast and sticky sediment is gone from the sparkling wine.
The bottle is then topped up with a small mixture of wine and sugar (dosage) to provide the desired amount of residual sugar, which acts to balance the high acidity of the wine. Bottles are then corked, secured with a wire cage, and ready to ship or cellar. Traditional method is why there is a higher alcohol content, and it’s why Champagne can be cellared for many years. A true luxury item, this takes considerable time, skill, and craft to create what goes into your glass, and explains why many are so expensive. Flavors: citrus, yellow apple, cream, almond, toast. Brands: Veuve Clicquot, Moet & Chandon, Louis Roederer, and the big daddy, Dom Pérignon. **Keep your eyes open for Blanc de Blanc ~ Champagne made from 100% Chardonnay.
Prosecco: Like Champagne, Prosecco can only be a true version if it is produced in Veneto region, Italy, the some of the best being from the sub-region of Valdobbiadene. Primary grape is Glera (though it is often blended) and it’s made in the Charmat or single tank method. Here, the base wines are added together with the sugar and yeast in a large stainless steel tank. As the wine goes through it’s secondary fermentation, CO2 is released causing the tank to pressurize. The wines are then filtered, then bottled without aging. Prosecco generally has a fresher character (with only minor secondary yeast flavors) and should be enjoyed young, within 2-3 years of bottling. Sweetness levels: Brut: Dry, little or no detectable sweetness. 0-12 grams of sugar/litre. Most Champagne is Brut. Extra Sec (Extra Dry): Some detectable sweetness/sugar. 12-17 grams/litre residual sugar Sec (Dry): Noticeable sweetness/sugar. 17-32 grams/litre Flavors: green apple, honeydew melon, pear, lager, cream.
Brands: Toresella, Ruffino, Tesoro Della, LaMarca
Cava: From Spain, and made in the Traditional Method, this is made from three varieties; Xarello, Macabeo, Parellada. This is a very earthy, rich and complex wine, can be cellared. Flavors: marzipan, white chocolate, brioche. Brands: Freixenet, Segura Viudad Brut Reserva, Elyssia.
Asti: Another notable offering from Italy, Asti is produced in Piedmont using the Moscato Bianco grape. It’s made sparkling by single tank fermentation, giving it a bright and crisp quality, and is sweeter and lower in alcohol than the other three types. Flavors: tangerine, apricot, peach and pear. Brands: Martini & Rossi, Spumante, Risata.
This gives you a little more to think about when going to purchase your fun wines for the holidays.
Next post, we’ll explore which is the best glass to truly showcase the look and flavors of your sparkler!🥂
Emerson once wrote, “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously.” It’s something I try to do in my daily life but it’s not always easy, especially with running here and there getting things ready for the official start to holiday season.
I think that’s what is nice about opening a bottle of wine; time slows for a second when you open the bottle, pour a glass for yourself and those you’re with. You take a moment, think of a little toast (no matter how profound or cheesy) and then take that first sip together. It’s a nice ritual.
After tasting some wines at the annual Heinen’s Holiday Wine Tasting, here a few of my picks to enhance your holiday ritual! 🥂
Saint Hilaire Limoux Blanc de Brut ~ to get the party started, this sparkler is made in the traditional method and has flavors of citrus and crisp apple. ($19.99)
J~Vineyards 2016 Pinot Gris ~ has lush tropical notes of pineapple, green pear with notes of herbaceous jasmine on the nose. ($24.99)
), Christmas, and Valentine’s Day.
The Wine Student 