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.💜
Now I know you’re not going to have just a turkey on your table. But I wanted to keep it simple and spotlight the star of the show (though maybe it’s a featured player, as we all know the real star is you).✨
According to Food and Wine magazine, turkey’s rich flavor profile; light and dark meat, and its juicy texture matches well with a wide variety of wines and traditional side dishes.
Keep in mind that what’s good for the turkey is probably going to be good for the side dishes.
•Dry Riesling– OK… wait a minute, this isn’t the sugar bomb you think it is. Many have the view that riesling always equals cloyingly sweet. But this dry offering is the riesling you never knew you wanted. High acidity and plentiful minerality make this a most agreeable turkey companion.
•Chardonnay – Sometimes chosen because of its name recognition, Chardonnay can be a wonderful pairing with turkey. Crisp acidity, and fuller-bodied vibe make it a pleasure to sip. Old World offerings, particularly from France, are more citrus-forward with a stalwart mineral heart. New World Chards from the US, Australia and South America have a juicier, stone fruit vibe. Hint: Add a little to the turkey as you baste.
•Gamay – The Beaujolais grape, but skip past the Nouveau and head straight for a more mature offering to enjoy. Pleasant high acid, lo tannin, and a satisfying grippy mouthfeel make this wine one of the best pairings with turkey.
•Pinot Noir – A classic, Pinot Noir’s playful flavors of cherry make this a great pairing for both turkey and your favorite sides. Pinots from France have a grounded, earthy, mushroom-y, tart cherry gravitas where New World Pinots brings forth a brighter complex cherry vibe. 🍒
•Viognier – An excellent, but not as well known match, Viognier’s whispers of honey and rich ripe stone fruit essences are wonderful with the tender turkey. Look for amazing offerings from Northern Rhone, South Africa and Australia.
•Zinfandel – Jammy, juicy and fruit forward, this wine is a boss pairing with both light and dark turkey meat, and many traditional Tgiving sides. A big hit on turkey day, you might want to splurge and buy a couple of bottles. 😉
•Champagne – Bubbles and high acidity make this wine a merry treat to cut through the richness of the turkey and all side dishes. And it makes your holiday table scape even more festive and fun! 🥂
When all is said and done, these are simply suggestions to dial back some of the guesswork when picking your wine. In the end, it’s really about sharing time with family and friends. And whatever wine(s) you choose to adorn your Thanksgiving table this year, I hope you have happy and healthy holiday!🧡
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.
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!🎙
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!🥂
This Thanksgiving, I wanted to shake things up a little. Instead of serving three wines; a bubbler, white and a red, I’ve narrowed the field to two: Segura Viudas Reserva Heredad Cava and a 2013 Gundlach Bundschu Pinot Noir.
But wait…what is Cava?
Cava is a dry sparkling wine that is produced in Spain using traditional, indigenous grapes from a several select growing regions. The most renown is North-East Spain, particularly Penedès. It is made from 2-3 grape varietals: Macabea (the Viura of Rioja), Parellada, and the earthier Xarel-lo. While most wines are named after their growing region, Cava gets its name from the type of wine. Unlike other sparkling wines, it’s made in ‘Mètodo Tradicional’ or the traditional method used in creating Champagne.
I’ve written before about how sparkling wines are made but here’s a little review: The traditional method allows for the fermentation of wine in the bottle for months (and sometimes years). Bottles have a crown cap (think beer cap) to withstand the considerable buildup of pressure (corks would just pop at this phase and no one likes premature popping). Bottles are then slanted downward and kept in this postion to allow the yeast to settle in the neck. After a time, the next phase occurs where just the bottle necks are submerged in a freezing solution; freezing just those few inches of wine that contains the yeast. An ice plug is formed trapping the yeast. At this point, the bottle is turned upright, crown cap removed and the pressure from the gas inside the bottle expells the ice plug (don’t try blaming the dog). What remains is the sparkling bottle of perfection which is then corked and cellared. A painstaking process, it takes great care to make sure it all comes out the way it should.
This is how the traditional method differs from other approaches to making wine sparkle. Non-traditional method means the wine goes through its fermentation in large metal tanks, is then bottled and carbon dioxide added to the mix.
Cava vs Prosecco
Cava has flavors of lemon flavors with a slightly bitter, nuttier quality on the finish with a more full bodied mouth-feel, and floral notes similar to Champagne. It has many qualities similar to Champagne except that it has a more affordable price point. Feel free to put two in your grocery basket.
Proseccooriginates from around the Valdobbiadene region of Italy and is a dry, slightly sweeter, complex bubbler. It’s fermented in steel tanks and has light, crisp flavors of pear, peach, yellow apple, and apricot. Like Cava, it is an inexpensive way to get your bubble on and can be mixed without guilt in a bevy of cocktails.
Whatever you choose to celebrate this Thanksgiving, I wish you all a happy and safe holiday!
“Maybe it’s much too early in the game, but I thought I’d ask you just the same…”
This New Year’s, HubbyDoug and I are keeping it simple at home with chicken and tempura vegetable fondue and prosecco. While I’d love to bring on 2016 with a big bottle of Dom Pérignon, I’ll be the only one drinking it; HubbyDoug’s not a fan of champagne. And drinking the entire bottle myself probably won’t lead to a very happy New Year’s Day.
I chose prosecco for dinner over traditional champagne because of the lighter, more floral | fruit vibe it brings to the party. Since dinner will take a couple of hours to meander through, I figure I can pace myself nicely until midnight.
But when the Times Square ball drops, I’ll treat myself to a split of Vueve Clicquot. It’s my little gift to me to bid the old year adieu, and welcome in the promise of a brand new year.
After a month of what felt like nonstop eating and drinking, and happy to not be exhibiting any visible signs of gout, I wanted to celebrate with a fun wine that would help me toast the end of a very good year. The Champagne tasting at Royal Park Fine Winesin Strongsville was a great place to meet friends and try a variety of wines for the season.
Royal Park Wines owner, George Zaboura, featured six Champagne/sparkling wines starting with the Santa Margherita Prosecco from Italy. This was a nice wine to begin the evening with and it boasted aromas of peach, apple and delicate citrus. It was light and refreshing and whet my appetite for the next offering:Freixenet Elyssia Rose from Spain. I found this one a little disappointing; it didn’t have much flavor. Even after pairing it with some strawberries and chocolate, it didn’t really jump out of the glass.
The next offering was the Piper Heidsick Cuvee Sublime from France. This was much sweeter and flavorful. It boasted a touch of violet, which was subtle and noticeable at the finish.
On to the Mumm Brut Prestige, Napa Valley. This had an almost creamy mouth-feel with pronounced a melon essence and a finish that lingered (in a good way) after your final sip.
Next up was the Perrier Jouet Grand Brut. It proved to be a lively wine with a subtle green apple and pineapple vibe that would be a great stand alone sparkler for toasting and enjoying throughout the night.
We finished with aBanfi Rosa Regale from Italy. This was a semi-dry wine that offered a sweet strawberry raspberry flavor. The color was a beautiful, light claret and it was good but very sweet.
Our choice: The Mumm Brut Prestige. Yum. I’m looking forward to popping the cork, sipping it slowly with some chocolate and strawberries and welcoming a brand new year.
With the holidays underway, and everyone having a bit of a break, there have been cries in my home of, “I’m. So. Bored!” My daughter replied, “well, mom, why don’t you find a craft?” Damn, my own words coming back to haunt me. But she had a point. I began to troll around to find my top five picks for wine-y crafts.
Rather than just writing about them, I thought I’d actually try them. And if they weren’t simple for me, I’d never recommend them for you. I’m all about the easy craft that doesn’t take too long or make a big mess.
I read about one that involved using a ‘diamond bladed wet-saw’. In my hands, with or without wine, this would not be good.
Here are my top five, in no particular order:
Wine Label Collage
This one takes a little work but is still pretty simple. I did my collage on the bottom of an old wooden serving tray. You could do one on card stock and frame it as a poster. Many wineries are using wonderful artists to design their labels, it’s a shame to toss the bottle in recycle without trying to preserve the label art in some way.
The real trick you’ll find with this craft, is getting the labels off the bottle; some slip off easily, some you have to finesse a little more ~ kind of like the shirt of that hot date you once had.
In a dishpan or sink, use enough hot water (hot enough for your hands to stand) and a drop or two of dish soap. Let it soak for a few minutes and beginning with the edges, slowly peel the label off (without ripping). At this point, I recommend having a sip of wine, a deep breath, and keep trying. Once you get the labels off, dry them on a paper towel, removing them every so often to keep them from sticking. You’ll need decoupage medium from an art or craft store. I used ‘Mod Podge’. For the tray, you’ll need to make the surface water resistant so when the labels have cured, cover with a final coat or two of clear acrylic sealant.
Wine Label Collage Tray (in progress)
Frosted Wine Bottles with Salt
After you’ve successfully soaked off your labels for your collage, you can spray your naked wine bottles with a white primer. As the bottles are drying (and still sticky) roll them in an inch of Epsom Salts you’ve put on a foil-covered cookie sheet. I mixed a little iridescent glitter with my salt to give the appearance of ice. I found that I had to work quite quickly to get the salt and glitter to adhere. Let the bottles dry completely, spray with a sealant and display. I put a few of mine into my Christmas tree, securing them with white pipe cleaners.
These sound like a no-brainer, and they are. They can look pretty cool if you have some decent artwork or logo on the cork. I was lucky to find this one from Chateau Bianca. Take a sharp knife and slice a lengthwise groove into the cork. If you’ve made your groove a little too large (which I did), simply glue the paper to card stock, which will make it a little heavier and more stable. A couple of drops of glue in the groove can help secure the card. They are really simple to make and would be great for a wine-themed wedding or dinner party.
Again, this craft makes great use of any corks you have lying around and you have a tree with a wine motif (like I do). This is very simple; using a 3/8″ drill bit, drill through the cork, end to end. Take care with this; some corks can splinter and split so extra attention is needed. Synthetic corks tend to stay in tact more consistently. Also: you have to hold the cork steady as you drill, so save your quaffing until you’re ready to hang the garland. To string, I used a shiny metallic cording which was really easy to use.
Corky Garland (an awesome stage name!)
Cork Magnet
This is as easy as opening a bottle of wine and drinking it. Except that you may have to use superglue and you want to do that before consuming any wine. Take your cork and a magnet piece (available at any craft store). Cut the magnet to fit the side of the cork, not the ends. Glue. Hold until dry. Put on fridge. Admire your awesome craftiness! These are cool but are really more for show; mine slid oh-so-slowly down the fridge when I tried to stick up any notes.
Wine-y Magnets
And there you have it, a few projects to get you through the waning holidays, when you’re not recovering from that overexposure to turkey or wine buzz.
Tonight, I’ll be going to a Champagne tasting to learn how to pick a great bottle of bubbly to ring in the new year.
The Wine Student 