Tag Archives: Sparkling Wine

Dec 27 2011
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Sparkling Cocktail for the New Year

We know New Years Eve is all about the bubbly!  We love everything about Champagne and its classic, luxurious feel.  So after the ball has dropped and you start anew on New Years Day, we find no need to stop sipping Champagne.  Celebrate a fresh beginning with an elegant Champagne Cocktail.  Below are a few of our favorites recipes!

Classic Champagne Cocktail:

  • 3 ounces of Champagne
  • 1/3 ounce of cognac
  • 2 dashes of bitters
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar

Soak one sugar cube in a champagne flute with bitters.  Add the champagne and cognac. Squeeze in a twist of lemon and discard. Garnish with a half slice of orange.

French Martini: The Champagne is an added twist to this original drink.

  • 1.5 ounces of vodka
  • .5 ounces of Chambord
  • .5 ounces of pineapple juice
  • Champagne

Combine the vodka, Chambord, and pineapple juice with ice into a shaker, and shake briskly.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Top of with Champagne and garnish with a lemon peel.  You can sugar half of the glass for an added touch.

Pear and Cranberry Bellini:

  • 1 cup pear nectar
  • 1 cup cranberry juice cocktail
  • 1 bottle Prosecco or other dry sparkling white wine

In a small pitcher, combine pear nectar and cranberry juice cocktail.  Pour 1/4 cup juice mixture into each or eight champagne glasses then top with Prosecco or other dry sparkling white wine.

Lavender Champagne:

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon dry lavender
  • 4 bottles dry Champagne
  • Fresh Lavender sprigs, for garnish

Bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Stir in dried lavender then remove from heat.  Let it cool completely.  Strain out lavender. Refridgerate syrup until ready to serve.  When ready, pour about 6 ounces Champagne with 1 1/2 teaspoon syrup into each flute.  Garnish with the fresh lavender sprig.

What’s your favorite Champagne Cocktail?  We hope you enjoy these as you celebrate, cheers!

Check out recommendations of sparkling wine here:Click here

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Dec 07 2011
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Bubbles for the Holiday

The decorations are up and the parties are beginning so its time to break out the bubbly!   The season is all about celebrating and so is Champagne.   No other wine is associated more with joy and festivities.

Now shopping for these sparkling wines may overwhelm you because there is such a wide variety.  I am going to break down some common terms you might see while selecting the bubbles for you:

Sparkling wine can be broken down into 3 categories: Sugar Content, Body, and Age

Sugar Content:

In order from Very Dry to Sweet:

Extra Brut – Brut – Extra Dry – Sec – Demi Sec – Doux/Rich

Body Structure (any sugar content):

Blanc de Noirs – Made exclusively from black Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunior grapes,  this has a strong structure and fruitiness.

Blanc de Blancs – Made exclusively from white Chardonnay grapes, very fresh and lively.

Rose – pinkish in color.  Usually due to contact from red grape skins during the blending process.

Age (any sugar or style):

NV: non-vintage Champagne.  It is a blend of wine from multiple vintages and many champagne houses take pride in non-vitage offerings because they are the purest expression of house style.  Most are done in this fashion.

Vintage Champagne:  If the conditions of a particular vintage are favorable, some producers will make a “Vintage” wine that must be composed of at least 85% of the grapes from vintage year.

Names of Sparkling Wine:

Champagne – A French Sparkling wine that is only produced in the Champagne region of France.  It can only be made from three grapes either blended or alone:  Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.   This golden sparkling wine is complex with its toasty, yeasty aromas.

Cremant –  It’s a French sparkling wine outside of the Champange region.

Cava – It’s a white or pink Spanish sparkling wine.

Processco – Italy’s most popular sparkling wine, and the name of the white grape that is used to produce the bubbly.  Sparkling wines in Italy can be made in multiple fashions, but the Italian Champagne style is Metodo Classico.

Here are some personal suggestions on what you should pop open during the holidays:

Baur Cremant d’Alsace Brut Rose – A great Alsace Rose. Get the notion of sweet Rose out of your head. A $18.99. It is a bargain deal.

NV Champagne Aubry Brut Premier Cru – Looking for “Champagne” that won’t break the bank. Try this one with green apple, white cherry, and some mineral freshness. $36.99

Zardetto Zeta Prosecco 2008 – Brut in style, this one has a pleasing lightness with lower residual sugar.  Try at  $19.99 per bottle.

Kila Cava 2009 – Get introduced to Spanish sparkling wine with a fun and light Cava. Only $7.99

Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs 2008 – A great United States example of sparkling wine. Apple and lime on the nose with pear, pineapple, and fresh mineral on the buds.  $23.99

Exotic Find: If you can find, try to pick up a Brazilian Sparkling Wine. It has the latest buzz and one of the hardest things to find.

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