Wine, Etc.: Let a bubbly wine add that special sparkle
What is it about bubbles that makes you feel giddy? Perhaps it all started as infants when we marveled at the sight of bubbles coming from magic wands or giggled uncontrollably while frolicking in bubble baths. Offer a grown woman a bubble bath today and it doesn't get more luxurious.
Unless, of course, you add champagne. Different bubbles, but they achieve the same results. C'mon, guys, this isn't rocket science. It's a romance kit.
Think about the woman who's slaving away in the kitchen for you and your family, washing the dishes while you're fast asleep or making sure her guests are happy. Can't you at least give her a pass one night? Steaming lobster is about as easy as, well, boiling water. Just add sparkling wine.
The bubbles we find rising majestically in champagne flutes are symbols of luxury, celebration and laughter. Carrying alcohol to the blood faster than still wine, these bubbles can make even the stoic turn giddy. What is there not to like in this accidental discovery that made a Benedictine monk famous?
Pierre Dom Perignon, erroneously credited with inventing champagne, cursed at the sight of bubbles at his 17th century abbey because he thought they were flaws that would pop corks prematurely while on their voyage to anxious customers in England. But the Brits loved the bubbles and went about inventing a stronger bottle and closure that would literally seal champagne's future success.
While Champagne is the home of champagne, it is not the only region that puts bubbles in still wine. In fact, sparkling wine - the acceptable generic term for carbonated wine - is made just about everywhere in more styles than Dom Perignon could have ever imagined. Spain calls it cava, Italy calls it prosecco, Germany calls it sekt and in this country we call it sparkling wine. Most everyone, though, calls it good.
Sparkling wine is about more than bubbles. Flavors can be delicate and hard to distinguish for all but the experts. But taste a luxury champagne alongside a prosecco and you'll understand why the labor-intensive French version costs 10 times more.
As we head to the finish line of 2008, there is never a better occasion to open a bottle of sparkling wine. Maybe the year was nothing to celebrate, but surely there is something in life that deserves a toast. Here is a range of choices:
Bollinger Rose ($100). New to the family of this illustrious Champagne house is the rose . Made with the same top-drawer methods at Bollinger's other cuvees, the rose boasts crisp acidity with beautiful raspberry and blackberry notes. It's a great champagne to celebrate summer - or whatever.
Henriot Brut Millesime 1998 ($95). We have loved Henriot champagnes for some time now because generally they are good values. This reserve wine, albeit more expensive, is fascinating. It has apple and anise aromas with grapefruit and apple flavors and a luxurious creamy mouthfeel. You could serve this with foods that have any cream or buttery sauce - or just drink by itself, as we did.
J Cuvee 20 Brut ($32). Celebrating its 20th year, J Vineyards has made another outstanding cuvee using chardonnay (49 percent), pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes from the Russian River Valley. Citrus and honeysuckle aromas with apple and grapefruit flavors.
J. Schram 2001 ($100). Expensive, yes. But the J. Schram lives up to its price tag. A blend of chardonnay (78 percent) and pinot noir, it has lively green apple and pineapple aromas with exquisite nutty and pineapple and peach flavors. It's more complex than your average sparkling wine.
Champagne Pommery Apange Brut ($50). This champagne is specially made for banquets and festive occasions according to the Pommery people. In any case it is delicious champagne that's made up of 45 percent chardonnay, 35 percent pinot noir, and 20 percent pinot meunier, and aged 4 years before release. Toasted bread nose, with nice citrus and apple flavors and a creamy toasty finish.
Gruet Non-Vintage Brut ($14). Probably the wine that put New Mexico on a wine map, Gruet's rainmaker is a full-throttle sparkler with 24 months on tirage and sporting fine bubbles and delicate apple and citrus flavors. Gruet also makes an excellent rose, which for about the same price adds a nice splash of color to any festivity. It's the best value on the sparkling wine market.
Marquis de la Tour Brut Rose ($11). From the Loire Valley, this sparkling wine is made from cabernet franc, grolieau, syrah and grenache grapes. It has lively strawberry and raspberry flavors and a long finish.
Gosset Grande Reserve ($68). Nice yeast and butterscotch notes with almond and pear aromas.
Schramsberg Mirabelle ($22). The multi-vintage wine of one of the best sparkling wine producers in California, Mirabelle has apple and peach flavors and freshly baked bread aromas. A great value, its depth comes from the addition of wine from previous vintages that have been aged in barrels and tanks.
Mumm Napa Brut Rose ($24). A blend of chardonnay and pinot noir, this reliable sparkling wine has plum and raspberry notes and good body.
Taittinger Brut Reserve ($55). We remember every bottle of the Comtes de Champagne we have enjoyed, but alas not everyone can afford Taittinger's most luxurious, chardonnay-based wine. Instead, turn to the brut reserve which still delivers luxury in a bottle. Peach aromas, lively acidity and apple and vanilla flavors. We also liked the bright raspberry flavors of Taittinger's prestige rose.
Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rose ($40). This producer still makes one of the most affordable, luxurious champagnes on the market. A brand easy to find hereabouts, its star is the rose. We like the clove aromas, raspberry flavors and silky texture.
Beer tasting
Staples Corner Liquors will be hosting a tasting of Christmas Belgian and seasonal beers from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at its store on Defense Highway and Davidsonville Road.