Thyme Out, Posted: 12/24/07
Sparkling wines
Pop! Pop, pop! Pop! Ah, the sounds of the season . . . .
For many Americans, New Year's Eve is the only night of the year they treat themselves to champagne. Personally, I think this a shame and am hard pressed to come up with any instance during which I would deny a glass of bubbly, should one be offered to me. In fact, I adore champagne! Why don't I drink a glass tonight? and every night, for that matter?
Oh, yes; silly me. I forgot: the price.
While the real thingófrom the Champagne wine producing region of Franceócan be prohibitively expensive and a rare celebratory treat, there's no need to despair. There are plenty of perfectly acceptable sparkling wine alternatives for those of us with champagne taste on a budget that's, well, more reflective of alternate carbonated beverages often purchased in "packs".
So, when we keep in mind that champagne is merely one example (the prime example) of sparkling wine, we'll find a much broader range of options and prices. For me, a favorite choice in sparklers is a wine called prosecco, named by the type of grape used. Produced in northern Italy, this is a light, fully effervescent wine, often with the barest hint of sweetness. Look for the producer Carpene Malvolti, or experiment with any of the brands you might find in this trendy wine type. It's great as aperitif, or as a very versatile dinner companion. It's a little drier, and a little more chic than its famous cousin, asti spumanti, though I'd keep both of these Italians on my guest list.
There are also plenty of good domestic sparkling wines, though prices for American "methode champenoise" wines keep climbing. I always enjoy the Gloria Ferrer wines, particularly their blanc de noirs, a pretty-in-pink number. Also dressed in pink, and very fun, is the Coppola winery's Sofia blanc de blancs, sold in a four-pack of individual serving cans. Yes, cans. Expensive onesóabout $20 for the set. But they come with matching straws.
And then there's always cava. This is Spain's entry into the sparkling wine pageantry. Always reliable, you can't mistake the classic black bottle with gold lettering of Freixenet, the most widely available brand. The Segura Viudas wines are some of my favorites in this category.
With sparkling wine, the production method is complicated and differences in quality are quite easily discernable, more so than with most other types of wine, you really do get what you pay for. That said, if you brave the $6 and under crowd, here are some recipes you may find useful. All of these drinks should be served cold.
Mimosa: mix sparkling wine and orange juice to taste. The brunch classic.
Bellini: mix 5 oz. sparkling wine with 1 oz. white peach puree or canned peach nectar. This is the famous drink from Harry's Bar in Venice, usually made with prosecco.
Death in the Afternoon: mix 1 oz. Pernod with 5 oz. sparkling wine. I have to admit, I've never tried this one, but couldn't resist the Hemingway title.
Champagne cocktail: drop agnostura bitters onto a sugar cube, place cube in the bottom of a champagne flute and fill with sparkling wine. Cheers!
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Editor's Note: Angela Denstad Stigeler writes a food column each week for the Caledonia Argus. She, her husband and their two young children live in Caledonia.
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