Champagne for Turkey

Hello Wine Lovers!

After my rant about restaurant wine service last week I thought I better get something in here for you to enjoy with the upcoming holidays! Champagne or Sparkling or Cava in this case.

Lets talk a little about Sparkling wines. Out of respect for the French, you only call Sparkling wines made in the Methode Champenoise from the Champagne Region of France... Champagne. What is this Methode Champenoise you ask? Glad you asked! I'll make it as short as possible. In a nut shell it is the traditional way to make sparkling wines where there is yeast added to the bottle for a second fermentation. The yeast works with the sugars and makes the "Fizz" or bubbles in the bottle. When the wine is ready to go to market, the yeast is collected in the neck of the bottle and taken out. Champagnes are aged in the bottle for anywhere from 1 to 5 years. This will allow the wine to mature and have many layers of flavor and depth. Just so you know, Brut is the dry champagne and Extra Dry is actually sweet. I have included a picture to help you understand how it is made.

Now the wines! Segura Viudas Aria Brut, Spain, for about $8 a bottle will knock your socks off! This wine is clean and crisp with just a note of apple on the nose and a long smooth finish. This will impress any sparkling wine drinker.

The next entry is also from Spain and it is even less expensive! Cristalino Brut, about $7 a bottle! This wine is also more impressive than it's price tag. It has dried flowers on the nose with orange peel and apple in the mouth. It finishes with just a touch of sweetness. Now of course if you would like, you could bring a 2002 Dom Perignon, which was given 96 points, to your next party. It will set you back about $150 a bottle... you decide!

Cheers!

J