November 30 2006

Cover Story  (Counting Bubbles)
Liquid Dessert (Fortified, Icewine, Rarities and B-sides)
Bubble Reviews (From every corner and for every budget)
Taste Bites  (Chocolate Wishes and their Partners in Wine)
Wine Diva-isms  (Tis the season-and I'm a sucker for it!)

   Counting
    
      Bubbles

To be blatantly honest and utterly biased I think that bubbles are the perfect liquid.

Curiously, to many they are only seasonal and celebratory but ask anyone that knows me I always start with a glass of bubbles...
 
In fact Wine Diva may have inadvertently started a Kir Royale resurgence in Vancouver over the past couple of years and if so, I make no apologies.
 
Some of my favorite places to drink bubbles in Vancouver are Sutton Place's Gerard Lounge in the late afternoon with Walter at the bar's helm. People at his bar are friendly, they talk to strangers.
And uber-host Dee Anand at Savory Coast always has a bottle of Cantena Breganze Vespaiolo open for me and Jay Jones at Salt knows I'm always up for a flute of the Steller's Jay Brut he pours there.
I'm not particular (although I have my favorites) and piccolos of Henkell Trocken at Bin 941/942 or Freixenet at Lion's Pub suit just fine with a splash of cassis.

Whistler's wine event-Cornucopia in November just seems to light a fire under me-the more I have, the more I want. And if you want to get technical, bubbles pair better than any one varietal with a diverse selection of food. From salty snack foods like wasabi peas and potato chips to cheese plates and creamy, buttery sauces. From shellfish to turkey and eggs Benny at brunch to berry pavlovas for dessert.

But Wine Diva can never forget to mention her Christmas morning tradition of sweet dense Italian Panforte and a bottle of Moscato d'Asti.
Coffee-pshaw.

Its always noon somewhere and wine has no time...

WD
pink and cheeky



Sparkling Trivia...

Levels of sweetness:
Brut-very dry (0-15g of sugar)
Extra Dry-less dry than Brut (12-20g of sugar)
Sec ("dry")-dry/sweet (17-35g of sugar)
Demi-sec ("half-dry") medium dry (33-50g of sugar)
Doux-sweet (50+g of sugar)

AKA...
Cava-Spain
Prosecco, Moscato, Spumate-Italy
Champagne-Champagne France
Cremant-Regional France
Sparkling-International
Germany-Sekt


To Impress your friends...
Méthod Traditionale (Méthod Champenoise)-Sparkling wine made in the traditional 'classic' method of Champagne where the wine goes through a second fermentation in the bottle. The longest and most expensive way to make bubbles.
Charmat-The wine is fermented under pressure in large vats, then bottled. Made in 'bulk'.
Carbonation-Think soda pop.


More believers...

[Champagne is] the only wine that leaves a woman beautiful after drinking it.
                                                                                                       -Madame Pompadour

There comes a time in every woman's life when the only thing that helps is a glass of Champagne.
                                                                      -Bette Davis, Old Acquaintance (1943)

I like my women warm and my Champagne cold.
                                                                                                                      -Groucho Marx

Now we can't be too serious this early in the morning--at least, not without a glass of Champagne. Won't take a minute. Champagne tastes much better after midnight, don't you agree?
                                                                -letter from an unknown woman (1948)

I bring you greetings. Cinderella's slipper. Its called Champagne. Champagne is the great leveller.
                                                                                  -The Philadelphia Story (1940)

How ironic that Champagne--long associated with sin  and luxury--should have been invented by a blind monk.
                                                                                                        -Randolph Fillmore

"I drink it when I'm happy and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it--unless I'm thirsty."
                                                   -Madame Lily Bollinger (1961)

"Come quickly, I am drinking stars."
                                         -
                     -Dom Pérignon calling his assistants

I drink Champagne when I win, to celebrate...and when I lose, to console myself.
                                                                                                       -Napoleon Bonaparte

He who never takes risks never gets to drink Champagne.
                                                                                                                 -Russian Proverb

I've had too little, and I've had too much. But I'll never have enough Champagne.
    
                                                                                                                                       -J.B

I am mistrustful of those who dislike bubbles...after all they give you bubbly energy and  you never wake up with a hangover after drinking them.
                                                                                                                -Wine Diva 2007


Truer words may never have been spoken...
WD
Pink & Cheeky


 

Go To Next Section

November 30 2006

Cover Story  (Counting Bubbles)
Liquid Dessert (Fortified, Icewine, Rarities and B-sides)
Bubble Reviews (From every corner and for every budget)
Taste Bites  (Chocolate Wishes and their Partners in Wine)
Wine Diva-isms  (Tis the season-and I'm a sucker for it!)