All posts tagged: Sparkling Wine

Featured Wine of the Week – Mumm Rosé Brut

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Mumm Rosé Brut – what a delightful way to celebrate! ⁣⁣It has cheerful golden pink bubbles with rich, creamy red berry flavors created in the Méthode Traditionnelle process. I drank this over the weekend to celebrate my anniversary, but there were other reasons to celebrate: a socially distant visit from dear friends and the beginning of life slowly returning to normal as stores and restaurants open once again. ⁣⁣Mumm has been a long-time favorite of mine since visiting their stunning winery in Napa years ago. While their sparkling wines are the main attraction, the fine art gallery at the estate with historical photos of old Hollywood stole my heart. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

Furlani “Joannizza” Pét-Nat

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Grown in the alpine city of Trento, Italy, “Joannizza” is created from Joannita, a grape created in 1968 from a cross of Riesling, Seyve-Villard, Rulander, and Gutedel.  This varietal is fungus and disease resistant…and rare. It is only grown in a few places, mostly in Germany and Switzerland. The Furlani family vineyard has 2.5 acres of Joannita. This vineyard is currently in the hands of Matteo Furlani, a 4th generation winemaker. While the family has always practiced organic farming, Matteo has also introduced some biodynamic techniques. Additionally, wines are fermented with no yeast or sulfur, in cement tanks and small glass jugs with no temperature control. The wines are placed outside in the snow to settle. This hands-off, small-batch approach is reflected in the wine. With a week of fermentation on the skins of the grape, the secondary fermentation is completed in the bottle with conserved grape must, resulting in lovely and persistent medium-sized bubbles. The hue is a bright and cheerful lemonade yellow, with strong aromas of yeasty baked bread, unripe apricot, and toasted …

Bele Casel Prosecco ColFòndo

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The natural wine movement is in full swing, and I’ve been on a hunt for a trendy “pét-nat,” or a sparkling wine that has used the pétillant naturel method. What is the pétillant naturel method? Basically, it is the process of bottling a partially fermented wine and completing the fermentation in the bottle, which produces the bubbles. The wine placed in the bottle is raw and often unfiltered – it is “natural.” This is considered the simplest way to produce effervescence, but it also has the most risk.  Since the wine in the bottle is unfinished, it’s always a gamble as to how it will turn out. Given the popularity of pét-nats, it was fairly hard to find one.  Finally, I found a cool, local wine store that had not one, but two pét-nats.  I purchased both and decided to try the Prosecco first. However, I quickly found out this Bele Casel Prosecco is not a traditional pét-nat. This one is made like a Champagne, with finished (versus unfinished) wine completing fermentation in the bottle.  Unlike …

Featured Wine (Event) of the Week

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Happy Wine Wednesday!  I’m dreaming of bubbles this morning after attending a super fun event put on by J Vineyards at the PaliHouse in Los Angeles.  It was advertised as a wine and cheese interactive tasting led by Winemaker Nicole Hitchcock of J Vineyards and Francois Robin of Fromage France, followed by a cheese and wine soiree. So, let me get this straight…one of my favorite Sonoma wineries was putting on an event with a French Cheesemonger? Um….yes!  Yes please! I’m not sure what I expected, but I did not expect the wonderful cheese and wine extravaganza I got to enjoy!  There was a bar pouring four beautiful wines from J Vineyards:  J Sparkling Brut Rose, J Cuvee 20, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir.  More on those in a moment…  There was a giant table in the middle of the courtyard filled with several different French cheeses, including Brillat-Severin, Tomme de Savoie, Bleu D’Auvergne, and Beaufort.  There were olives, almonds, berries, honey, and of course, the requisite bread. Oh. My. God.  I was in heaven! As …

Featured Wine of the Week

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Happy Wine Wednesday! I’ve been tasting a lot of delicious wines lately. Banfi Rosa Regale was a lost favorite. I used to drink this for dessert at one of my favorite Italian restaurants. The restaurant closed a few years ago, and with it went my tradition. I was happy to rediscover this wine at my local BevMo. Details: Banfi Rosa Regale 2018 100% Brachetto Alcohol: 7% Piedmont, Italy Sparkling Red Wine Tasting Notes: This gorgeous wine is ruby colored in the glass with aromas of roses. This sweet, sparkling wine delights the tongue with its effervescence and flavors of raspberries, rose petals and just a hint of earthiness. It would pair well with chocolate and fattier meats like lamb or pork. Trivia: According to legend, both Julius Caesar and Marc Anthony gifted Cleopatra with Brachetto. She had them drink it to “unleash their passions.” Cheers!