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Happy Hour: Codorníu Sparkling Pinot Noir Rosé

partysugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:15:23 -0700

My favorite dance scene from the 1963 Ann Margret musical Bye Bye Birdie is entitled "Lot of Livin to Do." In it, she sings of "drinking Champagne as if it were water." But, not just any Champagne - pink Champagne. When I was little, I too, dreamed of drinking pink Champagne as if it were water. Well as luck would have it, sometimes I do!

My current favorite "pink Champagne" is actually a sparkling Cava Pinot Noir Rosé from Spain. It's refreshingly dry with light airy bubbles. It's an elegant, yet playful wine that is both crisp and fruity. The aroma is reminiscent of berries and it has a light body that coats the tongue.

What I love most about this sparking Rosé is its easy drinkability. I've enjoyed it with everything from cheesy rich appetizers to roast chicken to a light green salad. The affordable $15 price is the icing on the cake. Do you sip sparkling Rosé?

7 Festive Sparkling Wines

YumSugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 03:00:42 -0800

Are you faced with the same dilemma every New Year's Eve of what wine to select from the Champagne aisle? We hear you. There are a growing number of bubblies that fall in the range between Cook's and Cristal, and choosing the right one can be tricky. Here's a tip: The bargains lie in sparkling wines outside of the Champagne region of France. We've compiled some of our favorite Champagne alternatives, so you can choose the perfect sparkler for your celebration.

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Happy Hour: Gramona Grand Cuvee Cava 2002

partysugar — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:27:17 -0800

With the holidays rapidly approaching, it's a good time to stock up on that celebratory bubbly. While it's nice to offer guests Champagne, I love to serve something a teeny-bit different. An excellent choice is Cava, Spain's equivalent to France's Champagne.

Recently I was lucky enough to sip a glass of Gramona Grand Cuvee Cava at the opening of Bin 38. Its tiny bubbles reflect a ripe, well-rounded wine with fresh, citrusy undertones. I'll definitely stock up on bottles of this delightful drink.

Pour it for appetizers or present it to a hostess. Whatever way you serve it, just make sure you buy it now; it's on sale for $9.99, nearly 50 percent off!

Bubbly 101

YumSugar — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 00:05:13 -0800

I can't deny it, I love champagne. It's just one of those things, like painted nails, Marc Jacobs handbags, and vanilla cupcakes, that I wholeheartedly love. I find myself inventing reasons to pop open a bottle of bubbly and my desire to know more about champagne extends beyond the usual mmm-this-tastes-yummy interest.

I've decided that champagne, or any sparkling wine really, is a drink of glamorous sophistication and simplistic elegance and should be treated as such. Basically in order for me to truly appreciate champagne, I need to fully understand it. For my lesson on sparklers, read more

All champagne is sparkling wine but not all sparkling wine is champagne. The name champagne refers to the sparkling wines produced in the Champagne region of northeast France.
At the end of World War I, the name champagne was actually protected in the Treaty of Versailles, sort of patenting the drink to classify only those sparkling wines made from Champagne's grapes. However the U.S. never officially signed the treaty, therefore some American producers of sparkling wines have named their product champagne. For example, Korbel produces a sparkling wine on American soil and has named it champagne.

Sparkling wines are produced in many places throughout the world, and like champagne have various names based on the location of their production. The sparkling wines that are produced in Italy are called prosecco or spumante. Spain's sparkling wines are called cava and a German produced sparkling wine is called sekt. Unfortunately the sparkling wine that is produced in California and New York was never coined a fun and fabulous name, and is plainly christened sparkling wine.
Sparkling wines are labeled based on their sweetness. Sparkling wines are either sweet or dry. A dry bubbly has no sweet taste. If you take a look at a bottle of sparkling wine, you will notice that there is no mention of sweetness or dryness. However you may notice the words, brut or sec, both of which refer to the sweetness of the wine. Here's my handy dandy quick translation:

Doux: is the sweetest type of sparkling wine out there thus making it a dessert sparkling wine (over 5% sugar).
Demi-sec: not quite as sweet as doux, still very sweet (3.3 - 5% sugar).
Sec: although in French it literally translates to dry, this sparkling wine is sweet (1.7 - 3.5% sugar).
Extra dry: is in between and has both hints of sweetness and dryness (1.2 - 2% sugar).
Brut: is the most common type of sparkling wine, and is dry (less than 1.5% sugar).
Extra Brut: is the driest of the sparkling wines or the least sweet tasting.

Sparkling wines are best served cold at 45°.
Do not leave sparkling wines in the fridge for an overextended period of time because prolonged exposure to cold could make it taste flat.
Use tall and narrow glasses to make more bubbles.
You can determine the value of a sparkling wine by examining the size of the bubbles. The most expensive sparklers have the smallest bubbles, about 50 million bubbles per bottle!

Read more about the process of making sparkling wine.

What Would You Serve?

YumSugar — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:30:49 -0700

Entertaining is one of my favorite activities of all time, but as with all hobbies, it requires lots of thinking ahead and decision-making, from planning a prep schedule to coordinating the menu. In this series, I'll present a dish and ask you to share what you'd serve alongside it.

Here's the scenario: I've heard from PartySugar about how picturesque it is to picnic at the Hog Island Oyster Company Farm, so this weekend I'll be scoping it out for myself. I'm rounding up eight close friends for an idyllic lunch, where we'll buy live oysters by the bushel and fire up the grill for barbecued bivalves. What would you serve the guests to complement the oysters? See what I'm thinking of bringing when you keep reading

All About Bubbly: A Guide to Champagne Jargon

YumSugar — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:15:10 -0700

Whether you're celebrating a wedding, honeymoon, graduation, or just the fact that it's Friday, you're probably raising a glass of champagne. Of course, not all sparkling wine is classified as champagne, and that's just the start of the confusing jargon. To help you choose the bubbly that's right for you, I've put together a guide to all of the relevant vocab, so you can sort out the doux from the cru.

Champagne: Sparkling wine produced in the French region of the same name. The "champagne" definition was protected by the Treaty of Versailles, but since the US never officially signed the treaty, some American producers use the champagne name, too.
Prosecco: A sparkling wine produced in Italy, mostly in the Veneto region.
Cava: Spain's contribution to the champagne family, named for the cellars in which it is produced.
Sparkling wine: A catchall term used for any bubbly without a specific regional designation, often applied to American wines.

For a closer look at all the adjectives you'll see on a label, read more.

Brut: A dry variety of sparkling wine, and the most common.
Extra brut: The driest of the dry. Also sometimes called brut sauvage.
Extra dry: Not to be confused with "extra brut," these wines are only slightly dry - a midpoint between sweet and dry champagnes.
Sec: Slightly sweet, even though the name actually translates to "dry" in French.
Doux: The very sweetest sparkler, typically served as a dessert wine.
Demi-sec: A bit sweeter than sec, but not as sweet as doux.
Cuvee: A rather confusing term that basically means that the bottle comes from a blend of wines, often kept secret by the maker.
Grand cru: A wine that comes from the highest quality vineyards.
Vintage: A wine produced from a single year of grapes, versus nonvintage, which combines several years.

Got more champagne decoding tips to add? Share them in the comments below.
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Come Party With Me: Oscars Viewing - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 12:50:41 -0800

At the Governors Ball, the majority of the stars will be sipping sparkling wine, so stock up on more affordable bottles of Cava or Prosecco. Place wine buckets around the room and fill with ice and bottles. Arrange champagne flutes or saucers nearby. Besides sparkling wine, three specialty cocktails will be poured at the Oscars afterparty. Select one to serve your friends. I like the Golden Rush, a concoction made with orange-flavored vodka, lemon juice, and sparkling wine.

Instead of mixing one libation at a time, prepare a large pitcher. For those who don't drink, serve a mocktail of cranberry juice mixed with lime soda. To check out the recipe for the Golden Rush, read more.

The Golden Rush
From Wolfgang Puck Catering

Ingredients

1/3 oz orange vodka
1/3 oz simple syrup
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Sparkling wine (recommended: Moët and Chandon White Star Champagne)

Directions

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the orange vodka, simple syrup, and lemon juice. Shake to combine.
Strain into a glass filled with ice. Top with sparkling wine.

Makes 1 drink.

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Come Party With Me: Budget Thanksgiving - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:30:29 -0800

To save money on drinks at Thanksgiving, ask guests to bring a bottle of red or white wine. Head to Trader Joe's, they have a wonderful assortment of affordable wines, and purchase a couple of bottles to add to the collection. Instead of offering bottled water, fill pitchers with ice and tap water.

Make one signature cocktail and have a pitcher ready to pour the moment the party starts. This recipe for a cranberry champagne cocktail is festive. Instead of using champagne, substitute a sparkling Spanish cava. Beverages and More has one on sale for $7.00. Grand Marnier, the French orange liqueur, can be pricey, so replace it with Triple Sec. To look at the cocktail recipe, read more.

Cranberry Champagne Cocktail
From Gourmet

Ingredients

1/4 cup Cointreau or Grand Marnier or Triple Sec
1 1/4 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar
4 cups chilled champagne or other sparkling wine

Directions

Stir together Cointreau, juices, and sugar and chill, covered, 2 to 6 hours.
Just before serving, divide among 10 champagne flutes and top off with champagne.

Makes 10 drinks.

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2007's Best Food Cities Are...

partysugar — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 12:32:12 -0800

As part of our Best of 2007 coverage we asked you what the top foodie destinations in the US and the world were.

Your favorite US food city was New York City. However, we think our hometown, San Francisco - with its hundreds of restaurants, glorious farmer's markets, and innovative mixologists - is the best. This year, the city by the bay hosted the Fancy Foods Show and had several top chefs compete on reality TV.

Outside of the US, you picked Paris as your favorite foodie destination. While we love the French capital, this year it seemed that all things Spanish ruled. Famous for its luscious seafood, ground breaking chefs, and bubbly Cavas, we're dying to spend some time eating in Barcelona!

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Come Party With Me: Classic Thanksgiving - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 13:27:33 -0800

Thanksgiving is a celebration that lasts half the day, so stock up on a variety of drinks for the different times. Start with a festive, champagne cocktail. Mix Prosecco with pear nectar and season with crushed black peppercorns. Let guests pour their own and have lots of bubbly on hand. Depending on your tastebuds, you could serve sparkling wine during the entire meal. Start with a light Cava and pair the turkey with a sparkling Shiraz.

For a more traditional take, reserve the bubbly for the appetizers and serve a Beaujolais Nouveau or Pinot Grigio with dinner. Think about offering multiple wines with dinner. A Chardonnay nicely pairs with the flavors of squash, while a Sauvignon Blanc complements gravy and stuffing.

Don't forget lots of water and sparkling apple cider for the kids. To take a look at the Prosecco pear cocktail, read more

Pear and Pepper Prosecco
From Tyler Florence

2 bottles (750 ml each) chilled Prosecco
2 cups chilled pear nectar
2 tablespoons coarsely crushed black peppercorns

In a large pitcher combine the prosecco and pear nectar.
Pour into glasses and sprinkle lightly with peppercorns.

Serves 12.

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