Happy New Year to you and yours!
It’s never too late to talk about Bubbles…first up this week is Maria Hunt AKA The Bubble Girl and author of “The Bubble Bar.”
The Bubbly Bar: Champagne & Sparkling Wine Cocktails for Every Occasion (Clarkson Potter) is a practical and pretty gift for people who love sparkling wine, cocktails or entertaining – or if you’re buying a random Secret Santa gift and you have no idea what to get! And it’s even better with a personalized inscription from the author!
Recently featured in the The Washington Post and on ABC News.com, The Bubbly Bar is a gorgeous book filled with classic and original cocktail recipes that mix international bubbly like cava, prosecco and sparkling sake with spirits, seasonal fruit and homemade infusions. The Bubbly Bar offers recipes for everything from standards like the French 75 and Kir Royale to original ones such as the Ginger Snap (ginger root and sparkling sake), The Sour Cherry (maraschino, brandy, marasca cherry and brut) and the Lava Lamp (pomegranate liqueur and brut). There’s also a guide to making your own drink mixers, finding organic bubbly, and scoring the best sparklers in any price range – even under $15. Learn more about “The Bubbly Girl” here.
In the second half; Roederer Estate winemaker Arnaud Weyrich will be joining us to talk about the Estate and all the award winning sparklers produced. I’ll be telling you all about the blind tasting I did with 7 friends New Years Eve that included some of the best bubbles from the USA and France…you’ll never guess which one was the overall winner out of these 4 stellar wines. Here is the lineup:
Roederer Estate Brut is the first California sparkling wine to be produced by Champagne Louis Roederer, further building upon a 200-year tradition of fine winemaking from this family owned company. Roederer’s unique winemaking style is based on two elements: complete ownership of its vineyards and the addition of oak-aged reserve wines to each year’s blend or cuvée.
The Roederer winemaking philosophy has guided the development of Roederer Estate, located 125 miles north of San Francisco near the Mendocino Coast. Since 1982, Roederer Estate winery has been quietly developing its own vineyards and crafting fine wines from the Anderson Valley. Roederer Estate’s Anderson Valley Brut debuted in October 1988 followed by the winery’s first vintage cuvée, L’Ermitage, in 1993. www.roedererestate.com
97 points Wine Enthusiast
“Wine of the Year, 2013” This is an exquisite sparkling wine made from 52% Chardonnay and 48% Pinot Noir, concocted into a special blend and aged for almost six years in oak cask. After disgorgement it was given another five months to sit in bottle before release. It has such freshness on the palate, such enviable acidity, that it’s hard to believe the grapes were picked so long ago. Crisp apple dominates, with just a trace of yeastiness on the nose and palate. This is a delicious wine. (12/ 2013)