Category Archives: Sparkling Wines

Sweets for My Sweet: A Dessert Food + Wine Pairing

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Hello, sweet readers! I hope you enjoyed your Valentine’s Day, and hopefully the fun is continuing into this week and beyond. Love should not be limited to just one day, am I right? 😉

I apologize for not having this post up in time for Valentine’s Day; full-time life has a way of being full-time. No complaints. Even though February 14th has come and gone, this is something you can enjoy anytime just for the fun of it; no reason needed. ❀

Andiamo! Today, we’re zipping over to Italy in our wine glasses; to be specific, the Piedmont region of Northwest Italy, which is famous the world over for a sweet, sparkling dessert wine: Moscato d’Asti.

I recently shared with you how sparkling wine is made, via the traditional method and the tank method. There is a third way known as the Asti method, which we’ll talk about now.

While your traditional and tank method sparkling wines (e.g. Champagne and Prosecco) begin with dry wine, sugar, and yeast, an Asti method sparkling wine starts with grape juice and yeast. The yeast begins to ferment the grape juice in a sealed, pressurized tank. The initial carbon dioxide created from fermentation is allowed to escape, but then along the way the tank is resealed and additional carbon dioxide generated is trapped inside, creating bubbly wine. Before the yeasts completely eat all the sugars and create a dry wine, they are stopped via filtration and removed. This means there is still sugar (sweetness) left, and thus you have a sweet, low alcohol, sparkling wine.

So what is Moscato d’Asti and why choose it for Valentine’s Day? Or for any time?

  • Muscat (Moscato is the Italian name) is one of the earliest domesticated wine grapes: a supremely aromatic white grape variety hailing originally from Greece. When you hear the phrase, “nectar of the gods”, I imagine the Greeks could have been talking about Muscat wine. And it’s funny because ambrosia, the canned fruit cocktail/whipped cream/marshmallow salad, is a potent aroma of the wine.
  • It tastes REALLY good! It’s a delicious dessert wine that will please someone who maybe is not a “huge wine drinker” but it will also please a connoisseur. It’s a famous wine of the world you just need to know about.
  • It tends to be pretty affordable, so you can spend your extra money on other things for your loved one(s).

There are a number of options on the market, but I went with this entry-level one because it is delicious, widely available, and also I love the blue glass bottle:

Risata Moscato d'Asti

Risata Moscato d’Asti

  • $10.97 at Total Wine & More
  • 5.5% ABV
  • Pale lemon color
  • Sweet!
  • Light body
  • Low alcohol
  • Delicate, fizzy bubbles
  • Aromas of seashell, honeysuckle, pear, lime, orange, stone fruit, honey
  • Flavors of grape, peach, tangerine

This wine is obviously plenty delightful on its own; it is, after all, a dessert wine.

But believe it or not, Moscato pairs beautifully with desserts. Wedding cake never met a better match.

Don’t believe everything you hear about “champagne and chocolate” or “champagne and cake”. If you’ve ever actually put those things together in your mouth at about the same time, you know those combinations are heinous, and I do not use that word lightly. All kinds of foul and nasty flavors that never should be are suddenly at war on your palate.

Please. Spare yourself and your loved ones the atrocity and serve Moscato with your wedding cake.

For this pairing, I baked some sugar cookies with vanilla buttercream frosting. I even tried a cookie (or two) with a glass of Moscato, just to make sure it wasn’t going to be horrendous.

Spoiler alert, it was anything but! You are going to love this! ❀

All this tasting and experimenting is hard work, but that’s my job as a wine blogger: to serve you and protect you from vile food and wine pairings. And I take my duties seriously! 🙂

These cookies are buttery, scrumptious morsels that say “I love you” in every bite. They are also customizable, in that you can play up the flavors in the buttercream frosting to complement the flavors in your Moscato. Think vanilla or almond extract, citrus zest, maybe even a touch of peach or pear juice/syrup? Just pick one flavor at a time, though. 🙂

Sugar Cookies with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

“Take me to your Moscato….”

Sugar Cookies with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
(Heavily modified from the sugar cookie recipe in The Cookie Book by Rebecca Firth)
Makes approximately 48 cookies
*If you do not have a large-capacity stand mixer (6-8 quarts), this recipe will be taxing on your mixer (it’s a huge quantity of cookies). Halve the recipe, if you want. I would advise using an electric hand mixer or your own brawny muscles and a very durable spoon. 🙂

The Cookies

Ingredients

  • 24 T unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
  • 1/4 c. light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tsp. real vanilla extract
  • 3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 c. bread flour
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, bread flour, sea salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
  • In an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, sugar, and brown sugar and mix on medium for about 4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
  • Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla and blend completely, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and run the machine for 1 minute more, or until blended.
  • Preheat the oven to 375° and cover several baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Grab a slightly larger than a tablespoon amount of dough, roll it in to a ball, then flatten slightly between your palms and make a slight downward indentation in the middle (for easier frosting later on). Place cookies on baking sheets spaced about 1 inch apart from each other.
  • Bake one sheet at a time for about 12-14 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. This will depend on your oven temperature, how many cookies are on your tray, and the size and thickness of your cookies. Eyeball it.
  • Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

  • 8 T unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 1/2 c. powdered sugar
  • 1-2 T milk
  • 1-2 tsp. extract, fresh fruit zest or fresh fruit juice to flavor, optional (but recommended!)
  • Gel food coloring, optional
  • Sprinkles, optional

Instructions

  • To make the buttercream, in an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle, add the butter, powdered sugar, and milk. Mix on medium until smooth.
  • Add in any extracts for flavor or food coloring, if using.
  • Add more powdered sugar in 1 T increments if the buttercream is too thin, or, conversely, add more milk in 1 tsp. increments if the buttercream is too thick. Proceed with sprinkles, if using.
  • Frost your cooled cookies. Since this frosting contains milk, everything will need to be stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to one week.

Is your sweet tooth stimulated? For additional Valentine’s Day food and wine inspiration, check out some past posts:

Barbera
Snickers Cheesecake
Grape Galette and Sparkling Wine
Dark Chocolate and Ruby Port
White Chocolate and Orange Muscat
Charcuterie and Wine Pairings
Milk Chocolate and Brachetto
Chocolate and Brachetto

American Champagne: A Sparkler For All Celebrations + How It’s Made

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Wow, this past Sunday was something else! 😛 Are you still recovering like I am? What. A. Game. I do feel a smidge bad for the Patriots – it must have been like watching something die in slow motion – but I knew it was our year to win. I am sort of thankful it was a lot of “boring scoring” on our part; no tense drama and physical exertion in waiting to see who would win. I’ve lived through enough nail-biter games and while those are exciting, it’s sometimes nice to kick back, relax, and not be freaking out the whole game.

Congratulations, Seahawks, on a thoroughly-deserved win! You brought electrifying plays thanks to your tight focus and energy. You were incredible to watch this season. ❀

(If you want to read some of my previous philosophical waxing on the last Seahawks Super Bowl victory, click here.)

Anyway, switching gears…. 🙂

I meant to post about this wine around New Year’s Eve, but that didn’t happen. Rather than waiting 11 months, I thought I would share it with you now — you’re either celebrating the Seahawks’ victory, drowning your sorrows as a Patriots fan, or looking for something “Valentine’s Day-y” to present your loved one(s). Or maybe you’re just reading this and curious about trying an entry-level sparkling wine, or adding something really good to your existing drinks repertoire. Either way, keep reading, and let me introduce to you my ULTIMATE favorite, affordable sparkling wine….

A few years ago, we went out to dinner at a Joey’s Restaurant, and upon entering the restaurant we were greeted with flutes of this wine as an aperitif. I took a sip and was wowed by how good it was. I couldn’t believe this wine was their complimentary house  sparkler. It tasted way too expensive to fit that bill.

And they call it….

Wycliff Brut: A Festive Crowd-Pleaser That Sparkles and Dazzles

Wycliff Brut American Champagne

Wycliff Brut American Champagne

  • $7.99 at Total Wine & More
  • 10.5% ABV
  • Charmat Method Sparkling Wine, Secondary Fermentation Before Bottling
  • Light-bodied, exuberant perlage
  • Wonderful aromas and flavors of apple, citrus, stone fruit, honey
  • Balanced, tight acidity keeps it refreshing
  • Try it with seafood, spicy foods, and salty snacks
  • Perfect for sipping on while watching the Winter Olympics
  • If Disney’s Tinkerbell were a wine, this would be it!

Now, for those of you “vino-it-alls”, yes, you are correct, there is no such thing as American Champagne, it is mainly a marketing term. Certain American wineries, though, such as Wycliff, are legally able to use the terms “California Champagne” and/or “American Champagne” due to being grandfathered in to a 2005 trade agreement with the EU.

But since then, American wines have been required to have clearer labelling terms so that consumers aren’t getting duped by American impostors can trust that food products have the authentic origins they claim. 🙂 Burgundy wine can only come from Burgundy, France; Port can only come from Portugal, California sparkling wine can only come from California.

True Champagne is sparkling wine grown and made in Champagne, France. It is also and ONLY made using the traditional method, where a secondary alcoholic fermentation takes place inside each individual bottle, as opposed to a giant tank.

Allow me to illustrate….

Here’s how it works: wine, yeast, and sugar get invited to party in a bottle and get sealed up. The yeast can’t help themselves and go to town gobbling up the sugar and then create more alcohol and carbon dioxide (the bubbles). These wild partygoers are all trapped inside the bottles with nowhere to go. Once the yeast cells have gorged themselves to death, the secondary fermentation is complete. The dead yeast cells settle into a layer of sediment called lees. Rest in peace….

But, wait! Just because they’re dead doesn’t mean their job is finished. The lees break down in a process called autolysis, which imparts those fascinating toasty, almondy, bready flavors that wine people call autolytic character in Champagne or traditional-method sparkling wines. There are a few more steps in the winemaking process, but basically, the spent yeast gets the boot from each bottle via disgorgement. Then the wine is topped off with a little more wine and maybe sugar (called dosage) and then the bottle is sealed with cork and cage. Party’s over, folks (until the cork gets popped).

On the other hand, some sparkling wine, such as Wycliff Brut, is made using the tank method, also known as the Charmat method. It is much quicker to produce and much less labor intensive.

In this method, the original three party guests – wine, yeast, and sugar – are added to a giant tank and then locked inside to party and create another secondary fermentation. Again, those yeast just can’t help themselves and they start their sugar binge, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. The alcohol and carbon dioxide can’t escape; they are all still trapped together in the tank. This is the point at which the winemaker decides enough is enough, and breaks the dead yeast cells (lees) free from tank prison by filtering them out. Then the remaining dry sparkling wine is bottled under pressure and voila, you’ve got yourself another sparkling wine, just this time without the toasty, bready flavors of autolytic character.

I hope that helped you better understand the difference between traditional and tank production methods. Basically, yeast gets to decompose in bottles (traditional method) but not in tanks (tank/Charmat method).

We should probably also talk about the Asti method in the not-too-distant future. Note to self.

So, there you have it. If I have to grab a sparkling wine that will please me and the vast majority, this is it. It’s also only $8/bottle (as of February 2026), and tastes way above its mere “under $10” price bracket.

Trust me, you can’t go wrong with this wine.

How about you? Have you tried Wycliff Brut? Comment!

National Wine and Cheese Day: Four Great Pairings to Get You Started

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Disclosure Statement: This post contains affiliate links. When you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, I receive a commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.

Greetings, readers! Whew, it’s been a minute, hasn’t it? I survived my first spring as a sports mom… hence the unintentional crickets for several months. But I’m missing our wine chats. Now that it’s summer and I’m enjoying life at a slower pace for a while (please God, no tragedies or health issues this summer), I can refocus and get back on here. Because grape gossip is irresistible! 🙂

Today is National Wine and Cheese Day! Special salutations to my fellow enophiles and turophiles (cheeseheads)! It is our day to celebrate two of nature’s most magnificent contributions to the human diet, and to stand in awe of their joint power and beauty. Coincidentally, an especially Happy Birthday to my dear sister today! xoxo

I like to have fun with the many wine holidays out there. There’s even an International Xinomavro Day, if you can believe it (it’s a Greek red wine). Calendar holidays give me some structure to follow when creating blog posts and picking what to post on when. So when I looked at my list of blog drafts and saw National Wine and Cheese Day approaching, I knew this would be a good time to share with you several tried-and-true wine and cheese pairings (and, mainly, to get my butt in gear and do a post already).

Several years back, during the pandemic, our lives depended not only on our ability to stay safe but on the need to keep ourselves entertained during intense boredom and isolation. I did my best to keep things lighthearted (see my post on blind tasting). 🙂 When ordering takeout from restaurants lost its luster (ah, memories of soggy and saggy fries and lettuce in cardboard), I decided to try something festive, fun, and different.

I love sitting outside on our deck on a beautiful day, taking in the sky and the trees. So I decided the only thing that could possibly improve on an already idyllic situation would be to have an evening of culinary matchmaking, in which I set several cheeses up on first dates with several bottles of wine. It’s one of the easiest dinners in the universe and one of my kids’ favorite ways to eat dinner (minus the wine, of course — see also crackers, fruit, charcuterie). 🙂

So here is the wine and cheese menu I put together.

Cheese Board

The stars of the show. On the left are Parmigiano and Herbed Goat Cheese. On the right are Brie and Manchego. No autographs, please.

Wine and cheese are both ancient fermented foods that through fungal finessing and microbial magic become so much more than merely grape juice and curdled milk. When they join forces, it’s a gustatory revelation of sheer delight.

But with so darn many wines and cheeses, how to pick what to go with what? I did some research, compiled some promising looking suggestions, and based on what I found put together this particular wine and cheese menu. I can vouch wholeheartedly that these wines and cheeses make for lovely pairings! And don’t sweat the brands too much – just buy what you can find in that wine or cheese category!

1) Prosecco and Parmigiano-Reggiano
La Marca Proseccoicon
This was one of my favorite pairings on the whole menu. Salty, nutty, umami Parm and sweet, fruity, fizzy Prosecco need to make much more regular appearances at my house! I hadn’t really cut into a wedge of Parm and eaten it – I’d only ever grated it onto food, mainly pasta and soup dishes. The full-on texture of the Parm was something I’d never really experienced before. The crunchy nugget “crystals” in the cheese actually form when the cheese ages: the proteins break down and the individual amino acid tyrosine becomes concentrated and forms crystals. When matched with Prosecco’s bubbles, it’s molto delizioso!

2) Rosé and Goat Cheese
Acidic rosé wine both complements the tang of and contrasts with the fatty creaminess of goat cheese. It puts you in a very, je ne sais quoi, French state of mind. The light berry, stone fruit, and mild vegetal flavors of rosé with the goat cheese are reminiscent of a summery salad. I used Dark Horse Rosé which is surprisingly good for under $10/bottle, as all Dark Horse wines are priced in that arena. And the herby goat cheese I used was very tasty with the wine. TrÚs délicieux!

3) Pinot Noir and Brie
La Crema Monterey Pinot Noiricon
Speaking of a French state of mind, it truly does not get more French than Pinot Noir and Brie. For this pairing, I did use a California Pinot Noir but it still went very well with the Brie. It could be because I’m more familiar with Pinot Noir than other wines, but I think Pinot Noir makes for an especially interesting wine to pair with cheese, because there are so many very different styles and types of Pinot out there and you can play on the specific flavors in your specific wine with the cheese (for example, you can emphasize an Oregon Pinot Noir’s mushroom/truffle notes by pairing it with pecorino tartufo cheese). This is a classic pairing that takes a lighter, more acidic and aromatic red wine and puts it with a rich, creamy, singularly flavored cheese. It is scrumptious.

4) Rioja and Manchego
This was my other favorite pairing of the night! Oh. Yum. Leathery cherry and spiced Rioja (Tempranillo) went perfectly with Manchego, a Spanish sheep’s milk cheese. ÂĄMuy delicioso!

Wine and Cheese Pairing Party

Take a bow: Prosecco, Rose, Pinot Noir, Rioja.

So there you have it. It sounds more like International Wine and Cheese Day, with the Italian, Spanish, and French contributions.

At this point in my life, I’ve put together at least one other wine and cheese pairing feast at home. The menu above, however, was delicious and doable, and is ideal for celebrating your first National Wine and Cheese Day. The featured wines and cheeses, I feel, are pretty widely available and interchangeable (you don’t have to worry too much about getting a certain brand, etc.), so my advice would be to start with the above menu and then go from there.

I don’t want to promise I’ll post on other wine and cheese pairings soon, because you know my track record of posting regularly can be very intermittent, but I think that wine & cheese is a topic all of us on here can appreciate, so I do plan to do more in the future.

How about you? Do you have any must-try wine and cheese pairings we should know about? Please share and comment below!

Gourmet Essentials for Wine Lovers, Elevate your summer pairings with these products.

HulaÂČ: Pork Sliders and Sparkling Maui Pineapple Wine

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Aloha, readers! I don’t know what the weather is like where you are, but for the last several weeks we have had nothing but blue skies and full sunshine, albeit with freezing temperatures. If you didn’t have to feel the cold, and ignored the bare trees, you would think you were somewhere warm and humid. Somewhere tropical, even.

Let’s take a break from our usual Cab and Chardonnay and venture into other realms and regions for wine. Let’s entertain some novel possibilities. As you know, wine can be made from more than just grapes; see my past posts on blackberry wine and mead, for example.

Today I’m going to take you on a whirlwind tour to Maui, introduce you to a delightful sparkling pineapple wine, and rock your world with to-die-for Hula Pork Sliders. This is a food and wine equation that yields exponential bliss – read on!

Maui Wine signLast April I was fortunate to travel to Maui and enjoy an afternoon wine tasting at Maui Wine, in the Ulupalakua upcountry. If you are a wine lover who happens to be vacationing on Maui, this is definitely worth the drive up the mountain. Behold the beauty! You can learn more about the Maui Wine experience here.

Maui Wine Tasting RoomAt this idyllic winery, with a rich and varied history (the King of Hawaii used to party here), you can do tastings that feature pineapple based wines, whites, or reds. They gladly poured us tastes of other wines even if those wines were not on our flight. Lovely aloha spirit. đŸŒș

My favorite red wine that day was the 2022 GSM, from grapes grown in the Ulupalakua Vineyards AVA. It’s a blend of 69% Syrah, 18% Grenache, and 13% Malbec. I believe I enjoyed it more than the single varietal wines. Sometimes at a winery it’s the opposite; I prefer the single varietals over the blends. Maui Wine Tasting RoomOther favorites were the Lokelani Sparkling RosĂ© and Lehua Raspberry Dessert Wine (made from raspberries from Walla Walla, Washington – on Maui!). Tart, light, just the right amount of sweet. Scrumptious! And I’m in love with this label (Valentine’s is coming soon, ahem). Maui Wine Lehua Raspberry Dessert Wine

But the wine I want you to really pay attention to is the Hula O Maui Pineapple Sparkling Wine. This was given to me as a gift by my sister and brother-in-law who live there, and I didn’t open it up until after I got home since I was waiting to pair the wine with this special recipe. I think I need to order some more of this wine, it was truly special. Sparkling wine is admittedly not my jam, but this won me over and I will happily imbibe this any time.

Maui Wine uses fine Maui Gold pineapples that are not quite ripe to contribute fresh aromatic qualities to the wine. It is a wine made in the traditional method, the same as French Champagne and certain other sparkling wines. I actually really liked this wine and honestly prefer it to traditional sparkling wine made from grapes, even though some of those are excellent. This wine was pure refreshment and made the perfect accompaniment to the pork sliders.

Hula O Maui Sparkling Pineapple WineHula O Maui Sparkling Pineapple Wine

  • $26/bottle
  • Super pale straw/lightest lemon yellow
  • Light, delicate body with fine perlage (bubbles/carbonation)
  • Semi-dry
  • Aromas of pineapple, macadamia nut, green papaya, toast
  • An elegant sparkling wine that stays true to the character of the pineapples it’s made from

And for the ultimate food pairing with this wine, here is my take on Half Baked Harvest’s decadent Hawaiian-style pork sliders from the cookbook, Half Baked Harvest. Pulled pork is one of the darn tastiest things I have ever eaten, and this recipe just may be my ultimate favorite. Do not let my quick, mediocre photo dissuade you. Enjoy! 😋

Hula Pork Sliders from Half Baked Harvest Cookbook

These are absolutely worth the effort, and pure bliss with the sparkling pineapple wine. Paradise!

Hula Pork Sliders
Recipe courtesy of Tieghan Gerard
Half Baked Harvest Cookbook: Recipes from My Barn in the Mountains
Makes 12 sliders

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 1/4 cups pineapple juice
  • 1 – 1-inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and grated (or use refrigerated ginger paste like I do)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2/3 cup ketchup
  • 2-3 tablespoons sriracha sauce
  • 2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder or butt, cut into two pieces
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 6 large pineapple rings, halved
  • 12 Hawaiian slider buns
  • 12 slices Swiss cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded green lettuce or cabbage (bagged coleslaw mix works great)
  • Melted butter (optional)
  • Poppy seeds (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the pineapple juice, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, and sriracha.
  • Place the pork in a Dutch oven and pour over half the sauce. Cover and transfer to the oven. Roast for 3 to 4 hours, or until the pork is falling off the bone and shreds easily – check the pork once or twice throughout cooking to be sure the sauce is not reducing too much. If it is, add the remaining sauce as needed to keep the pork moist. The pork should be submerged in liquid at least halfway. Shred the pork and add some of the remaining pineapple sauce to the pot, if desired.
  • Heat the broiler to high with a rack in the top third.
  • In a large skillet, melt the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the pineapple slices and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until caramelized.
  • Arrange the bottom halves of the slider buns on a baking sheet and add a scoop of pork to each. Top each with a slice of Swiss cheese. Place under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
  • Top each slider with a slice of caramelized pineapple and shredded lettuce or cabbage. If desired, brush the top of each bun with melted butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds.

Love You Bunches Grape Galette and Sparkling Wine

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Disclosure Statement: This post contains affiliate links. When you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, I receive a commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.

Happy Valentine’s Day, readers! ❀ I hope you fell in love with the dark chocolate + ruby port duo we explored yesterday. For my final post in this mini themed series, I am leaving chocolate behind, diving into homemade dessert territory, and popping open a bottle of bubbly to accompany it. Intrigued? Read on!

I have to admit I am not the biggest fan of sparkling wines (including Champagne), which is reflected in the number of posts I have written on the subject. But every now and then I reluctantly try some more to see what the fuss is all about grow in my appreciation and understanding of wine. In order to keep learning, I have to challenge myself with all wines, even ones I don’t gravitate towards (yes, I mean you, rosĂ©). What’s making me take more notice of sparkling wine lately though is the fact that it can pair well with a number of different types of foods.

I have Total Wine & More to thank for introducing me to this charming sparkling wine from the Burgundy region of France, known as a CrĂ©mant de Bourgogne. While these wines are made in the same mĂ©thode traditionnelle as their famous neighbors in Champagne, they cannot be called Champagne due to the fact that they are not from the geographic region of Champagne, France. Remember, European wines are usually called by place, not grape variety. This is helpful to us consumers who enjoy sparkling wine once or twice a year but don’t need to spend an arm and a leg on a bottle of the fancy stuff (although there is nothing wrong with loving the fancy stuff). Options like Spanish Cava, Italian Prosecco, this gorgeous sparkler from California, and today’s CrĂ©mant de Bourgogne are handy to keep in mind whilst shopping for bubbles.

Louis Bouillot Extra Dry Sparkling Wine

Louis Bouillot Extra Dry Sparkling Wine

  • $25/bottle at Total Wine (approximately half the starting price of true Champagne)
  • 12% ABV
  • Medium body with some sweetness (extra-dry actually means more sugar than brut/dry – I know, makes zero sense), focused and tight perlage (bubbles)
  • Some yeasty aromas but also peach, apple, pear flavors
  • While I am not reviewing the Brut here, it is available on wine.com for you to try, where it retails for around $18-$20/bottle. This one will be less sweet.
  • I definitely recommend this wine, and am already excited for the next time I can pop open another bottle.

When it comes to desserts, I prefer anything in the chocolate, cake, and cookie departments, but that’s not to say I never diverge into other territories. Plus, it’s Valentine’s Day, so I am considering my husband’s preferences here, which fall squarely in the pie and fruit dessert departments. 🙂

This dessert uses only FOUR ingredients and is a snap to throw together, even for non bakers. Plus, how often do you see a dessert made from grapes anyway? Take this unusual recipe for a spin and pair it with this lively and refreshing sparkling wine. Together, they bring out the best in each other (yes, you can use that in your Valentine’s Day card if you must). 😉

Happy Valentine’s Day! ❀

Please note, this galette is very sweet, and for me personally it’s a bit much when paired with the sparkling wine. To tame the sugar a bit, slice up some rich, creamy Brie cheese to balance out the high levels of sweetness in the dessert and also complement the sparkling wine.

For additional dessert ideas from The Rambling Vine, check out:
Sparkling Rosé Cake with Candied Roses
Snickers Cheesecake
Oatmeal Chocolate Chai Tea Cookies

Love You Bunches Grape Galette
Serves 8
Recipe courtesy of Oregon Wine Board
Adapted from Kristin Marchesi of Montinore Estate in Forest Grove, Oregon

Ingredients

  • Pie dough rolled out into a large circle 18-20 inches in diameter* (I used a Jus-Rol pre-rolled pie dough and literally unwrapped it, plopped it on the baking sheet, poured the fruit filling inside, and folded the dough up and around the sides to make a galette)
  • 1 pound seedless grapes (no slicing required, just wash them)
  • 1/2 – 3/4 cup sugar, depending on tartness of grapes
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Preparation

1) Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together and then add it to grapes. Stir to combine until the starch is completely hydrated and sugar has evenly coated the grape skins.

2) Place the dough on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Pour the filling into the center of the dough circle and fold the edges over the filling covering the perimeter but not the center. Chill for 20 minutes.

3) Preheat the oven to 400° and bake the galette for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350° and rotate the sheet tray. Continue baking for approximately 30 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Love You Bunches Grape Galette

Easier than pie – galette!

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Sparkling RosĂ© Cake with Candied Roses for Mother’s Day

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Disclosure Statement: This post contains affiliate links. When you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, I receive a commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own. 

Mother’s Day is Sunday, and here in the Puget Sound area of Washington we are looking at forecasted highs close to 90 degrees! I’m perspiring just thinking about it. This is no time for dry reds that are going to overheat Mom (although, of course, it’s your mom, get the lady what she wants). Time to present her with a chilled, refreshing, bubbly beverage, of the pink variety since this is a female holiday, after all – sparkling rosĂ©! Treat Mom like the queen she is with All Queens RosĂ© Brut. Bonus points if you get her outside, have her put her feet up somewhere comfortable, and bring her a glass of this chilled wine. What an amazing child she raised! 😉

Here are the details of this scintillating wine. As you can see, the name and label make it very giftable and cute.

All Queen Brut Rose

The Ultimate Mother’s Day Beverage

All Queens Rosé Brut California

  • $15/bottle at Total Wine
  • Sparkling Wine from Lodi, California
  • Lovely light/medium salmon pink color
  • Brut (dry – no sweetness or residual sugar)
  • Light body, 11.5% ABV
  • High acidity
  • Aromas and flavors of strawberry, cherry, peach, tangerine

This wine is befitting a lavish Mother’s Day brunch. Try it with Eggs Benedict and a whole host of other delicious foods. It’s very difficult to screw up pairing this wine with other foods – in fact, sparkling wines are extremely versatile (kinda like moms) and go better with more foods than practically any other wine style out there (say, wha?).

If you really want to go over the top, and win the Child of the Millenium award, whip up this pretty in pink cake using 1 cup of your sparkling rosĂ©. It’s picture perfect for Mother’s Day or any springtime/feminine occasion, such as Easter or a bridal shower. This cake is moist, fluffy, very tasty, and baking it will make your house smell like a French pĂątisserie (ooh la la).

I think edible candied flower petals make anything look utterly posh, so don’t be shy and use the recommended candied rose petals on top; they are delicious and will wow Mom. I have also used candied violet petals on a lemon cake, yum! (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases)

To all the mothers out there, a very Happy Mother’s Day! Thank you for mothering well. Take a moment to have your cake and drink it, too. You deserve it. ❀

Sparkling Rose Cake with Candied Rose Petals

“Eat Me!”

Sparkling Rosé Cake with Candied Rose Petals
Adapted from a recipe by Kevin Lee Jacobs | agardenforthehouse.com

Chef’s Notes
1) If you don’t have the large capacity Bundt pan as I did not, pour into a regular Bundt pan about 3/4 way full, then use the rest of the batter for cupcakes or a smaller cake pan.
2) Since my Bundt cake fell apart upon turning out from the pan (alas, it happens), I took pictures of the cupcakes that I made from the same batter.
3) We don’t use artificial food coloring so the natural food coloring I used to make the cake batter pink is extremely light.

Equipment

  • A large-capacity Bundt pan (10 1/2 inches wide and 4 1/2 inches deep), generously sprayed with cooking spray (I use sunflower oil)

Ingredients

The dry ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon table salt

The wet ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 1/4 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon strawberry extract (I did not find this in my local grocery stores, easiest to buy from Amazon) (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases)
  • 1 cup All Queens Brut RosĂ© at room temp (or other pink Champagne, Prosecco, or sparkling wine)
  • Optional: pink or red food coloring

The glaze:

  • 1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
  • 2-4 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Candied Rose Petals (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases)

Instructions

  • Center the oven rack; preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the butter and sugar at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy — about 5 minutes. At medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream, and the vanilla and strawberry extracts.
  • At low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the sparkling wine, beginning and ending with the flour. At medium high speed, quickly beat in the (optional) food coloring.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter up against the sides, and away from the center (this encourages a level surface during baking). Bake until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean — about 1 hour. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then unmold and let cool completely.
  • In a medium bowl, beat together the confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons of water, and the vanilla extract. Add more water as needed to achieve a thick but pourable glaze. Drizzle the glaze generously over the cake.
  • Before glaze sets, adorn cake with candied rose petals.
Sparkling Rose Cakes with Candied Rose Petals

The trick is not to eat them before Mom has a crack at them.

Time to stock up for warm weather wine drinking!
Take 10% off your purchase of 6+ bottles with code TAKE10

Daze of Wine and Roses: An Indulgent Pairing of Chocolate Truffles and Sparkling Wine for Valentine’s Day

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Disclosure Statement: This post contains affiliate links. When you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, I receive a commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.

It’s no secret I love February — it may still be winter, but at least for me it is a short month filled with a whopping three big holidays of ultimate feminine spoiling: my birthday, Valentine’s Day, and my wedding anniversary all happily fill this month of love. February is cozy, sweet, dreamy, and I love all 28 days of it! 🙂 In the same way Christmas lights and decorations help lift the gloom of dark December, so Valentine’s

Gettin’ ready for Valentine’s Day with premium chocolate

Day (in all its cheesiness) makes February more fun and gives us a great excuse to enjoy some chocolate and drink some wine! Although none of us here NEED an excuse for that. 😉

But the world of chocolate and wine pairing, though. Yikes. It’s like stepping into a flavor minefield if you don’t have good direction. A pairing can either send your taste buds into flavor ecstasy or quickly banish them to foul pairing hell. So what to do if you would actually like to try and achieve flavor bliss?

First, think of your food and drink like paints on a palette or musical notes — you are composing specific “works” based on the combined qualities of your ingredients. In a nutshell, food and wine can either create complementary pairings (where the weight, textures, and flavors complement or agree with each other) or contrasting pairings (where the weight, textures, and flavors have opposite characteristics and create  exciting dynamics through contrast). An example of a complementary food and wine pairing would be ribeye steak with Cabernet Sauvignon (heavy, rich, full-bodied). A contrasting example would be pad thai with Riesling (both light, but spicy against acidic and sweet). 

But for now, let’s just keep it simple with a delicious complementary pairing that will delight both wine noobs and experts alike.

You’re just too good to be true… can’t take my eyes off of you….

Let me introduce you to Banfi Rosa Regale, an Italian sparkling red wine from Piedmont, Italy. It is made from a red grape known as Brachetto. Yes, it is sweet and bubbly like soda pop, BUT it offers great structure, fine perlage (tiny bubbles equal higher quality in sparkling wines) and enough acidity to make it elegant and sophisticated and oh so enjoyable. The aromas of red berries, orange, and rose are hypnotic, and the sweet but slightly tart flavors of strawberry and raspberry that unfold on your palate with drive you crazy and keep you coming back for more. I first tried this wine at a business networking event when I worked at a chamber of commerce, and it was pretty much all I could think about that evening — how utterly amazing this wine is! I still feel that way, and that is why I think you should stock up on this wine for Valentine’s Day!

(goes to pour herself another glass because it’s too… freaking…good…)

Heaven, I’m in heaven…

Now, that wine was amazing on its own, but wait, things are about to get even better when it meets its sweet match! This wine will get along VERY well with milk chocolate. I would personally applaud your choice of Seattle Chocolate Milk Chocolate Truffles (which is what I paired with) but you could also have great success with other brands of milk chocolate you enjoy. The creamy sweetness of each are tantalizingly divine together. I literally taste vanilla whipped cream. Wow! 

Speaking of chocolate, the aforementioned Seattle Chocolate Company has some of the best-tasting chocolate in the world (prove me wrong) and they have a great factory tour which is a fascinating education in all things chocolate. I even got to touch fresh, raw cacao fruit before the beans get roasted. Since I especially love exploring subtle flavors and aromas in wine, I really enjoyed blind tasting through several of their delicious chocolates and trying to guess the flavors and ingredients. Their store also carries a number of fun pairing ideas of their chocolates matched with various Washington wines. Do check them out if you’re in the greater Seattle area!

So there you have it: milk chocolate with Brachetto for the Valentine’s Day win!

Happy Valentine’s Day, sweet readers! ❀ 

La Dolce Vino: Valentine’s is for Lovers (Or Anyone, Really)

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Disclosure Statement: This post contains affiliate links. When you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, I receive a commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.

Valentine’s Day is most commonly attributed to romantic lovers, but really? What about all the other forms of love out there? Love of family, best friend, neighbor, children, pets, etc.

How sweet it is! Rosa Regale... your perfect Valentine's Day accompaniment.

How sweet it is! Rosa Regale… your perfect Valentine’s Day accompaniment.

Aren’t we just as entitled to celebrate these forms of love as highly as romantic love? If love is blind, then those responsible for commercializing this holiday need to start embracing a little more affirmative action in the love department. Love doesn’t fit under just one label!

Here is a wine that is not only bubbly, fruity, flirty and sexy enough to drink with your lover on Valentine’s Day; it’s perfect to enjoy with a friend or relative (though I would advise against a child or pet… don’t take me too literally, folks), even to bring to an Anti-Valentine’s Day party (aka getting wasted, binging on bonbons, and performing voodoo on stuffed teddy bears). Hey, equal opportunity!

Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto D’Acqui is a sparkling dolce red wine that is usually under $20. As the Italians say, “Questo rocce!” This rocks! It’s like Martinelli’s for adults, but way better… molto meglio.

From the tasting notes:

“This rare Brachetto, a semi-dry, red sparkling wine cherished by the courts of Europe over two centuries ago, owes its reincarnation to Banfi. Rosa Regale is created in one of Italy’s smallest production zones, the Brachetto d’Acqui Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, commonly referred to as DOCG. It is crafted from 100% Brachetto grapes grown exclusively at the La Rosa Vineyard in the town of Acqui Terme located in the Piedmont region of Italy. The label features a single red rose, representing the wines origin from this single vineyard La Rosa estate.

Rosa Regale has a delicate bouquet of rose petals and offers sensuous flavors of fresh raspberries and strawberries. Its effervescence is softer than that of champagne, yet it yields a persistent and delicate pink froth. Its lively garnet color makes other sparklers pale in comparison. Served chilled and with a low alcohol content, it serves as the perfect partner throughout the entire meal, beginning as an elegant aperitif, moving to a savory appetizer and ending with a sweet dessert. No wine pairs better with chocolate than Rosa Regale. The bright fresh berry flavors complement the sweet velvet of the chocolate. Rosa Regale is a seductive red sparkler that turns any occasion into a celebration.

Legend also has it that both Julius Caesar and Marc Antony presented Cleopatra with several gourds of Brachetto. The empress then had her lovers drink the wine in order to unleash their passion.

Rosa Regale is produced using the Charmat process or Metodo Italiano (Italian Method). This method forces the second fermentation to happen in large stainless steel tanks prior to bottling, rather than in the bottle like the traditional mĂ©thod champenoise. This process is best used on sparkling wines that are meant to be enjoyed young and relatively fresh.”

I had this wine one February when I organized a Business After Hours event at two next door businesses: a flower shop and wine bar. We wandered happily back and forth between each adorable shop. Once I had a sip, I was smitten and could not stop drinking this. Oddly enough, the flower shop was pouring this, not the wine bar.

Since it’s a sweet wine, I think it’s plenty good on its own. Of course, pairing it with dark chocolate truffles or a lava cake would be a decadent Valentine’s Day gorge fest or an extra special treat on your anniversary or birthday. It also makes an elegant gift… perfect for a holiday like, oh, I dunno, let’s think here, maybe, Valentine’s Day?

However you choose to enjoy this sparkling wine, and however you choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day, do it wholeheartedly and with love!

Break Out the Bubbly Without Breaking the Bank: Sparkling Wine 101

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Bust out the bubbles, it’s time to celebrate!

Disclosure Statement: This post contains affiliate links. When you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, I receive a commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.

Ah, champagne
 flying corks, foaming bottles, glittering crystal champagne flutes, hearty dinner toasts brimming with pomp, glamorous soirees swirling with evening gowns, tuxedos, and string quartets. These are the usual images that come to my mind when I hear the word “champagne.” For many of us, champagne seems elite, unknowable, and seldom appropriate. In our minds, it is reserved only for extremely special occasions (for whatever reason) or it seems too complex and distant to be enjoyed. I aim to change your thinking! Champagne is within your reach and you might be surprised by its potential once you start exploring it more.

For the record, champagne is not truly champagne unless it is produced and bottled in Champagne, France. Anything else is technically a sparkling wine. “Champenoise” refers to the method and style in which champagne is made. If you’d like to read more about this specific process of “methode champenoise,” read here.

I haven’t had much opportunity to try true champagnes, so if you’re reading this and you feel it upon your heart to expand this wine blogger’s horizon into the elevated world of fine French champagnes, be my guest and send me a bottle!

This time of year there is no shortage of graduations and accompanying festivities, honoring those who have completed their educations, be it victorious triumph or barely skating through (also a feat worthy of celebration!). It’s a highly-charged, emotional time, both for the graduate and the loved ones who have supported the graduate along the way, and such occasions call for fine food and drinks to make the celebrations memorable and meaningful. It’s also summer (theoretically, in Seattle) and therefore an opportune time for a chilled, fizzy alcoholic beverage like sparkling wine.

Mumm Napa Valley Cuvee is a fine sparkling wine whose price won’t cause a heart attack and whose quality won’t leave you with a raging headache. I find this wine smooth, refreshingly drinkable and with interesting flavors. It even works well in a mimosa (sparkling wine and orange juice). My husband and I got some as a housewarming gift when we purchased our first home. Nothing makes you feel more grown up than buying a house and being given “champagne” to boot!

The tasting notes are so romantic and poetic, I have the urge to put on a Jane Austen movie and throw a tea party: “CuvĂ©e M is a modern, slightly sweet sparkling release. Light peach rose in the glass, aromas are elegant, rich and complex, showing fresh white and yellow stone fruits with subtle hints of wild strawberry. A heady touch of fresh brioche, with hints of vanilla and honey add to the wine’s complex bouquet. Flavors of peach and pear combine with a creamy caramel character, on a long, satisfying finish. Great for champagne cocktails or as an aperitif with hors d’oeuvres. Cuvee M also matches up beautifully to creamy desserts [and] spicy entrĂ©es. Enjoy.”

So far this year I have been to two graduations. One was a very moving high school graduation, for a private high school with six graduating seniors in the class, all of whom had overcome major obstacles in their education. The other was for a friend who obtained his master’s degree from a large public university, with English not being his first language. His mother traveled across the globe to be with her son on that day. I wanted to share the beautiful toast she spoke at his graduation dinner: “For the music in our souls! Let the music in our souls always sound for those we love and care for and those who love and care for us.”

I could not end on a more perfect note. Cheers!