December 7, 2017

Saint-Reine Dry Rose

It’s time for my first sparkling blog of the holiday season.  I have the very unpopular opinion that sparkling wines are over-rated.  My office’s Elf on the Shelf (named Sparkles) finds this stance particularly offensive.

Truth – there are some sparking wines I find enjoyable.  There just aren’t many of them. 

I like most good Proseccos.  And a few traditional method Spanish Cavas.  True champagne I could take or leave.

I picked this one up on my way home from a cheese festival in September.  A word to the wise – drunk on cheese is almost as bad as drunk on alcohol.  You eat too much, start to feel sick, a few breadsticks later you think you’re fine…well, it might turn out badly.  Yes, a cheese hangover does exist.

(On the other hand, the Atlanta Cheese Festival is an awesome experience.  Everyone should go at least once.)

This bottle sat on my shelf for a while, then the holidays are here and I need something to blog about.  At $12, it fits the budget.

This sparkling is made in the traditional method.  Which means it’s made exactly like champagne, but we can’t call it that because it’s made in the wrong region of France.

I like it.  I like it enough to perhaps search out a bottle for New Year’s Eve.  This is one you can buy at the big wine store chain.

What I like about it is it’s lack of bite.  I find that most sparkling either have an incredibly strong bite, or taste so much like yeast that I find it hard to drink.

This one has a lighter flavor, one that is creamy with a little taste of cranberry.  You might catch the scent of strawberries on the nose.  It’s drinkable alone or with light food.  (But sadly, not with popcorn.)

I’ll be sure to report to Sparkles on Monday morning that her namesake has been redeemed.  (Yep, our elf is named for an alcoholic beverage folks.  But then, what else would you expect from a rock and roll elf?)