I was in the mood for some bubbly while I was cooking my meals for the week, and so I grabbed a bottle of this super French white sparkling wine. My mom actually picked up at a wine dinner that she attended at Sonoma Wine Bar in Virginia Beach.
SIDENOTE: If you haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing a wine dinner, I HIGHLY suggest you open up a new tab on your internet browser right now and Google “local wine events.” These dinners are extraordinary, each usually having a playful theme to tie together the wine with the cuisine. Wine dinners not only allow the restaurant to showcase their menu, but it gives you an opportunity, as the diner, to experience a variety of wines that were specifically selected to pair perfectly the flavors presented in the meal. I am attending a wine dinner at Colbalt Grille in Virginia Beach the end of this month and I will be sure to highlight every detail of the exquisite evening. (This link provides details about this dinner including each course; we will be tasting wines from the American Northwest; one of my new favorite wine regions!)
Being the wonderfully thoughtful lady that she is, my mom thought this wine was fantastic and knew I would love it. She enjoyed it with a freshly-made peach-filled pastry of goodness to conclude her dinner at Sonoma. And the price per bottle was unbeatable; $15.
This French sparkling wine hails from Rhone Valley (Southern France), and is 100% muscat blanc grape.
FIRST LOOK/TASTE: Pale gold in color, this bubbly is not overly carbonated, but provides the perfect amount of fizz and refreshment. Light-bodied and silky, peach is the primary fruit, bursting with distinct flavor and a subtle sweetness. (No wonder they paired this sparkling wine with a peachy dessert!) As with most french wines, there is an unique earthy/aged tone that is indicated towards the end of the initial taste. This might be due to variables ranging from the type of soil used to grow the vines to the specific fermentation process used, adding this layer of depth. This sparkling wine is relatively stable, able to maintain its body and flavors some time after opening.
Pairings with this wine are generally sweet; cookies, fruit-filled pastries, baked brie with peach/apricot preserves are a few suggestions. I would definitely play up the peachyness!
Keep poppin bottles! xoxo FBF
