Utility Vinfielder
What better way to wrap up a semester than with the sound of a muted pop? I just finished up a semester this week and decided we should celebrate, just a little, with some sparkling wine.
Pursuit of a master's while working full time is a strain, at times, so the return to free weekends is welcome indeed. The break is also good for blogging -- perhaps you noticed the blogging slowed to a crawl in the last couple of weeks? I needed to get a final paper off my plate. Dont get me wrong, the courses are fun, but so is finishing. And, I'm sure my wife feels like celebrating the return of a less stressed and grumpy me.
So I dug into the cellar and came up with a bottle of Pugliese blanc de blanc brut. This sparkler from Long Island is nicely done, a toasty, refreshing wine that can compete with many of the better low-end sparklers from California or Europe. We picked up a few during a tour of some Long Island wineries a couple of years ago.
My wife especially loves the hand-painted bottles, a specialty of Pugliese sparklers. So, they manage to deliver a quality product in a very attractive package. Not all the Pugliese wines were what might be called memorable, but they really seem to do a great job with sparklers.
As we ate I was reminded of how good sparklers and Champagne go with sushi, or a lot of other foods with some serious spice or even heat. In fact, sparkling wines are so versatile they're like a great utility infielder or outfielder. You definitely want a couple on the bench because you never know when you'll need one.
I've given this advice to friends, but I'm reminded that I often don't take my own advice. I often wait for a special occasion, like everyone else, to open a good Champagne. I'm vowing to do better. We can always use more sparkle in life.
Pursuit of a master's while working full time is a strain, at times, so the return to free weekends is welcome indeed. The break is also good for blogging -- perhaps you noticed the blogging slowed to a crawl in the last couple of weeks? I needed to get a final paper off my plate. Dont get me wrong, the courses are fun, but so is finishing. And, I'm sure my wife feels like celebrating the return of a less stressed and grumpy me.
So I dug into the cellar and came up with a bottle of Pugliese blanc de blanc brut. This sparkler from Long Island is nicely done, a toasty, refreshing wine that can compete with many of the better low-end sparklers from California or Europe. We picked up a few during a tour of some Long Island wineries a couple of years ago.
My wife especially loves the hand-painted bottles, a specialty of Pugliese sparklers. So, they manage to deliver a quality product in a very attractive package. Not all the Pugliese wines were what might be called memorable, but they really seem to do a great job with sparklers.
As we ate I was reminded of how good sparklers and Champagne go with sushi, or a lot of other foods with some serious spice or even heat. In fact, sparkling wines are so versatile they're like a great utility infielder or outfielder. You definitely want a couple on the bench because you never know when you'll need one.
I've given this advice to friends, but I'm reminded that I often don't take my own advice. I often wait for a special occasion, like everyone else, to open a good Champagne. I'm vowing to do better. We can always use more sparkle in life.
posted by JD at 4:15 PM
2 Comments:
I love sparking and sushi! Re: Keeping sparkling in the cellar. We used to be so good about that, but we've really tapped into our supply lately. Must restock! I think our next cellar club shipment from Shramsburg should be here in a few weeks...
A shipment from Shramsberg? I'm envious. Sounds like you have the right idea, no need to wait!
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