Sparklers!

I love anything that is sparkling...diamonds, crystal chandeliers, clean windows and of course wine! The difference between sparkling wines and other wines is the presence of carbon dioxide (bubbles) in the wine. The sparkling wine that Meredith and I sipped one night was Domaine des Perelles, Cremant de Bourgogne. The French word for "creamy" is Cremant and these sparkling wines "are made with the same method as Champagne but because of slightly less gas pressure in the bottle, the mousse is less fizzy and creamier than Champagne." (Wine for Women by Leslie Sbrocco) By law, 30% of the blend called Cremant de Bourgogne must come from one of these grape varieties: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and the balance may come from one of the lesser varieties such as Aligote (ah-lee-gaw-tay). In France's Burgundy region, Aligote is the second planted white grape after Chardonnay and it is also planted widely in Eastern Europe especially in Bulgaria and Romania.
What a perfect way to celebrate a Wednesday, "hump day" with a glass of bubbly, lemon and butter broiled shrimp served over warm capellini and watching reruns of NCIS. Even better, the price was only $13.99. Anyone for sipping sparklers?

Dessert in a Glass

Who doesn't love splurging at the end of a meal with dessert especially if it is paired with chocolate! I decided to combine tasting the Italian red grapes, Aleatico ( ah-leh-AH-tee-koh) and Brachetto (brah-KAY-toh) with a yummy chocolate bundt cake and heavenly Ghirardelli chocolate squares. I found the first wine, a 1998 Montevina Aleatico to be a light, fragrant dessert wine and a little too sweet for my palate when sipped alone but much better after indulging in the chocolate bundt cake. By the way, I have just discovered a new store in Dallas, "Nothing Bundt Cakes" http://www.nothingbundtcakes.com/ and unfortunately it's now on my radar! Check out the one at Preston/Royal for "complimentary" bundtinis! The next wine that we explored, Banfi 2007 Rosa Regale Brachetto D'Acqui was a homerun. This light sparkling red wine with its hint of raspberries, cherries and strawberries was the perfect after dinner wine or "dessert in a glass"~