Photo: Emily Rentsch
All that sparkles is not Champagne.
Sure, Champagne is the most popular kid in the bunch, but there's a whole glittering world of sparkling wines out there that are delightful in their own right. The real trick is deciphering their differences and choosing a style you'll love.
This little guide will give you tools to help you choose your next bottle of bubbly with confidence. We'll run through the big three (Champagne, Prosecco, and cava) and give you tips on what to look for when you're in the sparkling wine aisle. As with many niche sets of knowledge, it's all in knowing the lingo!
New Year's Eve—a.k.a. Champagne's Big Day—is nigh, but I hope a look at this vast world of sparkling wine inspires you to crack open a bottle of bubbly on a simple Tuesday night, or whenever you're feeling a fizzy vibe. There's so much to explore beyond the cliché luxury of Champagne. So, let's get to it!
CHAMPAGNE | France
Champagne is a heavily regulated sparkling wine. In order to preserve its...
Photo: Leslee Miller
Have you heard about Pét-Nat? This cute little word seems straight from the mouths of millenials, doesn’t it? Pét-nat, or pétillant naturel, is the French term for “naturally sparkling” wine. And here’s the thing: pét-nat is NOT a frothy trend. In fact, it’s an ancient type of wine, and its recent rise in popularity is more than well-deserved.
Pétillant naturel is a genre of sparkling wine that predates Champagne, if you can believe it. Its méthode ancestrale involves bottling an unfinished (or still-fermenting) wine and allowing it to finish fermenting inside of the bottle. Contrary to the Champagne method—which requires one fermentation in tanks and then a second fermentation in the bottle, with added sugars and yeast—the pét-nat way is wild and volatile. When making a pét-nat, the winemaker must trust the grapes’ naturally-occurring yeasts and sugars to do their dance without interference or alteration. The result is fizzy, frenetic wine that is refreshing and surprising in its...
Photo: Superkitina
The holiday season can get a little hairy when you're worried about what to get alllll of those fine folks you love on your list! Let me help you cut through the clamor of consumerism--here are a few of my favorite things from 2019. Hopefully they inspire you to treat your favorite people (and wine lovers!) this Christmas and beyond!
AGATE CHEESE BOARD | Anthropologie
This pretty, sparkling serving board makes a stunning backdrop to one of my personal favorite appetizers--cheese! And you know what plays well with cheese? Um, wine!
2020 PLANNER | Wit & Delight
I love a good notebook, and this sleek little planner has the bonus of helpful productivity and planning tools. Plus, Wit & Delight is a favorite blog and design house local to Minneapolis!
A BOTTLE OF HAUS APERTIF | Haus
Haus makes delicious European-style apertifs made from only the best ingredients, like California wine grapes and other natural goodies. This is the liqeur that's been missing from your bar! It's also a...
Photo: The Jason Show
All the reasons that I started Sip Better, my friends, lives right here in this recent segment I did on The Jason Show.
How do I drink wine? Low in calories, without sugar, no additives, pesticides, concentrates and free of all the other dirty little agents that can be added to wine in certain regions or countries.
Sip Better is just that -- wine produced free + clear from all of the above, only from organic/sustainable family farmers and generally low in caloric intake.
This week on Fox 9 I discuss a few tips as to 'how' to drink low in sugar/calories and the brands to avoid when perusing your local retail shelf.
Check it out!
