DRINK

Sometimes stereotypes and traditions bear an axiom that is undeniably perfect. Sparkling wines, includ­ing champagne, are one of those timeless classics ingrained in popular culture, synonymous with good times and holiday cheer.

There are few things more alluring, more beautiful, than a chilled glass of champagne. Bubbles rising in long, slow swirling arcs while icy beads flow down a crystal flute is one of the classic romantic images of all time. There are few bet­ter matches to celebrate the joy and warmth of the holidays than the pop of a cork and the crackle of sparkling wine in your mouth.

Quality sparkling wine and champagne are often the same beast, the difference being that in order for a wine to be designated champagne it must come from the Champagne region in France where the style of making wine with natu­rally occurring bubbles was formalized into concise process centuries ago.

Myth and legend attributes the creation of champagne to Dom Perignon, a monk at the Abbey of Hautvillers in Marne, France. Just to burst some bubbles, the true honor of intentionally creating sparkling wine belongs to Christopher Merret - an English physician and scientist who identified the secondary fermentation in-bottle process in 1662. Thus was born an entire industry to capture the stars in the bottle, which at five to six atmospheres of pressure (about 80 pound per square inch) has much different requirements than still wines - from the glass-makers who had to create thicker, heavier bottles, the cork manufacturers who had to reshape cork to withstand the enormous pressure that develop inside the bottle, as well as devices to insert and keep the cork in the bottles.

The classic grapes of Champagne and quality sparkling wines wishing to duplicate the elegance of the wines from France are chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. There are also other sparkling wines like Cava (from Spain), Pro­secco and Lambrusco (from Italy) that are wonderful (and thankfully cheaper) and serve well for celebrations. However there are many variations on this theme, one of my favorites being sparkling riesling.

Here in Washington is a producer that works magic with Riesling; Pacific Rim, who produce a bottle called White Flower - an outstanding example of a quality sparkling wine made from riesling. It is every bit as delicious and refreshing as a traditional sparkling wine but with a touch more floral style.

We are very fortunate to have a store like Bubbles & Chocolate in Waitsburg where you can find a fun range of sparkling wines, champagnes and one of my all-time favorite sweeter wines that has a little fizz to it - Moscato d'Asti. In the world of sweet wines this is the queen of them all. The best way to describe this incredible wine is to imagine a cross between a royal botanical garden in full bloom and a really awesome candy shop. Moscato d'Asti can not only liven up a holiday gathering when everyone starts clamoring for more, it is also the best brunch wine I've found yet. Forget the mi­mosas - bring on the Moscato!

I hope your holiday celebrations are filled with joy and laughter, love and good health. Don't forget to raise a glass in toast to the new year and gaze into the stars and stripes of a chilled glass of sparkling wine, thinking of all the people doing the exact same thing - hoping for a better future and celebrating our collective past. Peace to all for the holidays