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Posts Tagged ‘Maria Hunt’

Real Aphrodisiacs for Valentine’s Day Drinks: Passionate Pomegranate

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Not only does the pomegranate suggest fertility, it also boosts libido.

A red orb with all those juicy seeds inside, a pomegranate just suggests fertility and promise. It’s thought to be the tempting forbidden fruit that seduced Adam and Eve in the Bible. In the Greek myth, Persephone was forced to spend half the year in the Underworld after she was tricked into eating a few pomegranate seeds during a visit to Hades. All in all, these myths make the pomegranate a pretty fascinating and tasty fruit.

We’ve all gotten word that pomegranates are chock full of healthy antioxidants, vitamins and minerals which scientific studies show can help reduce wrinkles, lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease. Pomegranate is also a great source of folic acid, which is an important nutrient for pregnant women. If you’re trying to get pregnant, it turns out pomegranate can help in that department too. A researcher at the University of California found that pomegranate is good for men with erectile dysfunction and prostate health. And a study at the University of Sussex (another sex study from the UK, hmmm) found that drinking pomegranate juice increases the libido in women and even more so in men.

Featured on San Diego Fox 5 my cocktail called Kismet – which means fate – is sure to get something started with this combo of pomegranate, passion fruit and ginger which is great or heating things up. To make a non-alcoholic version, substitute pomegranate juice for the Pama, ginger juice for the ginger liqueur and sparkling water for the wine. Kismet was one of the romance enhancing cocktails I featured on San Diego Fox 5 this morning.

With tangy pomegranate, passion fruit juice and ginger in the Kismet Cocktail, it's sure to stir something up.

Kismet

1 ounce Pama pomegranate liqueur
1-1/2 ounces passion fruit-orange juice
1/2 ounce ginger liqueur
3 ounces sparkling wine
3 pomegranate seeds

Add Pama pomegranate liqueur, passion-fruit juice and ginger liqueur to a champagne flute. Top with chilled sparkling wined. Garnish with the pomegranate seeds.

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Tags: aphrodisiac, bubbly, ginger, Maria Hunt, passion fruit, pomegranate, recipe, Sparkling Wine, The Bubbly Girl, Valentine's Day
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Bubbly Girl Drink of the Week: La Mattina Appassionata

Saturday, November 14th, 2009

Mattina Appassionata
I just did a fun Saturday morning radio interview with Mario Martnoli and Amy Strong of the “Food & Dining” show on KLAA AM 830 and are they ever Italo-philes! We talked about buying hand-blown champagne flutes in Venice, sipping cocktails made with Aperol and the Lemon Ice, a delicious digestif cocktail from The Bubbly Bar made with prosecco, vodka, lemon sorbet and fresh mint.

Our conversation got me thinking about all the lovely sparkling wines and liqueurs that come from Italy. When I’m mixing a cocktail, probably the first wine I think of is prosecco, the sparkling wine from the Veneto. Wines made from the prosecco grape have such a delicate quality with soft bubbles and hints of green apple, minerals and white flowers.

I recently received a sample of a new one called Passionne di Fiore.It’s a likable little wine, with lots of fresh green apple and hints of underripe peaches in its aroma. It’s a spumante style of prosecco, meaning it has about 4.5 to 5 atmospheres of pressure in the wine; a frizzante style of prosecco is softly sparkling and has just 2.2 to 2.5 atm of pressure. I also liked that it’s available in the 375 ml size which is perfect for making a couple cocktails for brunch.

The same company that makes Passionne di Fiore prosecco also makes a unique liqueur called Fragoli. It’s a wild strawberry liqueur that I wrote about here a few months ago after I discovered it at the W San Diego. Fragoli actually contains the little Italian wild strawberries called fragolini di bosco.

Since Mario, Amy and I were talking about good cocktails to serve to guests, I decided to create a brunch cocktail called La Mattina Appassionata (Passionate Morning in English) that mixes some of the flavors I love from Italy.

La Mattina Appassionata
1 ounce Fragoli
splash Aperol
juice of 1/2 tangerine
4 ounces prosecco

Add the Fragoli, Aperol and tangerine juice to a flute, straining out any seeds. Top with the chilled prosecco and serve immediately. Cin cin!

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Tags: Aperol, brunch, cocktail, Fragoli, Italy, KLAA, Maria Hunt, Mario Martinoli, Prosecco, recipe, The Bubbly Bar, The Bubbly Girl
Posted in Bubbly Girl Cocktail Recipes | No Comments »

Bubbles on Tour: Bubbly Bar Book Events

Monday, September 14th, 2009

Signing books at the Hotel Solamar on Aug. 26 at the San Diego launch party presented by Slow Food Urban San Diego and Domaine Chandon - what a blast!

It’s been quite the whirlwind since my book The Bubbly Bar: Champagne & Sparkling Wine Cocktails (Clarkson Potter, $16.99) launched a few weeks ago. It’s amazing how many different skills it takes to be an author; not only do you need to know enough about a topic to write about it, once you’ve done so and had the incredible good fortune to get a book published, then you need to become an expert at marketing, event planning and logistics! All that is to say that with the help of some friends, I’ve put together some fun Bubbly Bar book events that will start happening around the country in a couple weeks.

If you’re a Bubbly Girl – or even if you just like to have fun while tasting some sparkling wine cocktails and learning something new, then I hope you’ll come out to join the fun as I make my way around the country. Stay tuned for more events in NYC, San Francisco, Atlanta and San Diego but here’s where I’ll be for the next month or so:

Chicago

Oct. 1. – Pops for Champagne 601 N. State St. 6 to 8 p.m.
Come learn how to make great autumn cocktails with Domaine Carneros – America’s first estate grown organic sparkling wine and fine artisanal spirits. Ticket are $25 and include a signed book, cocktails and nibbles at America’s most acclaimed champagne bar. To RSVP, email rsvp@popsforchampagne.com

Oct. 3 – Shop & Sip at M2 Boutique, 3527 N. Southport Ave. 12 to 4 p.m.
We’ll have fun sipping fizz and browsing through fabulous fall fashions including TANO leather handbags at 20% off at this value-conscious boutique. Free event, no RSVP required.

Los Angeles

Oct. 7 – Moet Champagne Cocktails & A Sparkling Book Party at The Edison, 108 W. Second Ave. 5:30 to 7:30
p.m. Meet me in the Tesla Lounge for an intimate literary cocktail party featuring Moet & Chandon champagne cocktails and appetizers at this unique vintage-style bar in downtown LA. Wear business or cocktail attire – the Edison has a dress code. Stick around for the sexy cabaret show starting at 8 in the main bar. Tickets are $20 and include a signed book and bubbly. All guests must pre-pay by Oct. 3 by emailing maria at thebubblygirl.com.

NYC

Oct. 12 – The Bombay Bubbly Experience at Beekman’s Bar & Books, 889 1st Ave (At 50th) 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
We’ll explore the unique synergy between fine aromatic Bombay Sapphire gin and bubbly at this cocktail demo and party at Beekman’s, a warm and clubby bar that’s filled with thousands of books. I’ll be mixing drinks along with resident bartender Ben Scorah – GQ Magazine’s NYC Bartender of the Year- and Bombay Sapphire U.S. Mixologist James Moreland. Tickets are $25 and include cocktails, food and signed books. For information on reservations, email maria at thebubblygirl.com

Napa County

Oct. 24- Cocktail clinics & book signing at Domaine Chandon, 1 California Drive, Yountville. I’ll be lounging in the gift shop of this modern showcase winery and giving two cocktail clinics featuring drinks from the book throughout the day. Cocktails from The Bubbly Bar will also be available for purchase at the tasting bar. Come up and make a day of it by taking a behind the scenes tour of the winery and treating yourself to a bubblicious lunch or dinner at Etoile! Free event!

Washington DC

Nov. 4 – Cava and Latin Libations at Masa 14, 1825 14th St. NW, Washington DC 5:30 to 9 p.m.
Masa 14 is the hot new restaurant by Richard Sandoval and Kaz Okochi that serves Latin and Asian small plates in a hip setting. We’ll explore the fine Spanish sparkling wine called cava and Latin libations from The Bubbly Bar paired with small plates from the restaurant. Tickets are $35 and include, drinks, food and a signed book. Make reservations through www.hooksbookevents.com or call 202-328-1414.

NYC

Dec. 12 – Book signing & Weekend Tasting at Harlem Vintage, 2235 Frederick Douglass Blvd. 4 to 7 p.m. Perrier-Jouet Champagne will be the featured champagne at this tasting and book signing at Harlem Vintage in this famous neighborhood that was home to lots of gin joints and speakeasies dating back to the classic cocktail era. A bottle of international bubbly and a signed copy of the Bubbly Bar make a fabulous and fast holiday gift. Harlem’s own Hue-Man Bookstore will be our book-selling partner for this special tasting. Free event!

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Tags: Atlanta, Beekman's Bar & Books, Ben Scorah, Bombay Sapphire, book tour, Bubbly Girl, Champagne, Chicago, clinics, Cocktails, Domaine Carneros, events, gin, Harlem Vintage, Hue-Man Books, James Moreland, Los Angeles, M2 Boutique, Maria Hunt, Moet, Moet & Chandon, New York, organic, Perrier Jouet, Pops for Champagne, sale, Sparkling Wine, spirits, The Bubbly Bar, The Edison
Posted in Bubbly Events | 1 Comment »

The Bubbly Bar: A book launch and a sparkling sangria recipe

Monday, August 24th, 2009

the-bubbly-bar-small-cover

It’s hard to believe it’s finally happening, but after three years of work and waiting, my book “The Bubbly Bar: Champagne & Sparkling Wine Cocktails for Every Occasion” is on sale today!!

It’s a beautiful, fun and useful book, filled with great classic and original drinks that mix international sparkling wines like brut champagne, prosecco, cava with fine spirits, seasonal fruits and herbs and homemade syrups. Plus there’s a great guide to visiting California sparkling wineries and buying great bubbly in any price range. But don’t take my word for it; Washington Post spirits writer Jason Wilson wrote a great review on it and San Francisco based cocktail expert Camper English is featuring a Bubbly Bar book give-away on Alcademics.

In case you’re in San Diego on Wednesday Aug. 26, there’s a book launch party and farm-to-bar cocktails mixer hosted by Hotel Solamar and Slow Food Urban San Diego from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Admission is free; the $20 Bubbly Special includes a signed copy of the book and three cocktails from the book featuring Domaine Chandon sparkling wine.

One of the drinks we’ll be serving on Wednesday is Tisana, a fruity, golden punch — very much like sangria — that features passionfruit, pineapple, pink grapefruit and orange juices spiked with brandy and brut sparkling wine. I’ll also be making this drink on CW6 on Wednesday; here’s the recipe in case you’d like to try it at home.

tisana-1-smaller2

Tisana Punch

Inspired by a fruit punch commonly served in Venezuela, this golden concoction is always appreciated. Try my version of this classic and then feel free to vary the ingredients with the fruits and juices you might have on hand, taking care to balance the sweet and tart flavors. A good dark rum can also be substituted for the brandy.

2 cups pineapple juice
2 cups orange juice
2 cups pink grapefruit juice
1-1/2 cups passion fruit juice
1 ripe mango, diced
1 green apple, diced
pulp from one passion fruit
6 ounces brandy
2 teaspoons Angostura bitters
2 bottles cava, chilled
10 fresh shavings of nutmeg

Combine the juices and fruits in a punch bowl or large pitcher and then add the brandy and bitters. Pour in the cava. Top with the freshly grated nutmeg and serve with ice if you like.

Makes 12 servings

From: “The Bubbly Bar: Champagne & Sparkling Wine Cocktails for Every Occasion” by Maria C. Hunt (Clarkson Potter $16.99)

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Tags: Camper English, cava, CW6, Domaine Chandon, Maria Hunt, recipe, Slow Food Urban San Diego, The Bubbly Bar, The Washington Post, Tisana
Posted in Bubbly Events, Bubbly Girl Cocktail Recipes | 1 Comment »

Bubbly Girl Drink of the Week: The Ginger Snap with Sparkling Sake

Friday, June 19th, 2009

This original cocktail I call the Ginger Snap mixes fresh ginger root with crisp sparkling sake. (Photo by Paul Body)

Just like most of us started out drinking cheap beer and sweet pink zinfandel, my early sake experiences were with awful stuff served warm so that I couldn’t tell how bad it was. Fortunately, there’s been something of a sake revolution going on in the U.S. and with events like the San Diego Japan Society’s Sake & Beer Festival on June 25, we’re being exposed to all the elegant and refined junmai ginjo and junmai daiginjo sakes that have all the complexity of a fine wine. (For an excellent and detail discussion of the different styles of sake, be sure to visit this sake tutorial on John Gauntner’s appreciation site Sake World.com.)

But sparkling sake is still something of a mystery to many domestic sake drinkers. It’s relatively new in Japan too, dating back to the 1940s I’m told, as compared to nihonsu or traditional sake, which has been around since 300 BC, according to historians.

How is sparkling sake made?

John at Sake World writes that sparkling sake is made by stopping the rice mash’s fermentation a bit early, while the alcohol is at 5 to 10 to percent. There’s still some sugar left in the mix, which is why sparkling sake often tastes a bit sweeter than still sake. The the brew is bottled and a second fermentation is started to give it its bubbles. Most sparkling sakes are considered junmai sakes, meaning they’re made from just rice polished to 70 percent, water and the koji which starts the fermentation.

So what does sparkling sake taste like?

Well, that depends on which brand you purchase. I like the creamy crispness, floral and slightly yeasty rice notes of drier sparkling sakes such as Gekkeikan Zipang (About $6) by Sidney Frank Importing or the Trader Joe’s house brand sparkling sake (about $4). Dry sakes are great in cocktails as a foil to sweet, fruity flaovrs. Other sakes like Hana Awaka in the frosty pink bottle, are a bit sweeter and fruitier, designed to appeal to women. A great one to seek out is Hou Hou Shu (about $1o), made from rice that Marumoto grows in an artisanal method and packaged in a pretty sky blue bottle with sparkles.

Easy-to-find sparkling sakes, usually sold in smaller bottles, include (from left to right) Zipang, Hou Hou Shu and Trader Joe's house brand. (Photo by Paul Body)

If all this talk of sake has whetted your appetite to taste and learn more, then the Beer and Sake Festival from 6 to 10 p.m. June 25 at Arterra in the San Diego Marriott Del Mar will feature, tasting of over 50 sakes and beers, a Sake 101 class taught by a sake master, the Sushi Masters Competition and food from area restaurants including Zenbu. Tickets ae $60 or $40 for Japan Society members; to purchase visit Japan Society.org.

Ssparkling sake cocktail recipes

Or you could go get a bottle of sparkling sake and make a cocktail like this Sparkling Sake Lemonade at the blog Umamimart or a round of Ginger Snap cocktails from my new book The Bubbly Bar: Champagne & Sparkling Wine Cocktails for Every Occasion (Clarkson Potter, August 2009)

Ginger Snap

Makes 1 cocktail

thin slices peeled fresh ginger root

1/2 ounce Homemade Sour Mix (recipe follows)

1 ounce Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur

4 ounces dry sparkling sake

2 slivers candied ginger, for garnish

cocktail umbrellas, if you like

Add the ginger and sour mix to a rocks glass and muddle until the ginger is bruised and becomes very fragrant. Strain the ginger and sour mixture into a champagne flute. Top with the ginger liqueur and sparkling sake. Garnish with the candied ginger, and a cocktail umbrella is you’ve got one. To make the Sour Mix, combine one cup sugar and one cup combined fresh lemon and lime juice in a nonreactive pot over low heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool; and pour into a clean bottle. The sour mix can be stored for up to one week in the refrigerator.

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Tags: cocktail, Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur, Ginger Snap, Japan Society Sake & Beer Festival, Maria Hunt, recipe, sake, San Diego, sparkling sake, The Bubbly Bar
Posted in Bubbly Events, Bubbly Girl Cocktail Recipes | 1 Comment »

The Bubbly Girl Drink of the Week: Aperol Fizz

Saturday, June 6th, 2009

The brilliant orange Aperol Fizz made a lovely aperitif, Italian-style.

The brilliant orange Aperol Fizz makes a lovely aperitif, Italian-style. (Photo by Maria Hunt)

I just spent a week learning all about selecting, tasting and cooking with the best olive oils from the southern Italian region Puglia with the The Awaiting Table Cookery School. Most of the my fellow students came from Denver, led by chef and restaurateur Shelly Steinhaus of Bella Bistro. The class took place at a the Bacile castle in a little town and each evening we gathered in the large kitchen to prepare dinner as a group.

One evening Tim, came to the kitchen with a bottle of Aperol, one of my favorite Italian liqueurs. Aperol has a pleasant bittersweet orange flavor with hints of herbs; it’s part of a vast category of liqueurs called amaros or bitters. Sometimes they’re sipped after dinner to settle the stomach, but they’re often used as aperitifs to help stimulate the appetite.

Tim and Shelly were served this sparkling bittersweet cocktail called the Aperol Fizz when they checked into their hotel in Naples and wanted to share it with the rest of us. I couldn’t have been more pleased. It’s similar to the popular Italian drink called the Aperol Spritz or Sprizz which is made with club soda, but I like the extra bittersweet tang from the tonic water.

Aperol Fizz
Makes 1 cocktail
2.5 ounces Aperol
2 ounces prosecco
splash tonic water

In a rocks glass with a few ice cubes, add the Aperol. Top with the prosecco and finish with a splash of tonic water.

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Tags: amaro, aperitif, Aperol, cocktail, Italy, Maria Hunt, Prosecco, The Bubbly Girl, tonic water
Posted in Bubbly Girl Cocktail Recipes | 2 Comments »

The Bubbly Girl Drink of the Week: Apricot & White Cherry Sangria

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

Fresh white cherries and apicots - soaked in apricot brandy and maraschino - make this sparkling sangria a delicious treat for Memorial Day weekend.

Fresh white cherries and apricots - soaked in apricot brandy, Cognac and Maraschino liqueur - make this golden sparkling sangria created by The Bubbly Girl a delicious treat for Memorial Day weekend parties. (Photo by Paul Body)

The somewhat awkward season between spring and summer is actually one of my favorite times of year. It’s the time when the first soft and fragrant apricots appear in the stores, along with the gorgeous white cherries that might be called Rainiers or Napoleons.

Besides their delicate flavors, these fruits look beautiful together, so I decided to make up a special white sangria to use these early summer fruits. The market had some gleaming white Asian pears that looked very fresh and juicy, so I threw those in the mix too. Of course, the wine in this sangria is a sparkling wine, in this case a bottle of sparkling pinot grigio that I had snagged from Trader Joe’s. Sangria doesn’t need expensive wine, something in the $5 to $8 range works just fine.

Apricot & White Cherry Sangria

Makes 8 servings

8 fresh apricots, cut in quarters

1 cup white cherries, pitted and halved

1 white Asian pear, cored and diced

1 lemon halved and thinly sliced in half moons

Juice of 1 orange or 2 tangerines

1/2 cup apricot brandy

1/2 cup Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur (at BevMo)

1/2 cup Landy Cognac

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon orange bitters

1 bottle brut sparkling wine, well chilled

handful fresh mint, torn

Add the apricots, cherries, Asian pear, lemon slices and orange or tangerine juice to a large pitcher. Top with the apricot brandy, Maraschino and Cognac. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. You could let the sangria sit for a while in the refrigerator at this point so the fruit has some time to soak and release its flavors. Or if you’re in a hurry, next add the orange bitters and sparkling wine to the pitcher. Add a cup of crushed ice, since this is a pretty potent sangria or you could add another bottle of sparkling wine if you want it to serve more people. Top with the freshly torn mint and serve by ladling some fruit into each glass and then pouring sangria on top.

By Maria Hunt aka The Bubbly Girl, author of The Bubbly Bar: Champagne & Sparkling Wine Cocktails for Every Occasion (Clarkson Potter, August 2009)

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Tags: apricot, maraschino, Maria Hunt, Memorial Day, sangria recipe, The Bubbly Girl, white cherry
Posted in Bubbly Girl Cocktail Recipes | 5 Comments »

Estrella Damm INEDIT is a New Beer Designed for Food…Oh Really?

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

Estrella Damm INEDIT, a beer from Spain, is touting itself as the first beer designed to pair with food. (Courtesy photo)

I don’t write about beer very often, though technically it is bubbly. But I couldn’t resist when I got this announcement trumpeting the release of Estrella Damm INEDIT, a beer that was crafted under the direction of genius chef Ferran Adria from El Bulli in Spain.

INEDIT is supposed to be served in a wine glass, in order to allow its bouquet to show itself. I do like the curvy, champagne-like bottle and the way the star logo stands out on the black bottle.

But get this: the people from the Spanish brewery are touting INEDIT as the first beer designed to go with food. Really? I think all of the brewmasters in Belgium are going to be rather nonplussed and amused by that one. After a short trip to Belgium last fall to experience Stella Artois, Leffe and Hoegaarden in all their different styles, it’s quite clear that to Belgians, beer is it’s own food group. The many styles and weights of beers are expertly paired – just like wine – with everything from appetizers to desserts. One of my favorite pairings was a tangy Kriek cherry lambic beer with an airy Belgian waffle topped in whipped cream!

I'm really enjoying this raspberry Hoegaarden while in the town of the same name; sadly this beer isn't available in the U.S. .... yet.

The extra-ironic part is that INEDIT is made in the style of a Belgian witbier, a white ale made from wheat and spiced with coriander and orange peel. I haven’t tasted it yet, but I’m sure it will go with frites and all kinds of foods just fine.

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Tags: beer, Belgian, Belgium, Estrella Damm INEDIT, Ferran Adria, food pairing, Hoegaarden, Leffe, Maria Hunt, Stella Artois, The Bubbly Girl, witbier
Posted in Celebrity Chefs, Pop Culture | 1 Comment »

A Bitter Swill: The Aperol Flip for MxMo

Sunday, May 17th, 2009

The Aperol Flip mixes the orangy Italian amaro with brut champagne, lemon and egg white. (Photo by Paul Body)

For years, I couldn’t stand most bitter foods: broccoli, radicchio, black coffee – no thanks.

But I think the key to appreciating bitters is all about the balance. So that’s probably why my first adult cocktail was the gin & tonic; a perfect equilibrium between fragrant slightly bitter gin, bittersweet tonic and tangy lime.

And though straight Campari still can set my teeth on edge, I appreciated it for the first time when I tasted the Quo Vadis Apertivo, a mix of Campari, tangerine juice, lemon and champagne that Paul Mant mixed up late one night (actually early one morning) at the venerable Soho bar.

It was a different story — love that first night — when I discovered Aperol, Campari’s fruity orange cousin. I was still in it’s thrall when I visited Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco; so Joel Baker and I created this Aperol and champagne cocktail I dubbed the Aperol Flip. I know classic flips include the egg yolk along with the white, but it’s just a name.

Mixology Monday is an online sharing of cocktails all created on a theme.

It’s one of the drinks in my new book The Bubbly Bar: Champagne & Sparkling Wine Cocktails for Every Occasion being released by Clarkson Potter on Aug. 25 and my offering for Mixology Monday on amaros hosted by Chuck Taggart of the Gumbo Pages this week.

Aperol Flip

Makes 1 cocktail

1 ounce Aperol

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 ounce agave nectar

1/2 ounce pasteurized egg white

2 ounces brut champagne

wide swath orange zest, for garnish

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the Aperol, lemon juice, agave nectar and egg white. Shake until well-chilled. Pour the champagne into a smallish martini glass. using a strainer, pour the Aperol mixture into the glass. Pinch the orange zest over the glass to release its oils, then carefully lay it atop the foam.

From The Bubbly Bar: Champagne & Sparkling Wine Cocktails for Every Occasion by Maria C. Hunt (Clarkson Potter, 2009)

Check the post out on Tastespotting.com

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Tags: amaro, Aperol, bitter, Campari, Champagne, Maria Hunt, Mixology Monday, MxMo, The Bubbly Bar, The Bubbly Girl
Posted in Bubbly Girl Cocktail Recipes | 2 Comments »

Bubbly Girl Drink of the Week: Iron Horse Wedding Cuvée

Friday, May 8th, 2009

Iron Horse Wedding Cuvée is a blanc de noirs style California sparkling wine, meaning its made from dark skinned grapes - pinot noir in this case.

Iron Horse Wedding Cuvée is a blanc de noirs style California sparkling wine, meaning the pale wine is made from dark skinned grapes - pinot noir in this case.

In case you hadn’t noticed, May wedding season is in full bloom. Champagne and sparkling wine are classic beverages for this celebratory season, but few seem as appropriate as Iron Horse’s Wedding Cuvée. The peachy pink wine is ideal whether you’re looking for a wedding toast or a sparkling wine to give as a wedding present along with a pair of champagne futes. Crafted from pinot noir grapes with a hint of chardonnay, the Wedding Cuvée has a soft richness to it with a hint of fruit at the end.

Joy Sterling, who runs her family’s winery, says she always loves the moment when she pours Wedding Cuvée at tastings. “Everywhere I go I meet people who became engaged over it, had it at their wedding, in the delivery room and for anniversaries,” Sterling says. I like sipping it on its own, but the wine also shines with salmon in a spring preparation with morel mushrooms and wild spring onions. It would also be delicious with lighter pork dishes or this soup made from the wild onions called ramps Epicurious.com. Sterling says she enjoys it with bittersweet chocolate with a high cocoa content – she swears the combination is like eating chocolate-covered strawberries.

Iron Horse's open air tasting over looking the vineyards is the scene for the new After Hours Friday wine and food pairing. (Photo Iron Horse Vineyards)

Iron Horse's open air tasting over looking the vineyards is the scene for the new After Hours Friday wine and food pairing. (Photo Ion Horse Vineyards)

If you happen to find yourself with a free Friday afternoon in Sonoma County, then reserve a spot for Iron Horse’s After Hours, a new happy hour with wine and food pairings. It’s available for up to 30 people from 5:30 to 7 p.m. every Friday through October. To make a reservation, contact tasting room manager Lisa Macek at (707)887-1507 or email her at lisam@ironhorsevineyards.com.

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Tags: champagne flutes, Iron Horse, Joy Sterling, Maria Hunt, pinot noir, The Bubbly Girl, toast, Wedding Cuvee, weddings
Posted in Sparkling Wine | No Comments »

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Posts Tagged ‘Maria Hunt’

Real Aphrodisiacs for Valentine’s Day Drinks: Passionate Pomegranate

Bubbly Girl Drink of the Week: La Mattina Appassionata

Bubbles on Tour: Bubbly Bar Book Events

The Bubbly Bar: A book launch and a sparkling sangria recipe

Bubbly Girl Drink of the Week: The Ginger Snap with Sparkling Sake

The Bubbly Girl Drink of the Week: Aperol Fizz

The Bubbly Girl Drink of the Week: Apricot & White Cherry Sangria

Estrella Damm INEDIT is a New Beer Designed for Food…Oh Really?

A Bitter Swill: The Aperol Flip for MxMo

Bubbly Girl Drink of the Week: Iron Horse Wedding Cuvée