THE STORY

Maria Hunt is an award-winning food and wine writer based in San Diego who has loved bubbly ever since she got her first taste of Cold Duck at age 7. Happily the Chicago native's taste improved and she gained an appreciation for fun and fine foods working her way through the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Maria's bubbly epiphany occurred as a food writer exploring some of New York City's finest restaurants - on a budget. She was amazed at the way an affordable glass of Riesling sekt kept up with all the creative flavors in Rocco DiSpirito's cuisine at Union Pacific. Travelling in Europe, Maria noticed how

Venetians welcomed spring with the bubbly Bellini cocktail, Parisians sipped Champagne after work, the Basque in the South of France enjoyed an exotic sparkling wine with freshly caught seafood. Best of all, Maria realized these sexy, bubbly wines don't have to be expensive to put everyone in a wonderful mood.

But when she came back home, Maria found that most people (except other Bubbly Girls!) thought that champagne and sparkling wine were only for weddings and New Year's Eve. Maria started writing about the versatility of sparkling wines from all around the world, taking wine education classes at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone - earning the title of Certified Wine Professional, Level One in 2006. A penchant for tasting new sparkling wines and Champagnes and figuring out clever pairings became a passion. The Bubbly Girl was born.