THE VAS BLOG – INSIGHTS ON THE ART OF DRINKING

 Hi everyone – This weekend and the upcoming weeks bring us several holidays.  Lincoln’s Birthday and President’s Day are certainly the big name holidays that are dominating everyone’s plans, right? I’m just kidding! When you were a kid I’m sure getting the day off for both of those holidays certainly was a big deal; however, these days there is probably something of a little higher priority occupying your mind.  I’m talking about Valentine’s Day, of course! 

Valentine’s Day is a day of romance, and there is something undeniably romantic about Champagne – specifically Pink Champagne. Picture in your mind Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr sipping Pink Champagne in An Affair to Remember.    

An Affair to Remember – Pink Champagne

I use Champagne in this sense to describe sparkling wine.  While certainly sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France is the most authentic, there are many options available.If you’ve ever consumed sparkling wine, then you know that taste-wise, it runs the gamut from bone-dry to very sweet.  Rose (or pink) sparkling wines are considered to be more robust than standard sparkling wines, and this makes them more versatile in terms of pairing with foods and desserts.  With this in mind, we’d like to help you with some ideas for a pink sparkling wine that will make your Valentine’s Day great.  A look at some choices include:

1. Moet & Chandon Nectar Imperial Rose ($64.99) – This is a higher-end choice, but certainly one that you won’t go wrong with.  This is probably the champagne that most people think of when watching the clip above. This is fruity and sweet without being overwhelming. Based on recommendations from Moet.com, the Nectar Imperial Rose goes well with entrees such as foie gras, or with fruit-based desserts.

2. Meinklang Pinot Noir Rose ($15.99) – This is a very unique wine.  It is produced using biodynamic fruit, and is fermented in egg-shaped concrete tanks.  For all the hype attached to the production, the actual product is remarkably good.  Fruity and sweet, but not syruppy. Definitely an excellent choice to accompany fruit or chocolate after dinner.

3. Santa Julia Brut Rose ($11.99) – A contrast to the choices above, this hits a drier note while still achieving some of the lightness that comes with being a rose.  Rather than going with a dessert, this is a great wine choice for during Valentine’s Day dinner, particularly if you are having lamb, or fish. 

4. Korbel Sweet Rose ($11.99) – Light, and very sweet.  If you are featuring something like chocolate-covered strawberries after dinner, this is an excellent choice.  Other good choices with this include items such as fruit pies, or tarts.   

That’s where I’ll end things for tonight.  I hope that everyone has a great weekend, and a wonderful Valentine’s Day. As always, if you have any questions about anything I’ve written, or even general questions about anything else, please feel free to email me at george@vasforemost.com, tweet us: @vasforemost, or give us a call at (773) 278-9420.

Thanks again! See you all next week!