Turn Any Night Into A
Celebration!
Don't pooh-pooh
this sparkling wine just because it's inexpensive! Put it in a
blind tasting next to 100 sparkling wines priced up to $30, and it
will come out in the top ten most every time. It's that good a
value.
The
Wine
Yes, it's from a French company. But no, it's NOT Champagne. The
owners of Gruet have produced wine from the Champagne region for
about 60 years, but they surprised themselves one day with a great
local wine they tasted while vacationing in New Mexico. Yes, New
Mexico "Land of Enchantment" - but on the cool mountaintops on the
eastern side of the state. In fact, at an elevation of nearly 4,000
feet they may be the highest vineyard in the states. Bright sun and
clear air makes for perfect ripeness in their relatively short
growing season.
They bought
land for vineyards and released their first New Mexico sparkling
wine in the late 80's. I discovered them for the first time ten
years ago, and was stunned to find them priced in the $13 price
range (and am impressed the wine has only increased by $3 in ten
years!)
A rich,
full-bodied sparkling wine that offers a yeasty richness I often
ascribe to Champagnes - a flavor characteristic I’d be willing to
pay for were an affordable alternative like this not available!
This complexity comes from the winemaking method – true to its
French roots, this wine was fermented in the bottle and then spent
two full years in yeast contact before
bottling.
Look for fruit
aromas of granny smith apples and grapefruit, with a hint of
brioche. The mousse (the head at the top of the wine, and its
related aromas) is rich and the stream of bubbles is ultra-fine and
will continue for hours if chilled
properly.
Sparkling
Wine Tips and Tricks
Riotous celebrations aside, most sparkling wine is opened with the
intent of enjoying the product's taste more than its projectile
fizz. Here are some tips on preserving the fizz, the key element we
all seek in a sparkler:
- Chill!
Two hours in the refrigerator helps preserve bubbles and avoid
explosions!
- TILT!
An upright bottle provides little room for escaping bubbles, tilt
the bottle to provide more surface area.
- Flutes!
Use fluted glasses, not the round, flat
Coupés
- Ice
buckets – 50/50 ice and water keep a perfect
chill
Cheers!
Dave the Wine Merchant
There are currently no reviews of this
product.
Submit a Review