The Wine Knows

Happy Fourth of July. Celebrate your independence by drinking whatever you want.

Here's the "I've Gotta Have That" wine glass of the week - and it isn't even from Riedel.

My wife found this in the Museum of Modern Art catalogue: It's an inside-out sparkling wine glass.

I came across this blog item from a blog on Washington and Oregon wines called Beyond the Bottle. The author wants to know why wine writers complain about alcohol levels, then do not include them in reviews.

Great question.

Sparkling wine is one of the most versatile food-pairing wines out there. It goes with seafood, shellfish, chicken, appetizers, desserts and more. But one of the finest pairings with sparkling wine also is one of the most unusual.

So what vintage is that "nonvintage" bottle of Domaine Ste. Michelle sparkling wine cooling in your fridge for Monday night? That depends, but if you purchased it recently, it's probably from the 2004 or 2005 vintages. Here's how that works out, according to Rick Casqueiro, who is head winemaker for the Northwest's largest bubbly maker.

Ever wonder why many sparkling wines are marked as "NV" or "nonvintage" instead of by vintage? It all starts in Champagne, France, where the world's most famous sparkling wines are made.

I've sort of become addicted to sabering bottles of sparkling wine. I've now sabered three and am looking for excuses to drink bubbly. While at the grocery store yesterday, I saw some Mountain Dome Brut on sale, so I bought two bottles.

Nobody in the Pacific Northwest makes more sparkling wine than Rick Casqueiro, winemaker at Domaine Ste. Michelle in Paterson, Wash. Frankly, nobody really is making any better bubbly than Casqueiro, either. That statement might get me in trouble with some of the smaller producers, but it's awfully difficult to beat Domaine Ste. Michelle on quality - much less price.

Until Saturday, I'd never opened a bottle of sparkling wine with a saber. If you saw our 100th episode of the Northwest Winecast, you know all about sabrage, the act of opening a bottle of bubbly by slicing off the top.

On Saturday, I'm heading to wine writer Bob Woehler's home for an afternoon with Domaine Ste. Michelle winemaker Rick Casqueiro. We're going to taste through a bunch of sparklers, including one made from the Sangiovese grapes in my backyard.