The Wine Knows - sparkling wine

Rachael Ray's sparkling personality

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:08:37 -0400

Rachael Ray has turned to two hemispheres for food-pairing wine picks in August.

Domaine Ste. Michelle's NV Blanc de Noirs and the Greg Norman Estates sparkling Pinot Noir/Chardonnay were The Omnipresent One's selections for bubbly.

Happy Independence Day

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:37:17 -0400

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

Cool gadget of the week

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:13:35 -0400

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.

Alcohol levels in wine reviews

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 13:29:39 -0400

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.

A great pairing with sparkling wine

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 12:57:10 -0500

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.

What vintage is that "nonvintage" sparkling wine?

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 19:23:04 -0500

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.

Why most sparkling wines are "nonvintage"

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:33:44 -0500

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.

More sabering

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:34:12 -0500

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.

King of Northwest bubbly

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:34:53 -0500

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.

My first time

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:35:22 -0500

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.

Thinking about bubbly

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:35:58 -0500

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.

Sabrage!

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:37:54 -0500

Today, we published our 100th episode of the Northwest Winecast, our weekly video show that features the people and places of Northwest wine country. To celebrate, we decided to open a bottle of bubbly. With a saber.

DSM a winner with BoSox

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:41:06 -0500

After the Colorado Rockies made the playoffs, then won in the divisional and championship rounds, they celebrated with Domaine Ste. Michelle sparkling wines - a fact that made the folks at Ste. Michelle Wine Estates in Woodinville, Wash., pretty happy. In fact, many at Ste. Michelle were quietly rooting for the Rockies to win it all.

Colorado Rockies celebrate with Domaine Ste. Michelle

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:42:21 -0500

Eagle-eyed reader Brian White emailed me this evening to point out an article in The Denver Post about the Colorado Rockies using Domaine Ste. Michelle to celebrate their Major League Baseball playoff victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Red bubbly, please

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:44:18 -0500

The other night, we shared dessert and a bottle of Paringa sparkling Shiraz from South Australia with our next-door neighbors, Kenton and Vanessa. I've had very few sparking reds in my time, and this value wine ($9!) has us and our neighbors hooked.