Flute in hand, I untwist the wire, ease the cork, tip the bottle and slide this pale gold (or pink) offering down the side of its next to last container. Great color, fine mousse, with medium but persistent effervescence and a bouquet promising wondrous things to come. Bypassing my regular sniff ritual, the loaded flute went straight to my lips. Hmmmm says I, this bears closer examination.
A second long sip bore out my first impression. My second impression is: This tastes like MORE! When should I drink this? Now! In the afternoon when you are vacuuming the house in anticipation of guests or wrapping presents. These are the perfect times to chill a bottle down and indulge in the guilty pleasure of sampling a glass of delicious bubbles. It can define a whole day. Remember, if you don’t treat yourself well, nobody else is gonna.
It doesn’t have to be a bottle of $120 Dom Perignon Champagne. Almost every region in the vinious world makes some kind of wine that sparkle and deliciously so and at all price points. France has its true Champagnes and a host of less expensive options, Italy does everything from the easygoing Prosecco to more serious Champagnesque bottlings to Sparkling low alcohol Moscato-based wines that will even breath life into your Aunt Millie’s Fruitcake. Spain with their bone dry Cavas from the outskirts of Barcelona excel with just about anything you throw at it. And any good wine merchant worth his salt should be able to direct you to the perfect bubbly to fit your needs.
Dr. Vino (Rory Olson) is the proprietor of Portland Wine Merchant at 1430 SE 35th just off Hawthorne Blvd.
