Behind the Cork™ - Sparkling Wines for the Holidays

Ca di Prata Prosecco DOC Brut ($15.99) and Acquesi Asti Spumante ($16.99)

Sparkling wines are perfect at most any time and with most any foods. All too often, though, they get reserved for just one major holiday each year. And who doesn’t enjoy popping some bubbly to ring in the new year. But, you should also think bubbles at Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and other celebratory holidays.

These two sparklers are from Italy which is famous for its Prosecco and Asti Spumante wines.

Since the middle of the thirteenth century the toponym 'Prosech' or 'Prosecum', but also the more modern 'Proseco' refers to a small town, bordering to the south-east of Trieste. Even today, Prosecco remains a small town in the province of Trieste, in the far north-east of Italy.

The Ca di Prata Prosecco is produced from 85% Glera grapes and 15% other varieties including Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay. After harvest and the press, the must is fermented in stainless steel tanks at 14-16 C for about 10-12 days. After fermentation it is racked and stored in stainless steel tanks at 10-12 C. Then, to create the bubbles, it is placed in a stainless steel autoclave where it ferments at a temperature of 15-16 C for about 12 days. At the end of fermentation, it is cooled to 0° C and left to rest for a month and finally filtered and bottled. Being a Brut, it has low residual sugar, pleasant acidity and the taste of green apple, typical of the Prosecco. The presence of Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay gives a complex savory and mineral note which makes it more full-bodied.



The Acquesi Asti Spumante is produced from 100% Moscato. It is a sweet sparkling wine at just 7% alcohol by volume and 95 g/L residual sugar.

It's pale gold color and greenish hue leads to complex floral aromas of fresh tree fruits, honeycomb and exotic spices. The palate is fresh, sweet and persistent with a lingering, sweet fruity finish.

This Acquesi Asti Spumante has won several recent awards. At the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championship in 2019 & 2020 it was Best in Region (Asti 2020), Best in Class (2019,2020), Gold (2019,2020) and World Champion (Aromatic Sparkling Wine 2019, 2020).

Both of these fine sparkling wines are imported by Mack & Schuhle which s a Miami-based national importer dedicated to bringing exceptional wines from around the world to the US market. Look for them and enjoy. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Donna White Communications

Once Again it's Beaujolais Nouveau Time!

Beaujolais Nouveau. Its name literally means 'new Beaujolais.' This wine is named for the village of Beaujeu in France, which is a small region just south of Burgundy.

On the third Thursday of each November, which is November 18th this year, France releases Beaujolais Nouveau wine to the world.

The 'new' part of this wine is due to the fact that the grapes used to make this wine are picked from the vineyards just a couple of months prior to its release! That's compared to most wines that spend at least a year or more going through the fermentation and aging process before being bottled and shipped to market.  But Beaujolais Nouveau gets from the vineyard to you in about two months!

Word has it that this wine was originally produced for the harvest workers in France to immediately thank them for all their hard work just after harvest was complete. But now its production is somewhere between 30-60 million bottles so that the entire world can enjoy.

Although there are more than 100 Beaujolais Nouveau festivals held each year in the Beaujolais region, the 'Les Sarmentelles' multi-day festival is said to be the biggest and most famous for celebrating the release of Beaujolais Nouveau. The festival includes music, dancing, fireworks and, yes, plenty of wine.

This wine is produced entirely from handpicked Gamay grapes and because it is so new, it is very fresh and fruity. Many describe Beaujolais Nouveau as having flavors of candied cherries, strawberries, red plum, bananas and bubble gum.

Beaujolais Nouveau is meant to be enjoyed young, not critiqued. So, pick up a bottle soon and give it a slight chill. Then raise a glass of Beaujolais Nouveau to the French harvest workers. It's Beaujolais Nouveau time! Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Sherry & Pie Pairings for International Sherry Week

In celebration of International Sherry Week (November 8-14) and, in preparation for the upcoming holidays, here are a few suggestions for some really super Sherry offerings and some pie pairing to go along with them.

Gonzalez Byass Solera 1847 Cream ($17) & Texas Two Step Pie

This Sherry is made from 75% Palomino and 25% Ximénex grapes. It is dark mahogany in color and velvety smooth. It has flavors of dried figs and raisins, with a toffee finish. Served slightly chilled.

Gonzalez Byass Alfonso Dry Oloroso ($17) & Apple Pie

This sherry is made from 100% Palomino. It has a beautiful mahogany color with a wonderful walnut aroma. This is not a sweet Sherry. It’s dry with great nutty flavor and a long smooth finish. Served slightly chilled.

Gonzalez Byass Néctar Pedro Ximenez ($17) & Cherry Pie

This Sherry is made from 100% Pedro Ximenez. It has a deep dark mahogany color. And, oh my! It’s rich and sweet and velvety smooth with flavors of caramel, dried fruits, figs, mocha, nuts and spices. It’s dessert in a glass, but also pairs well with cherry pie! Served slightly chilled.

Harveys Bristol Cream ($20) & Pecan Pie

Did you know that Harveys Bristol Cream is Sherry? It’s actually the number one selling Sherry in the world!

This Sherry is crafted from four different styles of Sherry (Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso and Pedro Ximexez) and aged between 3-20 years in the traditional Solera system.

Serve it chilled (50-55 F) to open up its rich, yet mellow flavor notes.

All four of these Sherry offerings are from Gonzalez Byass. The first three Gonzalez Byass offerings come in both 375 ml (pictured) and 750 ml bottles. The Harveys Bristol Cream, also from Gonzalez Byass, is featured in a 750 ml bottle.

Hope you get a chance to sip one of these wonderful Sherries during International Sherry Week, or anytime, and keep these amazing pie-pairing in mind as you do. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Donna White Communications

Ever Wonder...What is Sherry?

Sherry is an often-misunderstood drink. A lot of people think of it as something used in cooking or something their grand-parents sipped on. But, Sherry is actually a wonderful beverage that’s enjoyed by many, especially Spaniards, who sip the good stuff like a fine Scotch.

True Sherry must come from the Andalucía region in southern Spain. But, many throughout the world try to imitate Sherry and label it as such.

Sherry starts out like a wine but the final product is quite different from a traditional wine. The primary grape used in making Sherry is Palomino - a white grape. Pedro Ximenéz and Moscatel grapes are also used. Like wine, the juice of the grape is fermented. But, after fermentation, the wine is fortified with grape spirits to 17% to 22 % ABV.

Dry Sherry ages under a cap of flor yeast, preventing the wine's contact with oxygen. These wines are usually crisp and refreshing. Other Sherries are aged in contact with air which gives them a nutty, rich flavor.

Some Sherry is then aged in a solera system, where vintages are blended together to ensure the consistency of the final product.

Sherry's flavor ranges from bone dry (very low residual sugar) to syrupy sweet:

Dry Sherry: Made predominately from the Palomino grape:

  • Fino & Manzanilla - Very light in flavor. Can have salty fruit flavors.

  • Amontillado - A bit bolder with nutty flavors.

  • Palo Cortado - This is much richer with roasted flavors of molasses and coffee.

  • Oloroso - This style is intentionally exposed to oxygen during aging resulting its dark appearance and nutty flavors.

Sweet Sherry: Made from Pedro Ximénez or Moscatel grapes:

  • Pedro Ximéniz (PX) - This is the sweetest style with flavors dates and figs.

  • Moscatel - This has sweet caramel flavors.

  • Sweet Sherry: A blend of Oloroso and PX Sherry.

And, it just so happens that International Sherry week is coming up November 8th through 14th, so look for this week’s Behind the Cork™ blog that will feature several really nice Sherry offerings. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Veramonte Cabernet Sauvignon

2019 Veramonte Cabernet Sauvignon ($11.99)

Here’s another returning favorite from Veramonte which is made with Organic grapes and a really good value.

The Veramonte wines are from organically farmed vineyards in Chile. Veramonte follows organic practices throughout their estate, ensuring optimum conditions for vine growth and that the vineyards are sustainable over time. Living, balanced soil produces quality grapes that express the fullest potential of the terroir.

The 2018 Veramonte Organic Cabernet Sauvignon is produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown in the Colchagua Valley. It underwent cold maceration for five days in stainless steel tanks and was fermented with native yeasts. After the primary fermentation, the wine is macerated with its skins for another ten days to achieve greater smoothness and intensity of flavor. It was then aged in neutral oak barrels for eight months.

It’s medium-ruby in color with deep, dark fruit aromas. This Cabernet Sauvignon is fruity with flavors of red fruit and sour cherry. And, a great value for a Cabernet Sauvignon!

These Veramonte wines are imported by González Byass USA and distributed nationally. For more information on these wines visit www.GonzalezByassUSA.com Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Donna White Communications