Today we continue our look at sparkling wines. In addition to being terrific choices for special occasions, they\u2019re also great beverages for summertime sipping. Here are a few personal choices that I\u2019ve tried as of late and think you might enjoy:<\/p>\n
The Segura Viudas Aria Brut <\/strong>(about $10) is a lively Spanish Cava that\u2019s affordable enough to drink on a regular basis. It\u2019s crisp, frothy, and slightly yeasty with just a trace of sweetness on the finish. If you enjoy mimosas, try blending the Aria (instead of the ultra-cheap $4 a bottle sparkling wine) with fresh-squeezed orange juice at your next weekend brunch.<\/p>\n A combination of chardonnay and pinot noir, the Schramsberg Mirabelle Brut <\/strong>(about $19, pictured at left) from California begins with a beautiful floral\/strawberry aroma and is followed by layers of fruit flavors that end in a creamy, yet dry finish. I picked up my bottle at Gateway Wines in downtown Bellingham.<\/p>\n If you prefer your sparkling wines a bit on the sweeter side, try the Mumm Napa Cuv\u00e9e M Sec <\/strong>(about $20). It\u2019s highlighted by subtle flavors of stone fruits and fresh baked bread with a honey-like finish that contrasts nicely with spicy foods.<\/p>\n My new favorite sparkling wine is the Mumm Napa Blanc de Noirs<\/strong> (about $19). This incredible blend of 85 percent pinot noir and 15 percent chardonnay begins with a pale salmon color and streams of fine bubbles that look exquisite in a fluted glass. Gentle flavors of pear and apple melt into a crisp, dry finish that suggests wild strawberries. This is a must-try wine for Champagne and sparkling wine enthusiasts. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today we continue our look at sparkling wines. In addition to being terrific choices for special occasions, they\u2019re also great beverages for summertime sipping. Here are a few personal choices that I\u2019ve tried as of late and think you might enjoy: The Segura Viudas Aria Brut (about $10) is a lively Spanish Cava that\u2019s affordable […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-from-the-bellingham-herald"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=219"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}