The Bubbly Girl

Wine Review: Va de Vi from Gloria Ferrer

October 18, 2011

People often ask me to name my favorite bubbly. And my answer is always the same: it depends.

I appreciate sparkling wines ranging from the crisp brut nature champagne to the deep dark sparkling shiraz from Australia to the sparkling ice wine from Canada. What I want depends on what food I’m eating.

I found that the right food made all the difference with VA\a de Vi, a dry (read slightly sweet) sparkling wine that’s a recent release from Gloria Ferrer in Sonoma. The first time I tried it, we didn’t connect.

But when I tried it with a variety of Asian foods that might be challenging for other wines, Va de Vi charmed me with its versatility.

Va de Vi is a golden méthode champenoise sparkling wine with persistent medium-fine bubbles. The winery calls it an “ultra cuvée” crafted from a blend of 89% pinot noir, 8% chardonnay plus 3% muscat and then aged for 18 months. The aroma is quite fruity with hints of golden apple and peach. The golden apple carries through in the flavor, along with toasty bread notes and some deeper hints of cherry and plum. And while Va de Vi has a hint of sweetness, it’s also got mouth-watering acidity.

A friend who often shares bubbly with me even though it’s not his thing liked it right away. He said the Va de Vi felt softer than some of the other sparkling wines we’d tried.

The first food I tasted with it was a Japanese seven spice-crusted ahi tuna salad with pickled ginger, avocado and a rice vinegar and soy dressing. The Va de Vi brought out the sweetness in the ahi tuna and ginger while complementing the saltiness of the soy sauce.

I poured another glass with my leftovers from a weekend trip to Mission Chinese Food, where most of the food is laden with Szechwan peppercorn, red peppers and jalapeño for good measure. The Va de Vi was the perfect foil for Thrice Cooked Bacon, a smoky jumble of bacon, salty black beans, chewy tofu skin, bitter melon and healthy dose of chili oil. The wine tamed the spice while lifting the flavor of smokiness of the dish.

I poured the last of my Va de Vi with spicy tuna roll and California rolls with real crab. Va de Vi was a perfect sushi wine, as it enhanced the flavors of the seafood while softening the edges on the soy and wasabi. By this time, Va de Vi felt like an old friend. And I was sorry to see it go.

NV Gloria Ferrer Va de Vi Sonoma County Sparkling Wine, about $19

Bubbly Events

Think Pink & Bubbly for Breast Cancer Awareness

October 10, 2011

I never, ever need an excuse to drink brut rosé sparkling wine or champagne. But there’s even more reason to enjoy pink bubbly when it helps raise money for breast cancer research during the month of October.

On October 13, Domaine Chandon presents Pink Party 2011, the winery’s annual fundraiser for breast cancer awareness. This year, the exuberant party has been restyled as “Eve of Hope”, a swank $125 per person fashion show featuring creations by Whitney Port. Port gained name recognition after appearing on The Hills and The City. But she proved she had some fashion cred by working for Diane von Furstenburg before launching her own line Whitney Eve.

Whitney Port is the featured designer at “Eve of Hope,” the Oct. 15 Domaine Chandon Pink Party to benefit Breast Cancer Council of America.

Party-goers can expect lots of Domaine Chandon Etoile Rosé–a subtle rosé with hints of dried cranberry and hazelnut – to accompany appetizers by Chef Perry Hoffman of Etoile Restaurant. To order tickets for the 5:30 to 8:3 p.m. event, call 888-242-6366 or visit www.chandon.com

Australian sparkling wine producer Yellowglen is sponsoring a Sparkle for a Cause campaign during the month of October. For every bottle of Pink – their fun and fruity rosé- purchased this month, Yellowglen will donate $1 to the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation.Â The company has pledged to donate a maximum of $25,000 to the organization which creates memorable events for people losing their fight with breast cancer.

Korbel Winery is donating $1 towards breast cancer research for every new “Like” on theeir Facebook page.

Korbel Winery is working to raise money for a cure with its Toast Life Foundation. For every new “Like” on the Korbel Facebook Page, the company is donating $1 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, with a maximum donation of $10,000. If you’ve never tried it, Korbel’s Brut Rosé is a dry (as in not sweet) méthode champenoise wine with lots of strawberry and cherry notes, thanks to its blend of pinot noir and gamay grapes.

So spread the word, buy some bubbly and help fund a breast cancer cure. And while you’re at it, take time this month to do a self breast exam– remember, early detection saves lives!

Cocktail Recipes, Drinks

Bubbly Girl Drink of the Week: Have a Pleasant Evening at Rickhouse

September 30, 2011

I’ve been to Rickhouse several times for special events, but I recently got to hang out there while showing around a bartender visiting from Chicago. And now it’s become my favorite bar in San Francisco.

Once the door closes behind you, I like the way it feels like you’re in a different place. With its rough wood paneling, dim light and chicken wire detailing, the bar is set up to look like a rick house, a warehouse out in the country where barrels of whiskey are stored. Even the bathrooms are kind of like visiting an outhouse, sans the aroma.

Rickhouse is well-known for its punch bowls, like the popular Pimm’s Berry Punch. But we were impressed with the creative cocktails on the menu, most of which were just $8.

We slid into the open seats at the end of the bar and immediately started chatting with a friendly couple who had come down from Fairfield one one side and a businessman visiting from Boston on the other. But the center of attention was our bartender Ricky Paiva, who sported an impressive mustache that twirled up on the ends.

In between mixing cocktails like the sparkling Pleasant Evening and the Blue & Red Smash, a Bulleit Bourbon cocktail with muddled berries and mint, Ricky told us the story behind his mustache.

Ricky is one of the most entertaining bartenders at Rickhouse.

Most people think it goes with his authentic old-time mixologist look. But it was a remnant from his stint in a friend’s Burt Reynolds style wedding, complete with leisure suits and Lonnie Anderson white wine.

Bartenders are cool about sharing recipes for their drinks. When I asked how to make a Pleasant Evening, Ricky printed a small receipt with the recipe and the type of glass to make it in. So here you go:

Pleasant Evening

1/2 ounce crème de cassis

3/4 ounce fresh grapefruit juice

2 dashes peach bitters

3 ounces brut sparkling wine

grapefruit peel, for garnish

Shake the cassis, grapefruit juice and bitters in a shaker to chill, then strain into a champagne coupe. Top with the sparkling wine and garnish with grapefruit peel.

Makes 1 cocktail

Bubbly Events

Nectarine Blossom & Honey Giveaway from Jo Malone Saks SF

September 27, 2011

A sparkling cocktail that blends cucumber, persimmon and orange flower water awaits at the Saks SF Wild Bluebell launch party 3 p.m. Friday. Retweet the invite to win a full size Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom Cologne.

It’s been a whirlwind weekend of pairing mixology with fragrance at the launch of Jo Malone’s Wild Bluebell scent in the Bay Area. While I’m not mixing cocktails, I’ve had a lot of time to explore the some deeper and more exotic fragrances in the line.

The whole idea behind Jo Malone’s fragrance line helping people create their ownÂ custom scent by combining different colognes.Â I love the way dewy and fresh Wild Bluebell smells with Orange Blossom, Grapefruit, and 154. But my favorite pairing is Wild Bluebell with juicy Nectarine Blossom & Honey.

Nectarine Blossom & Honey smells just like a fresh ripe fruit mixed with vetyver, acacia honey and black currant.

Wild Bluebell launches at Saks Union Square on Friday Sept. 30 – you canÂ RSVP at 415-438-5243 for the 3 p.m. presentation. Danielle Morgenstern of Jo Malone Saks decided to sweeten the invite:

She’s giving away a full size bottle of Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne ($110 value) to one lucky girl – or guy. Here are the two ways to enter:

On Twitter: Follow @thebubblygirl

AND retweet the following:

Jo Malone Saks SF & @thebubblygirl launch Wild Bluebell at 3 p.m. 9/30 Follow & RT to win tinyurl.com/3as54f6

On Facebook:

LIKE The Bubbly Girl and tell us about your favorite Jo Malone Fragrance.

The contest starts today Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. PST and ends at 10 a.m. Sept. 30. I’ll contact the randomly selected winner to get your mailing address.

Bubbly Events, Shopping

A Scented Soirée: Jo Malone & The Bubbly Girl Launch Wild Bluebell Sept. 22-30, 2011

September 22, 2011

I’m joining Jo Malone to make fragrant cocktails for the launch of their new fragrance Wild Bluebell.

Whenever I create a new cocktail, my inspiration usually starts with an amazing piece of seasonal fruit, a fun sparkling wine or a unique spirit that captures my imagination. Then I start adding other flavors to create a cocktail that’s harmonious and complex.

That’s the same way the perfumers at the British fragrance brand Jo Malone blend fruit, floral and spice aromas to create a beguiling scent. I love the way Jo Malone fragrances like White Jasmine and Mint, Nectarine Blossom and Honey and Lime Blossom perfectly capture those natural aromas. Their latest creation is Wild Bluebell, a dewy and slightly mysterious floral scent.

This month I’ll be working with Jo Malone to present a series of interactive cocktail and fragrance parties to explore the elements in the new fragrance Wild Bluebell.

Our heroine Wild Bluebell grew up in a grand English country manor. When she was a young woman, she left home to go traveling the world on different adventures. When she returned home years later, she discovered that her childhood home had fallen into neglect; overrun with namesake wild bluebell flowers. The scent was so intoxicating, she couldn’t resist falling into the fragrant carpet of flowers — kinda like in the picture above.

Wild Bluebell starts with top notes of wild bluebell and orange flower water, heart notes of persimmon and eglantine rose and finishes base notes of white musk. It’s made to be layered with other scents in the Jo Malone range, the same way spirits like gin and brandy pair with a range of other spirits, liqueurs and fruits.

Call the stores directly to reserve a place at one of these scented soirées:

Sept. 22 – Nordstrom Walnut Creek, 4 p.m.
RSVP: 925-930-7959 ext. 1042.

Sept. 23 – Neiman Marcus San Francisco, 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m.
RSVP: 415-362-3900 ext 211.

Sept. 24 – Neiman Marcus Palo Alto, 1 and 2:30 p.m.
RSVP: 650-329-3300.

Sept. 30 – Saks Fifth Avenue San Francisco, 3 p.m.
RSVP: 415-438-5243.