Browsing Tag

Brachetto

Drinks
The Bubbly Girl Drink of the Week: Sparkling Strawberry Summer Sangria

Summer is almost upon us, so I figured it was time to start concocting one of my favorite styles of summer drinks: sangria. Sangria, which takes its name from the Spanish word for blood, is usually a mix of red wine, fruit, spirits and a little spice. But really, any inexpensive wine — red, white, or bubbly — can be the start of delicious sangria, as I learned while travelling through Spain’s cava sparkling wine region. Gareth of Mont Marçal Cava shared his Spanish sangria recipe that works equally well with red or white wine. They can be made year-round with whatever fruit you have on hand, but to me sangrias are most delicious in summer, when they showcase fleeting gems like apricots, white cherries and ripe berries. One of my favorite sangria recipes ever is this Apricot & White Cherry Sangria I created a couple seasons ago. Best of…
June 19, 2011
Champagne, Drinks, Shopping
Real champagne for $20? Mais oui if you’re at Grocery Outlet

For the past few weeks, a new friend has been telling me about the wine bargains he finds at a placed called Grocery Outlet. Actually, he calls it Gross Out, so I can’t say I had been in a hurry to get over there. But when he brought a couple white wines to dinner that were surprisingly good, my curiosity got the best of me. It looks like a bodega outside, with bins piled high with oranges and mini watermelons. Inside, racks are piled equally high with everything from toilet paper and toothpaste to flower pots. I snagged some organic baby green mix in the produce section, then went to track down the wine. Along the way I noticed a very extensive cheese section, where a woman explained to her friend what “ricotta salata” was. On the display opposite the cheese, I spotted my first wines. I picked up an…
June 13, 2011
Drinks, Wine + Food Pairing
Great Ideas for Last Minute Valentine’s Day Drinks & Food

[nggallery id=4] Even if you already celebrated Valentine’s Day over the weekend, it’s nice to extend the love-fest one more day, no? So if you’re still trying to think of a special and easy to treat your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day, you’re in luck. I’ve put together a slide show of some of my favorite pink foods and drinks — along with simple recipes and wine pairing suggestions. Most of the recipes have appeared at some time or another on The Bubbly Girl.com. Stop by the recipes section for the Kismet Cocktail, Raspberry Royale cocktail, the Chocolate Corks, which are airy but chocolaty and moist since they start with a yeast-based chocolate dough. To make the super-simple and classic Jack Rose cocktail, add 1 ounce Pama pomegranate liqueur, two ounces applejack (or Calvados if you can’t find it) and the juice of half a lime to a cocktail shaker filled…
February 14, 2011
Cocktail Recipes
Two Sparkling Sangria Recipes for Mother’s Day Weekend

Sangria is traditionally made with dry red wine, but there’s no reason you can’t mix it up. Try these two party-sized recipes: a potent Brachetto berry sangria spiked with Cognac, and an authentic sparkling cava sangria that I discovered in Spain.
May 6, 2010
Sparkling Wine
Prosecco & Great Italian Bubbly for $20 or Less

Sipping our bubbly with sushi one day, my friend Lyndsay told me that on her last trip to Las Vegas, a bartender told her that all Italian sparkling wine isn’t Prosecco. She wasn’t convinced, so she asked moi, The Bubbly Girl. While Prosecco, which comes from the Veneto region and stars in the famous Bellini from Harry’s Bar is quite famous, there are lots of other sparkling wines from Italy. In fact, Italy makes more different sparkling wines than any other country. And with one exception, all the Italian bubblies in this post can be had for less than $20 a bottle. Probably the most elegant sparkler from Italy is the one that many people have yet to discover: Franciacorta. It’s crisp, elegant and has a toasty aged flavor, very similar to champagne. Try to look for Franciacorta from Ca’ del Bosco, considered one of the best producers in Lombardy;…
February 17, 2009