Browsing Tag

cava

Champagne, Drinks, Sparkling Wine
5 Amazing Organic Sparklers for Earth Day

Isn’t that a pretty picture? It’s from the 100% pesticide and herbicide-free vineyards of Cavas Recaredo in Spain. Earth Day is approaching, and I’m looking forward to celebrating at the Iron Horse Vineyards’ Green Valley Earth Day Party. Since I last wrote about organic champagne or sparkling wine for Earth Day, there has been a large increase in the number of organic wines on the market, and that applies to bubbly as well. While some people aren’t convinced that wines made from organically raised grapes taste any different, I swear I always pick up an extraordinary level of clarity in these wines. It feels like drinking a liquid crystal, if that makes any sense. And of course, the fact that the grapes aren’t sprayed with chemical fertilizers or pesticides means that it’s better for the workers who have to tend those grapes as well as Mother Earth. Here are some…
April 17, 2013
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
Cocktail Recipes
Cocktails to Crave: The Old Cuban

After doing a little event for a group of women attorneys at The Bubble Lounge last week, I went out for drinks with Heather and Marie, a pair of new foodie friends. As we scanned the menu at a hip vintage style watering hole in the Financial District, Heather was disappointed that the Old Cuban — her favorite new drink — wasn’t on the menu. I told her to ask for one anyway. It’s my new favorite too and a modern classic that any bartender worth his salt knows how to make. Apparently not. The waiter brought over two pale cocktails that looked like mojitos. Close — since the Old Cuban is a variant of the mojito. Both are made with lime, mint, simple syrup and benefit from a good golden or dark rum with some age, like Zaya, Smith & Cross or El Dorado 12. But what makes an…
November 19, 2010
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
Four Organic Sparkling Wines for Earth Day Weekend

The weather was odd this Earth Day 2010, with strong showers and wind alternating with patches of sun. It’s like Mother Nature is bi-polar, or she’s trying to show off all of her stuff in one day. One of the best ways to show your love for the planet and your body is by drinking wine made from organically grown grapes. These wines used to be hard to find, but these days with increased awareness about the dangers that pesticides can pose to the earth, farm-workers and end consumers, there’s lots of choice. One of the best places to find international organic wines online remains The Organic Wine Company and Whole Foods Markets around the country also have a good selection. Read up on all sorts of organic wines at Organic Wine Review.com. I especially like sparkling wines made from organic grapes. My favorite sparkling wines have a sheer and…
April 23, 2010