One fact proven throughout time is that Ozarkers love the outdoors.
All of the walking, cycling and driving trails in this region are a testament. Along with the outdoor activities, there is also outdoor dining. Whether in the backyard, on the deck or at the park, there is a certain joy from outdoor dining.
Now, to add elegance and opulence to an outdoor meal or get together, there’s nothing better than a sparkling wine.
Unfortunately, when one mentions sparkling wines, the name Champagne invariably comes up. Champagne is French, elegant and very costly. As a result of the higher cost, the wine is often reserved for special occasions and rarely served as part of a meal. Wine is a beverage that should accompany a meal, and that function also must include the sparkling wines.
Fortunately, there are other sparkling varieties that are of equal quality and enjoyment – and are considerably less costly than champagne. Among them are the sparkling wines of the Franciacorta region in Italy. The wines of Franciacorta are very popular in Europe because of their ability to meld with the nationality of practically any meal and will turn simple fare into a feast.
It is now time for sparkling wines to take their turn on the American dinner table.
Lantieri Extra Brut ($30)
This wine, as are most sparkling wines of Franciacorta, is produced using the centuries-old traditional process of fermenting and carbonating the wine in the bottle it will be sold in, which is identical to the method used to produce the French Champagnes. The aroma of this wine is characteristic of all wines fermented in the bottle, hints of bread and yeast enriched with delicate notes of citrus and dried fruits, such as almond, hazelnut and dried figs. The flavors are savory, fresh and enjoyable, and it deserves a place on the dinner table.
Berlucchi 61 Rose ($45)
This Franciacorta rose has an intense pink color derived from the time spent on the skins of the pinot noir grapes used to make this wine prior to fermentation. The aroma presents notes of wild berries and ripe fruit, yeast and bread crust. The red berries with a hint of cherry continue on to the flavor and then to the finish. This wine can even turn tuna surprise, meatloaf or sloppy Joes into a gourmet feast.
Ca d’Or Noble Rose ($42)
Beautiful bottle, beautiful pink color and a beautiful wine. The Ca d’Or sparkling rose captures all the great features of a pinot noir and chardonnay blend in a single sparkling wine. The true aromas and flavors of both varieties shine through and are amplified by the bubbles. This wine can accompany almost any food, and I found it to be a winner with Asian dishes.
Cortefusia Franciacorta Saten ($22)
“Saten” means silk and that word best describes the wine: silky. This pinot noir and chardonnay blend, the same blend that is used for many French Champagnes, can easily rival those costly wines and at a much lower price. The wine has been made as a white wine rather than a rose by not allowing the wine to have contact with the color forming skins. The result is a wine that more favors the chardonnay than the pinot noir by downplaying the red fruits and replacing them with smooth, luscious flavors of the chardonnay.
Cola Franciacorta Saten ($22)
Get the term cola out of your head; the only thing that this wine has in common with soda pop is the bubbles. It’s one of the few vintage-dated sparkling wines from Franciacorta and going one step farther, it is 100% chardonnay. The Cola Franciacorta Saten has the softness, smoothness and elegance that only a totally chardonnay wine can have. This wine is the perfect accompaniment for hors d’oeuvre, seafood, Asian dishes and even with brats while watching the game (don’t knock it before you try it).
Wine columnist Bennet Bodenstein can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.
June 29, 2021 at 06:23AM
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Wine Review: Get outdoors with sparkling wine, food pairings - Springfield Business Journal
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