Cause for celebration
Affordable bubbly makes good stuff
Karylyn Parsons
Good Stuff! In the immortal words of The B-52’s: “Good stuff, give me some of that good stuff.”
When I conjure up images of the good life there is always a chilled bucket of champagne in the picture.
Enjoy a glass of champagne and people will ask what you’re celebrating.
There is a Pavlovian response to hearing a bottle of champagne being uncorked. It is a magical sound that makes you say “I want to join the party!”
Champagne is a fascinating wine, which is made from three different grape varietals: pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay.
It is the only wine in the world, where it is permissible for the different grapes to be pressed together.
Champagne is also unique because it undergoes a second fermentation, which is where the elegant bubbles are created.
On these beautiful islands there is always an occasion to drink the bubbly, be it to toast a sublime sunset or breathtaking view.
And during these trying economical time you need not spare the sparkle, because our friends in Spain and California offer delicious wines made in the “ Methode Champenoise.”
These are wine created in the same style as the French classic. But they are far less expensive.
Only wines from Champagne region of France can be called Champagne. But you can find Cava from Spain and sparkling wine from California and Washington State.
The classic houses founded many of these wineries.
For example, Domaine Carneros hails from Taittinger and Domaine Chandon from Moët Chandon.
Sparkling wines are not just for special occasions. In fact they are one of the best wines in the world to pair with food.
They compliment classic shellfish and are also excellent with spicy and salty dishes.
Try experimenting and you’ll be surprised. Cheers!
Karylyn Parsons is wine director for West Indies Corp in St. Thomas.
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