Filed under: Wine
Donna Karan's fashion line DKNY is celebrating its 20th anniversary in traditional fashion, with a bottle of bubbly. Or many bottles in this case, the brand is working with Napa winery Chandon to create a DKNY sparkling wine which will have a special bottle design and will be available at the Chandon winery in Napa and on Chandon.com, as well as being given to guests attending the spring/summer 2009 runway show in New York.Filed under: Wine
.jpg)
Italian prosecco is in the process of re-branding itself as the "softer, lighter" bubbly, not to mention cheaper. Production has already increased thirty-fold over the past four decades, with plans for greater distribution particularly to emerging wine markets like China, where marketing drives the majority of sales, relegating prosecco to champagne wannabe status. Hence Italy's support of reserving the name prosecco for wine produced only within the region, a formerly Slovenian area that's been growing grapes since the 1500s, to up the exclusivity factor. Oh, and then there was that little Paris Hilton promo. Italian winemakers disparaged the pairing (she was, after all, promoting an Austrian-crafted sparkling wine in a can), but Paris certainly knows a thing or two about aspirational status.Filed under: Wine
Following fast on the heels of Spanish wine, Mundo Gay comes France's first gay wine. Decanter reports that Tendre Bulle Gay Vin will be launched by Domaine de Boyer on July 1.The wine is a sparkling rosé from Languedoc-Roussillon. The bottle will show two heads in profile facing each other. The words 'Gay Vin' appear underneath and the letters G and L, for gay and lesbian, will appear on the capsule. About 13,000 bottles have already been made of the non-vintage, méthode champenoise Gay Vin. Sounds like the perfect wine for a gay marriage celebration.Filed under: Wine
Champagne producer Louis Roederer has put a new twist on aging their sparkling wine, they are testing out aging the wine in the cold seawater 50 feet down in the bay of Mont Saint-Michel off the coast of Normandy, France. Roederer has placed several dozen bottles underwater and plan to bring them up in one year and hold a tasting session to compare them against wines aged the traditional way in their sellers. Roederer is the first producer to test aging sparkling wine in this way but others use this message for still wines including the Cavas Submarinas wine from Chile.Filed under: Wine
The folks from Marilyn Wines, the brand emblazoned with the image of Marilyn Monroe, have released a new sparkling wine for those who want to celebrate New Year's Eve with a bubbly blonde. The Blonde de Noirs 2004 is a sparkling blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier from California's North Coast. The lightly pinkish wine is described as having delicate fruit and a persistent sparkle. They have produced 1,000 cases of the wine and it sells for $30.Filed under: Wine
Filed under: Wine
Ayala, a French champagne house owned by Bollinger has launched a sugar-free version of French champagne. The Cuvée Rosé Nature is a a pink champagne with no added sugar. While a normal flute of champagne runs 89 calories, the new rosé will be around 65 for a per bottle total of 390 calories rather than 534. The wine is missing the liquefied sugar, called the dosage, which is normally added to champagne before bottling to balance the flavor. The zero dosage rosé is is designed to appeal to wmen looking for a low-calorie, low-sugar option. The bottles will sell for around £45 each. The company also makes a no dosage version of their Brut Majeur champagne.Filed under: Wine
Late-disgorged doesn't have an appealing ring to it but it really just means that a sparkling wine has been given a little more time to age which can often add an appealing complexity. Cliff Lede Vineyards are releasing their 1999 S. Anderson Blanc de Noir Late Disgorged this month. Vintage sparklers usually undergo two or three years of lees contact but wines labeled late-disgorged will spend 5-10 years evolving on the lees. The S. Anderson Blanc de Noirs was bottled in April 2000 and disgorged in November 2006. The tasting notes say that it has notes of marzipan, caramel and peach. The light sparkling wine can be purchased for $28. Filed under: Wine
To my mind, the official Champagne season starts at Thanksgiving, rockets through Christmas and New Years, carries through the Super Bowl (who celebrates with beer?) and ends with a flourish on St. Valentine's Day. There's no better match for the pink festooned holiday than a rosé sparkler. Billecart-Salmon is a small, family-owned Champagne house and their Brut Rosé Champagne has both gorgeous color and delicious taste that doesn't whack you over the head with sweetness. It is a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. It can be found for around $40.Filed under: Wine
It's not Champagne, it's Bubbly. That's the simple pitch behind a new sparkling wine known simply as Bubbly. The wine is produced in Slovenia near the Austrian border and uses Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Welschriezling and Furmint grapes. It comes in a range of styles starting with the Bubbly Luck Sec for $60 and ending with the 2001 VIntage Blanc et Blanc Bubbly Bliss which sells for $90. I haven't been able to find any other information on these wines but I'm definitely intrigued.Filed under: Wine
As the public finally learns that sparkling wine is more than just Champagne, producers of sparklers in the United States are getting more attention. A recent article in an Oregon newspaper rounds up several of the top producers in the Willamette Valley which are creating sparkling wines. The climate is similar to the Champagne region in France and to England which has also been creating well-regarding sparkling wines recently.
The Dom got the gold stud treatment so why not a bottle of sparkling wine spackled with diamonds? A bottle of 2004 Kattus Hochriegl, a sparkling wine from Austria decorated with 49 diamonds will be auctioned off next month for charity. The bottle is worth 10,000 euros (over $13,000) and will be auctioned off January 22. For those of you who would rather have your diamonds on your body than on your bottle but still like a bit of sparkle, there is a limited edition Swarovksi crystal covered edition available.Filed under: Wine, Holiday Guides
An extra bottle of wine is always welcome around the holidays. It can be just another bottle to add to the crowded table or it can be truly blockbuster. The fun of selecting these wines would be only beaten by the ability to sample all of them or buy more of them for my personal use, especially the last one on my list... But let's began with one that I drank just a couple of days ago.Filed under: Wine
When the weather gets cooler my palate turns toward red wine but also toward sparkling whites. After all, holiday parties and dinners often get their kick from the pop of a bottle of the bubbly. I recently had an occasion of my own to celebrate (alas, another year older) which was an excellent chance to try out the 2002 Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs. I've long been a fan of the Schramsberg sparklers and this one is excellent. The wine is 100% Chardonnay using grapes from Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Marin counties. It has a nice citrusy taste that finishes lightly on the tongue. The golden wine would make an excellent apertif to start off a holiday dinner and sells for around $32.50.Filed under: Wine
We all know that Paris Hilton likes to party and since her recent drunken driving episode her association with a wine in a can seems even a bit more dodgy than usual. Paris has been shilling for Rich Prosecco, a sparkling wine in a can similar to the Sofia. ONTD has pics of her promo campaign which like other Paris ad campaigns features the blonde heiress lounging around in a bathing suit somewhere near a wind machine. Perhaps if Paris had stuck to these tiny cans instead of drinking a margarita she wouldn't have been in that whole drunken driving mess to start with.
PHOTO: Dog Guards Dead Victim's Body After Oklahoma Tornado Disaster
11K
Live from Microsoft's New Generation Xbox event!
877
Demi Looks FANTASTIC In A Bikini
39
Xbox Reveal liveblog on Joystiq
339
Dozens Killed in Oklahoma Tornado; Death Toll to Rise
3K
Who Won 'DWTS'?
987
Justin Bieber Booed, Gets Standing Ovation at Billboard Music Awards
3K
2013 Billboard Music Awards Best and Worst Dressed
223
Wolf Blitzer's Embarrassing Moment With Tornado Survivor
16K
Watch: Kansas Meteorologist Seeks Shelter From Tornado
781
Xbox One architecture panel liveblog!
67
PHOTOS: This Is The Best Response To Abercrombie CEO Mike Jeffries We've Seen Yet
4K
Two Pilots Fired After Brazilian Pop Star Takes Captain's Seat Mid-Flight
24
Xbox One hardware and specs: 8-core CPU, 8GB RAM, 500GB hard drive and more
4K
Man Reportedly Beheaded In Brutal Assault In London Neighborhood
3K
Selena Gomez Leaving Justin Bieber's House: Booty Call Rumors Swirl
278
Rescuers Continue Search For Tornado Survivors
256
The World's Most Powerful Women
631
PHOTOS: Christie Brinkley Gets Back Into A Swimsuit At 59 Years Old
215
Mother Dies With Infant During Oklahoma Tornado
451
U.S. Acknowledges Four American Citizens Killed In Drone Strikes
4K
NY Times Eviscerates Obama White House
5K
Help For Heroes Killing
5K
PHOTOS: Tornado Aftermath Leaves Trail Of Destruction
3K
60 Minutes Makes All The Difference For $360 Million Jackpot
387
15 Incredible Cat Photobombs
6K
White Father Allegedly Suspected Of Kidnapping Biracial Daughters
17K
Singer Sues McDonald's, Claims Chicken Sandwich Incident Ruined Her Voice
480
CBS Reporter's Grave Allegations
738
Grossed Out Student Finds "Worm" In His McMuffin
908
Mila Kunis And Ashton Kutcher Put Their Romance On Display
72
Tara Ellison: Why I Gave A Toast At My Ex-Husband's Wedding
159