First thing: a quick update- we now have a subscribe option! Now, instead of impatiently refreshing your page every day, you can sign up to get notifications when we update! Just click the Talk to Me tab or the link on the top of the sidebar. Now on to business as usual.
Do you ever see a group of people and think to yourself that they don’t actually belong in the world? Like, obviously they are real people but they look like they should be in some fancy magazine instead of casually enjoying some Wednesday night two-for-one margaritas?
Let me explain.
My roommates and I live in a quirky little house in the Green Hills area of Nashville. Recently, we've gotten some new neighbors who have been in the process of renovating the house next door.
The other night, they had a party.
To my group of friends, a party usually means some drinks, some tortilla chips, and sometimes guacamole. If we're really feeling fancy, we might put up streamers.
The neighbors however, seem to have a somewhat different idea.
Their party was like a Pinterest board come to life. I'm talking hanging lanterns, a super fancy fire-pit and those cool stringy lights across their entire backyard (admittedly we do have some of those stringy lights... but ours are these plastic ones from Target, and theirs are like high-level actual glass Pottery Barn lights so…). It was when I was creepily standing at my window staring at them (and looking at the burned patch of lawn that represents the last time we had a bonfire) that I felt like I was looking at a party from Food and Wine magazine instead of my neighbors having a bonfire. Cue jealousy.
I think a lot of this stems from my secret desire to be a cool fancy person— in my heart I too would love to be able to throw a party with an artisan snack table. However, the closest I’ve come to being a cool fancy person is buying fancy bottles of sparkling wine and pretending to be classy… which was how I discovered the Cavicchioli 1928 Prosecco.
I’ll admit, sparkling wines are probably the wines I know the least about. For years I mostly operated on the “I like bubbly,” mentality, but if you’d asked me anything about the different kinds of sparkling wine I probably would’ve just blinked at you like an owl.
BUT, luckily that was then, and this is now (although I admit I chose this one 100% based first on the price—$14.99— and second on the label). The wine comes from a village outside Modena, Italy (coincidentally where most balsamic vinegars also come from…)
Before we jump into this one, I’m going to give you the quick run-down of the world of sparkling wine.
Sparkling wine basically refers to any wine that’s had a secondary fermentation. (winemakers will add yeast and sugar to the wine and put it back in the bottle with what’s basically a beer bottle cap. Then after a bit, they freeze the bottles until the leftover yeast and sugar rises to the top like a little icicle and then they chop if off and put in a cork. I’m not even kidding. Google it). The most well-known of the sparkling wines is probably Champagne, although Prosecco and Cava are pretty popular as well.
Pink Foam!!!
Contrary to popular belief, Champagne actually refers to an appellation in France (growing region- remember those?) where the type of wine is made. It is, in fact, illegal to refer to your wine as “Champagne” unless it was grown in that region. That’s why Italian sparkling wines are referred to as Proseccos. Prosecco is typically made from a grape called “Glera,” (which to me sounds more like a space monster), and are usually a little sweeter than most Champagnes. Unlike Champagne, they don’t age well (for comparison, there have been bottles of Champagne recovered from the Titanic that are completely drinkable, while a Prosecco’s got maaaaaaybe 4-7 years of aging before it tastes terrible).
In the glass, the Cavicchioli is a pretty, light, almost straw-colored yellow. First sip reminds me a lot of green apples, but maybe more like an apple Jolly Rancher (in a good way obviously). It also has a sort of apricot aftertaste which is pretty delightful (for the record, I did try smelling this one but I got bubbles up my nose), Speaking of bubbles, the bubbles are nice and tiny, but pretty soft— not like the kind of sparkling that’s so bubbly you feel like you’re drinking pop rocks.
Mmmm berries!
We also experimented with adding mixed berries (we found that a combo of blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries were perfect). It also made the foam pink.
OUR RATING: Delightful sparkling wine, probably designed for warm weather, but still works well in fall. Made even better with the addition of berries.
I’D DRINK THIS:
With spiced apple cider as a “fall mimosa” with other cinnamon type breakfast items. (Thanks to Jamie at mngirlinla.com for the recipe!)
At a fall wedding in a barn, probably riiiiight before the weather gets too cold to be outside
As an aperitif to celebrate that there’s less than a month until Christmas season.
At my own fancy party (hahaha neighbors!)