Serving Sparkling Wine

Chill Sparkling Wine:

• 1/2 hour in refrigerator - top milk shelf is the coldest spot

• 15 minutes in ice bucket with ice and water (or in freezer)

• 10 minutes in ice bucket with ice, water and salt (salt makes ice melt faster, making it colder; remember this from making ice cream?)

• Ideal temperature is 42 degrees or the temperature you prefer

• Open chilled bottle carefully pointing the cork away from your and others.

We use the classic tall thin glass called a flute that shows off the bubbles rising. A tulip, which is slightly wider at the tip, is also ideal. But don't think you have to have exactly the right glass. Sparkling wine is also delicious poured into a regular wine glass. In fact, that's what our wine makers use for their technical tastings.

When you should serve sparkling wine is a matter of preference, but no need to save it for christening ships. A bottle on Friday sets the stage for the weekend, or celebrate making it through Monday.

Sparkling wine is a great food wine, of course it goes with an elegant dish. The Brut is 60% Pinot Noir so even if you don't like red wines you can always use sparkling wine to go with beef dishes. It is also great with a pizza or salad or hard to match cuisines like Thai, Japanese and Chinese.

Think about visiting a friends house, if they open a bottle of Chardonnay that's nice, if they open a bottle of sparkling wine that's a special welcome. It's hard to be sad when you're drinking champagne!!

Other information:

Sparkling wine glasses do not need to be chilled - the wine does.

Sparkling wine can be stored upright. The pressure in the bottle creates a hundred % humidity in the head space and keeps the cork moist.

Sparkling wine of fine quality, such as Domaine Carneros, is ready to drink when you are, but it can be aged for years (10 or more) in a cave place. The character of the wine will change picking up more toast and caramel notes.

A bottle of sparkling wine will serve 2 for dinner or 4 to 6 before dinner. There are six glasses in a bottle. We have restoppers that can keep a 1/2 bottle of sparkling wine in the refrigerator in good condition for 3 or 4 days.