Akron Life November 2022

GOOD EATS

U N C O R K E D

by Eric Van Sant

Toast Masters Salute Akron Life ’s 20th anniversary with some bubbly.

Sur lie aging occurs when the wine is left in contact with remnants of the decomposing yeast, which provides extra depth and complexity to a wine.

MUMM NAPA BRUT PRESTIGE SPARKLING Hailing from Napa, California, this sparkling wine ($19.99) is roughly 45 percent chardonnay and 45 percent pinot noir, with the balance being pinot gris and pinot meunier. It undergoes stainless-steel fermentation, with selected lots seeing some French oak, and is aged for 18 months with an additional three months in the bottle. Done in the brut style, dry and crisp, it has notes of tropi cal fruit and pear on the nose. The bubbles are bright and effervescent. It’s great with smoked fish, ripe cheeses or fresh greens.

DOMAINE CARNEROS BRUT SPARKLING

DECOY BRUT CUVEE SPARKLING

Champagne and sparkling wine sales have

With grapes grown on a beauti ful 400-acre California estate vineyard, this Domaine Carneros Brut ($37.99) is mainly pinot noir with the remaining balance made up of chardonnay. It’s aged for a minimum of three years in the bottle and undergoes more sur lie aging before release. This process provides toasty, brioche aromas with notes of toasted almonds. Try it with goat cheeses, oysters and shellfish.

The famed Duckhorn Winery presents this selection ($20.99) that’s almost exactly even with pinot noir and chardonnay, with a splash of pinot meunier thrown in for balance. Crisp, tight bub bles tickle the nose, with notes of apple and honeysuckle. With subtle sweetness, this sparkler is well-suited for Asian fare or spicy dishes. Find these sparkling wines at select Giant Eagle, Acme Fresh Market and Buehler’s Fresh Foods locations.

recently increased significantly, and sparkling wines have taken the lead. Most sparkling wines are primarily chardonnay blended with pinot noir, with a slight addition of select varietals. These sparkling wines are all from California. Pop one of these open, and celebrate this month.

[ Eric Van Sant is a sales manager at Heidelberg Distributing Co. ] Comments? Email them to Kelly Petryszyn [kpetryszyn@bakermediagroup.com].

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