Month: December 2013


Bubbles for the Holidays

Looking for that celebratory “POP” this holiday season? You have several options.

1. The most common sparkling wine is, of course, Champagne. Though people often use “champagne” to describe sparkling wine in general, true Champagne comes from the Champagne region in France. (Word to the wise: don’t loosely throw the term “champagne” around in front of French people. I.e. make sure you are actually referring to Champagne from Champagne… and not sparkling wine from somewhere else.)

2. Prosecco. This Italian sparkler is an inexpensive alternative to traditional Champagne. (It is made using a different, less-expensive method than Champagne, which is why it is cheaper — though still fun and delicious.)

3. Cava. This Spanish bubbly is made in the same method as Champagne (method champenoise). The secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle, as opposed to the charmat method that produces Prosecco, where the secondary fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. However, due to labeling rules and laws, Cava can’t be labeled “Champagne.” Again, that distinction is held only by sparkling wines produced in Champagne, France. Still, if you are looking to broaden your horizons, trying a Spanish Cava can be a great way to do it!

4. Domestic Sparkling Wine. The United States has no shortage of sparkling wine producers. One of the most well-known (and perhaps easiest to fine at your local store) is Korbel, from California. (Their sparkling wines are produced the same manner as the Cava and Champagne.) But wineries all over the country produce sparkling wine– using a variety of methods.

Make sure to grab a bottle of bubbly for New Years Eve — but remember that sparkling wine need not be saved for that holiday or special occasions. It can be a great drink to pair with rich foods, or just a fun bottle to open whenever. Make up a reason to celebrate and pop open something sparkling!

 

 

 

 

Top TEN Wine Memes of 2013!!

Top 10 (or top whatever) lists are ubiquitous at the end of every year. Top ten movies, top ten books, top ten wines… you get the point. We are posting OUR top ten list a couple of weeks early. Everyone is posting about the holidays; we want to be ahead of the curve. Wine memes have been the most popular posts on our Facebook page so we have compiled a list of the Top 10 Wine Memes of 2013 according to our Facebook fans! If your favorite didn’t make the list, feel free to share it with us! We are always on the look out for more.

Number 10:

cbeb7e3ea8039747f43b21e5911c1b33

 

Number 9:

0aac0611266f54b669651c7f843a0302

Number 8:

7cf7f82d346ef44b415625ae250f1d10

Number 7:

298a59a1bbf843967f981e20d04c3ec4

Number 6:

1391633_637331696317422_1037860601_n

Number 5:

1424452_654537167930208_52024141_n

Number 4:

1381519_630684590315466_1115420982_n

Number 3:d89c426d1525a935c15205373d55e1a6

 

Number 2:

1377249_623181484399110_1550725450_n

 

 

And the Number 1 wine meme of 2013 according to Harvest Ridge Winery Facebook fans, with 219 “likes” and 139 “shares” was the WINE ADVENT CALENDAR!!!1465295_650161428367782_1384016767_n