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Seven tips for falling in love with sparkling wine on Valentine’s Day
Tessa Berg Photos
If you’re popping the cork with a special someone this Valentine’s Day, you don’t want your sparkling wine to fall flat. We asked three local experts to give their advice for buying and serving the best bubbly.
1. Spend a little or a lot—but don’t expect many well-priced options in between. “Spending more than $20 and less than $50 is usually a really poor return on your money,” says Chris Dillman, wine steward at Giant Eagle Market District and an advanced sommelier. “Keep it easy: Spend 15 bucks and get two bottles.” He recommends Casteller Cava Brut ($12) for everyday drinking, and Gaston Chiquet Blanc de Blancs d’Ay Grand Cru ($121/1.5 liter) for a splurge.
2. Sparkling wine is great before dinner, but doesn’t always lend itself to pairing with a meal, according to Jeff Shupe, general manager of Mitchell’s Ocean Club. “Typically Champagnes are paired with shellfish or even sushi, but you don’t want to mask the flavor of the wine with really heavy foods.”
3. True Champagne comes only from France, and you may know cava from Spain, prosecco and Asti from Italy, and sparkling wines from California. But don’t be afraid to venture farther off the beaten path, says Olivia Carney, manager of Spagio Wine Lounge. She recommends Gruet Brut ($17) from New Mexico and Firelands Brut ($15) from Northern Ohio.
Drink Pink
Looking to color-coordinate your Valentine’s cocktail? Toast your love at Mouton with the Oyo Collins ($12), made with local vodka, St. Germain liqueur, fresh-squeezed lemon and house-made grenadine. The drink is bright and citrusy, with a pomegranate tang that’s fruity but not too sweet.
4. A tableside ice bucket is a must at restaurants—not to mention a romantic touch that will get the attention of other diners. “You definitely want to keep it cold,” Shupe says. “If it gets warm it gets really fizzy and it will start overflowing the glass.”
5. When opening a bottle, keep a towel over it and turn the bottle, not the cork, Shupe says. When pouring, start by introducing a small amount to each glass so it doesn’t overflow.
6. Roses aren’t just pretty in pink, they can be great wines. Dillman recommends the Patrick Bottex Bugey-Cerdon La Cueille Rose ($25), with big, exuberant bubbles and candied strawberry and cherry notes. One of Carney’s favorites is Raventos i Blanc Cava Brut Rose ($26), which has fine bubbles and notes of strawberry and raspberry.
7. You can have bubbly for dessert, but don’t have it with dessert. Most sparkling wine isn’t sweet enough to accompany sugary foods, Dillman advises, “so the character of the wine is going to be bulldozed over.”
