Prize Prosecco

Of the three* bottles of sparkling wine our dinner party shared chez nous Saturday night, the Prosecco Sorelle Bronca was the hands-down table favorite.  Light and crisp, fleeting fruit, with a fine but not tiny bead, it's the kind of sparkler you can drink all night long.  And at $12.99/bottle, you can afford to drink it all night long.  I'll be stocking some for New Year's.  Buy it at Astor Wines & Spirits.  Read more about its provenance here.

In the fabulous Alcoholica Esoterica** (which is worth the money for the champagne chapter alone), Ian Lendler recommends keeping your opened bottle of champagne bubbly throughout the evening by dropping a metal spoon handle into the neck of the bottle. 

I must disagree with him, though, when it comes to serving temp.  He suggests 45 degrees Farenheit (and says that most fridges are 37 degrees) for best taste and bubble.  Call me gauche, but I don't think there's anything more delicious than a glass of tickly, glacier-cold bubbly.  I super-chilled the bottles in a big bucket of ice (also great because there wasn't any room in the fridge anyway).

Incidentally, Lendler also recommends not leaving your champagne in the refrigerator for more than a few days because vibrations from the motor will de-fizz your champs.  (Who knew?)

*First runner-up was a Santa Margherita Prosecco di Valdobbiadene (Brut), $16.99 - light and mineral-y.  Second runner-up (and most expensive) was Leclerc Briant Cuvee Extra Champagne (Brut), $27.99 - golden and fruity.

**Disclaimer: Yes, I got this book from work.  But I'm not just shilling, it really is a fabulous book.  Great gift for your boozer friends.