Toast to Luxury!

TOAST TO LUXURY

“Beautiful Music when Champagne Flutes Click, eh…” Jay Z

I am a Libra, so I love beauty. I try to find beauty in everything, from art, fashion, cuisine, home décor, and my new favorite…Champagne. The really fun and awesome thing about Champagne is that there are so many varieties, and like wine the quality of the drink is not always determined by the price. Typically when champagne is a beverage option, people go with what is most familiar, such as Moet & Chandon. While they offer a great selection, White Star to Rose, (my personal favorite being the Moet Black Label,) this is not the only brand on the market. With so many champagne’s available that offer great taste, and that are affordable which one is the best for you?
Sparkling Wine is Champagnes Fraternal Twin.

Sparkling white wines are very similar in taste to Champagne; some wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. My favorite being Cava, it is Spain’s signature white wine bubbly. According to Wine Enthusiast, in the top rated and palate fooling category is the 91 Gramona III Lustros Gran Reserva Cava, prices at about $45. It is a toasty, yeasty, ultra-rich cava with a Champagne personality. In the top values Cava you can find the 86 Freixenet NV Nevada Semi-Dry Cava-it has a bouquet of powdered sugar, white fruits, and shows of tropical fruits mango and papaya. Its finish is clean and dry with some spice. You can find this heavenly selection for $9.00

Champagne has enjoyed an aura of luxury from its conception in the 17th century. Champagne is cultivated in the northern most part of France. Epernay and Reims are the two main cities of Champagne’s origin; they are about 90 miles northeast of Paris. Champagne is a white wine made mostly from red grapes, to avoid any tinting the grapes are pressed immediately after picking. With the addition of yeast, and a strictly controlled temperature the alcoholic fermentation begins to take place. It takes about 8 to 10 weeks for the fermentation of the bottle to become complete, at this point when the carbonic gas has turned still wine into sparkling wine, the yeast will ferment giving the wine additional flavor and body.

There are many types of Champagne to select from, choices include Brut containing a small sugar content to Blanc de Blanc, and its fresh and crisp taste is pressed only from white Chardonnay grapes. A couple that come highly recommended for flavor and good sparkle and flavor harmony include: Veuve Cliquot priced around $ 45 and Pol Roger.
Ways to enhance your Champagne Experience:

Wine and Food pairings are essential in enjoying the complexities of wine; this educates the consumer about the flavor, aging, and fermentation process. I recommend that you try Champagne and Food pairings as well. While wine and champagne are from the same family, they just have different aging, storing and bottling processes. Food not only helps educate your palate, if kicks the flavor and tasting experience up a notch!
Here is a fantastic way to impress your friends:
Grab a bottle of Bubbly (I would suggest Louis Roederer) and the following fruit and cheeses: Brie

• Mild Cheddar
• Smoked Gouda
• Crisp green apples
• strawberries
• raspberries
• Prepare them on a nice plate, and pour the champagne into beautiful flutes. Sip and see what flavors you taste, add some fruit or cheese to compliment the arrangement.

Champagne and Sunday Brunch

In the larger market’s you find that Sunday Mornings, and afternoons are rarely spent indoors eating toast and oatmeal, you get up, get dressed and go to Brunch. Sunday Brunch doesn’t consist of pajama pants, sweatshirts and messy ponytails…it consists of great friends, many varieties of Eggs Benedict and bottomless Mimosas! One of my favorite Milwaukee gems is Trocodero’s. Besides offering an amazing menu and late brunch hours-they offer an awesome drinks selection featuring many moderately priced Champagne infused drinks. Check them out when they re-open after renovation.

If you choose to stay at home and create amazing brunch memories with your loved ones, might I suggest straying away from the typical orange juice Mimosa and try a Champagne Peach Bellini.

6 Oz of your favorite champagne
1 peach pureed
Puree the peach and fill half of a tall champagne flute, top off the peach with your favorite champagne and enjoy!

Milwaukee is not just about beer! Do something different this week and check out these events where popping champagne is encouraged!

The Champagne Lounge – this Saturday February 20th experience a new monthly rotating event themed around the essence of Champagne and celebrations! Toast to Luxury with a free glass of Champagne from 9-10pm at the Starbar 643 N. Milwaukee.

Also make sure you check out Milwaukee’s best champagne venue, Cuvee located in the Historic Third Ward, they hold the bubbly crown with 100 different varieties of champagnes and sparkling wines. You can enjoy these grapes by the glass, bottle or in creative champagne cocktails. Sip Champagne and listen to Milwaukee’s best musical talent at R & B Live, this Sunday February 21st at Cuvee. For more information check out www.cuvemke.com