Earlier this week, we counted down the top four wine stories of 2021.
Today, we count down to the new year with five fascinating facts about the beverage you may use to toast the new year: sparkling wine.
5. Sparkling wine goes great with a 3 Musketeers bar.
Yes, Christmas and Thanksgiving have come and gone, but there’s a good chance you still have some Halloween candy in the house. If so, grab the rest of the mini-3 Musketeers bars and unwrap them for a sweet treat with a glass of sparkling wine this Friday night.
4. Sparkling wine is the most versatile wine when it comes to food pairing.
As if our 3 Musketeers suggestion didn’t make that case, consider the following pairing partners: Spicy ethic cuisine? Check. Sushi? Check. Virtually any white-meat dish? Check.
Those all are fairly well-known pairing partners for Champagne, Prosecco, Cava, et al. But if you’re looking for an “unexpected” match — one you might not normally think of — try your favorite sparkling wine with spinach and prosciutto ravioli.
And don’t be afraid to do some experimenting with your own favorite dishes.
3. Some of the sweeter sparkling wines are labeled “Extra Dry.”
So much for mitigating confusion.
2. It turns out Dom Perignon did not “invent” Champagne.
Through much of the 20th century, credit for “inventing” Champagne went to Dom Perignon, a Benedictine monk at the abbey in Hautvillers, a commune in the Marne department in northeastern France. But while Dom Perignon certainly contributed to the advancement of Champagne-making techniques, there were bubbles in bottles long before he got involved in the process to any great extent.
1. More toasts take place with sparkling wine than with any other beverage.
Okay, that may not be all that fascinating or even surprising, but a market study conducted in 2020 revealed it to be true. Which means you’ll need a good toast to accompany your glass of sparkling wine on Friday night. May we suggest:
“May all your troubles during the coming year be as short as your New Year’s resolutions.”
