Raise a Glass!

youngwomanwithglassofwineenjoyingbeautifulsunsetview
On tap to also feed the feel-good fix, Bubble Bars are popping up all over Napa Valley.
youngwomanwithglassofwineenjoyingbeautifulsunsetview

Last month it was all about World Chocolate Day, this month it’s brought on the bubbles. As new variants threaten to topple all the hard-won freedom and feel-goods, it seems more important than ever to celebrate while we still have the chance. I did my part during World Prosecco Week, attending an informative session held during the high holy week dedicated to Italian fizz. It was hard not to join the legions of worshipers of the “Rosé All Day” craze, who were given yet another reason to clink and drink.

Prosecco has always conjured celebratory notes for all the obvious reasons, like the bubbles and the fact that Italians know how to make the most of glass-raising occasions. Those were the givens, but what I didn’t know was, during the deep dark bowels of COVID in its infancy, Prosecco DOC (a regulatory designation formed in 2009 to combat counterfeit fizz), welcomed a newcomer to its inner circle—bubbly rosé. This new entrant to the sparkling category launched in Italy last fall, and made its way stateside, earlier this year. The virtual event, which was aimed at raising awareness for this “rosy” turn, was emceed by renowned wine, food, spirit, and travel gurus Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, otherwise known as, the “World Wine Guys,” who decreed, “Prosecco is a party in a bottle,” a notion that even I could not deny. Especially given total bottle sales hit 16.8 million and are expected to grow to 40 to 50 million this year with 80% to 85% percent of the market coming from exports, and 15% to 20 percent from Italy. Prosecco DOC is no stranger to soaring numbers. Regular rosé production rose (pun intended) from 120 million bottles in 2009 to 500 million by 2020.

Prosecco magic is made during secondary fermentation, which for regular prosecco requires a minimum of 30 days, while the rosé incarnation, must remain for 60 days or more. Another distinction and requirement by Prosecco DOC, is that to bear the name, prosecco must be comprised of a minimum of 85% Glera grapes, and the Rosé must also be comprised of 10% to 15% Pinot Nero, otherwise known as, Pinot Noir, in these parts.

Over the course of the event, I tasted two Prosecco DOC bruts and 2 “extra dry” rosés. As we raised our first glass, the Wine Guys enthused, “We are getting to taste and partake, in a historical moment.” The Voga Prosecco DOC Rose Extra Dry Millesimato 2020, was beautifully packaged in a diamond-cut bottle, with cherries and berries on the nose and a crisp finish. The Gancia Prosecco DOC Rose Millesimato 2020 was light on the palate with fruity notes of citrus and lemon curd. The fact that each wine retails from $12 to $15 dollars per bottle, only confirms that these wines were made for drinking.

Bubbleheads

On tap to also feed the feel-good fix, Bubble Bars are popping up all over Napa Valley. Excuse me while I rip off Kevin Costner’s overused catchphrase in Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come.” My modified rendition goes: if you say it, it shall be, which explains why I walked into the new “Be Bubbly” lounge in downtown Napa. I can’t think of how many times over the last year and a half I have told my kids to “be happy, be bubbly,” and on bad days, “be quiet.” But as the world opens back up (and hopefully stays that way,) Be Bubbly, is exactly what one might think—a place to think, clink, and drink bubbles from all over the world with local bites at the ready. The Be Bubbly namesake is less mandate and more lifestyle choice, one that I am happy to oblige. It’s virtually impossible to sip bubbles, and not feel just a little bit better than you did beforehand.

Founder Erin Riley, who refers to herself as “Chief Bubblehead,” refused to let a pandemic stand in the way of her mission when she opened the trendy spot during the height of the pandemic. To ward off worries of could-be customers, she installed a walkthrough sanitization mister at the entryway, that ensured not even a virus would stand in the way of offering her sparkling delights. Beyond the bubbly, Riley serves up festive events, which have included everything from locals and industry nights to all-you-can-eat sushi and BBQ and bubbles nights. Live music was added to the repertoire this past summer.

Also in downtown, Acumen Napa Valley opened its PEAKeasy (a play on the vineyard’s Atlas Peak roots), a well-appointed lounge space within its tasting room walls. The PEAKeasy is dedicated to Champagnes from the Michael Gonet family, which has been growing grapes since the early 1800s. June through September, partakers can enjoy live music and a rotating art gallery alongside with their bubbly.

As we charge forward into Delta variant territory, wine flute in hand, I choose to believe that this fall will be better than the last, and “bubbly” won’t be just the name of a bar, but words to describe Napa Valley living.

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