Wine With Lisa

For when the wine is in, the wit is out.
Thomas Becon (1512–1567)

Bubbles.Bubbles.Bubbles.

Of all the wines that I love,I do believe my most favorite are COOL,CRISP and BUBBLY,FIZZY SPARKLING WINES. There is something celebratory about popping the cork on a bottle of bubbly. A little twinge of excitement comes over me. It’s the little things that call for celebration. Friday! Friends coming to dinner! Or, my favorite pass-time,just chilling while enjoying the end to a great day or watching a beautiful sunset listening to music.
Sparkling wines are extremely versatile. I can’t think of too many foods that don’t pair well with Sparkling Wines.

CHECK OUT THESE LOVELY STEMLESS CHAMPAGNE FLUTES! This set of 6 glasses are chic and elegant. Each glass is uniquely adorned with gold swirls or dots. I LOVE THESE GLASSES! They are available from IBEZA FINE GIFTS in Nashville.
Set of 6 handblown glasses: $78

In Stanford Square in Belle Meade
4231 Harding Road
Nashville, Tennessee 37205
Phone: (615) 279-8000
Email: Info@IbizaFineGifts.com

Ok. So I decided to make the Classic French 75 with Prosecco instead of Champagne. Well,I had a bottle of Prosecco chilled! Prosecco,as you know,is the classic Sparkling Wine of Veneto,Italy.
I just happened to have a chilled  bottle of RIONDO USA’s PROSECCO PUNTO ROSSO.

Crisp,dry,lemony and refreshing-this Prosecco DOC is a perfect balance of citrus fruit with a long finish and is perfection on its own. Prosecco has become increasingly popular world wide and in the US. To protect its quality,DOC status has been been given to these sparkling wines to ensure that every bottle that you purchase is 100% Prosecco and grown in Veneto,Italy. DOC = “Controlled designation of origin”

A French 75 is a classic cocktail dating back to the First World War! Some say it was named for a French 75mm artillery piece.

Well,that’s a great story to get a conversation started anyway!

This bubbly,lemony Sparkling Wine Cocktail is refreshing and delicious. The fresh lemon is tart and fruity and pairs well with the intense orange flavor from the Cointreau and the herbs and spices of Plymouth English Gin including juniper,orange peel,lemon and cardamom.

It seems that the trend is reviving Classic Cocktails. I found this wonderful little treasure at IBEZA FINE GIFTS. FRANK’S LITTLE BLACK BAR BOOK is packed full of creative cocktails that have been favorites for many years. Here is the recipe-straight from the book. I used Prosecco instead of Champagne and a lemon twist instead of orange.
You can purchase the Frank’s Little Black Book at Ibiza OR www.wakestonepress.com

The recipe for FRENCH 75 is in the “FAVORITES” section of the book.

***TIP~BE SURE TO CHILL ALL OF YOUR LIQUID INGREDIENTS,THE END PRODUCT IS MUCH BETTER!

FRANK’S LITTLE BLACK BAR BOOK

THANKS! Frank. I love your book! I predict there will be many more cocktail experiences in my house!

CHEERS!

“Nothing makes the future look so rosy as to contemplate it through a glass of bubbly”
- Napoleon

Let the festivities begin!

Christmas? New Years?

Kick back or Party Hard. This delicious cocktail will go with any celebrating you will be doing!

THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!

Toast to any celebration with a champagne flute bubbling over with crisp Prosecco Sparkling Wine and Sweet-Tart Homemade Pomegranate Syrup. Rim the glasses with fresh mint and lime zest sugar that’s easy to whip up for a party with ingredients that are convenient to keep on hand for any special occasion.

Riondo Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine made from 100% Prosecco grapes from the Veneto,Italy region.
The light effervescence and delicate citrusy flavor and floral aroma make this a great everyday or celebration wine AND is a perfect choice as is
OR with the tart Pomegranate Syrup.

Making the pomegranate syrup from scratch is easy and it tastes great. You can double or triple the recipe and it stores great in the refrigerator.

I developed this recipe for the Lime-Lemon Mint Sugar.Those strange sugars in a tin that you
find in the store are usually made of artificial ingredients and have an odd flavor.

So,toss out the cans of artificially flavored cocktail sugars. Make your own! It’s easy!

This crisp,dry,citrusy wine and frizzante (small) bubbles of the Prosecco are a perfect match with the tart-sweet deep berry flavor of the pomegranate juice.

Ingredients:
1 bottle Prosecco ( great also with CAVA or CHAMPAGNE)

1-32 oz bottle of 100% Just Pomegranate Juice or any other high quality brand

1/2 cup sugar

Add sugar and Pomegranate Juice to saucepan and simmer until reduced by half.

“Take care NOT to thicken it too much,it will then become a glaze. If this happens,you can
either thin it out with extra juice or find the recipe for Pomegranate Glazed Cornish Hens
from Ann Burrell on the Food Network!”

Cool and store in a decorative bottle.
Keeps in refrigerator for 2 weeks.

Lemon-Lime Mint Sugar:

For the HOLIDAYS,I used a few sprinkles of  Red Sugar Sprinkles

1/4 cup SIMPLY ORGANIC Lemon Sugar *Whole Foods

*I especially like the Lemon Sugar because it reminds me of lemon drop candy.
*If you can’t find the Simply Organic Lemon Sugar,then zest a fresh lemon along with lime.

2 limes

5-6  mint leaves (more to taste)

Zest 2 limes into the sugar.

Slice one lime in half and reserve. Store the zested limes in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for future recipes.

Process the mint leaves in the food processor for a few seconds,then add the sugar and lime zest mixture.

Pulse a few times to mix all of the ingredients finely,then pour onto a plate.

Any sugar leftovers can be stored in a container in the fridge for a few days.

Run the cut lime half around each rim of glass and immediately invert the glass into the sugar mixture.

TO PREPARE THE COCKTAIL:

Pour a tablespoonful of Pomegranate Syrup into the glass.

Top with Prosecco.

TOAST AND ENJOY!

CHEERS!