Susan Joyce
The bubbly was flowing at the Corks and Caps monthly gathering at the Susan and Barry Joyce home. Dom Perignon, a French monk, made the first sparkling wine by mistake! Thank you, Dom.
The abbey was trying to change the color of its wine because it was a light pink compared to the deep red from the rest of France. They started blending different types of the Champagne Region grapes—the first time grapes had been blended—and ended up with Champagne!
Since 2006, the “Champagne” label can only go on the sparkling wine made from the Champagne, France region grapes. All others are “Sparkling Wines.”
There are many other sparkling wines besides Champagne. They come from Spain, Italy, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico and New York. Prosecco, the Italian Sparkling Wine, was the drink of the night and enjoyed by all!
We learned that the proper way to drink a sparkling wine is to savor it in your mouth ‘til the bubbles subside. That way the bubbles don’t get into your bloodstream and cause a headache the next day, (helpful tip).
The “Bubbly Connoisseurs” included Susan Hebert, Carol and Ralph Jankowski, Susan and Dave Parker, Nancy and Jimmy Burns, Susan and Barry Joyce, Evelyn Harris and Royce Rampy.