WBW #43 – Comfort Wines
Today is another Wine Blogging Wednesday! This month our host is Joel at WineLifeToday. The theme is something dear to all of us wine lovers, comfort wines. Our mission:
“choose a wine, any wine, that you love to unwind to and tell us about not only the wine but what makes the experience special and relaxing for you!
“
This one’s a no-brainer for me: Sparkling Wine – more specifically, Avinyo Brut Reserva Cava.
Originating from the Catalonia region of Spain, Cava (literally meaning “cave” or “cellar”) is a sparkling white wine that can, when done right, be a great substitute for Champagne. The Catalonia region is about 25 miles south-west of Barcelona, situated. Grape vines have been growing in this region for hundreds of years. In 1872 the first Cava was produced. Today, common varietals used in Cava are macabeo, parellada, xarel·lo, Chardonnay, and Subirat.
I have reviewed and mentioned this wine a few times on this site. It rolls in at about $10 and I rated it quite consistently at 87 points. This is definitely my comfort wine. After a long day in the lab it’s nice to come home, go for a run with the huskies, shower, pop to cork on the Avinyo and begin making dinner. The “pop” alone caused by opening the bottle is like a conditioned stimulus for me…not only do I begin to salivate like Pavlov’s dogs, but I begin to forget my worries allowing me to focus on making a nice meal and spending time with Kim and the dogs. Hearing the crispness of the wine as I pour it into my glass (plastic cups even work!) and smelling the citrus and apple coming off the nose really does wonders for my psyche.
There’s something great about drinking sparkling wines, especially on a Tuesday night in March. This is a reminder to those of you who only drink sparkling’s on special occasions: they are great every-day wines! The Avinyo Brut Reserva goes great with a variety of foods and snacks: sushi, chicken, grilled fish, cheeses…the list is endless.
Previous tasting notes on this wine: Avinyo Brut Reserva Cava: This non-vintage, organically grown, Brut Cava is just incredible. A lot of subtle fruits including peach and apple, combined with minerals and mild acidity makes this a treat on a warm summer day. YUMMY! My rating:87 pts, VGV
I open sparkling wine any night of the week. It goes great with so many things and I have stopped thinking about it as a special occassion wine. I need to put a bottle in the fridge, thanks.
[...] BehindtheVine goes for a flight of Sparkling wines with the support of fellow sparkling wine lover Michael at FoodandWine who kicks in a Avinyo Brut Reserva Cava, while Kori at WinePeeps dives into a good wine (2002 Peter Lehmann Shiraz) while picking up a book [...]