My friends all know that I am a hard-core devotee of red wine in all its luscious glory. However, there is something about sitting on the back deck during a beautiful Californian summer evening sipping a lovely chilled sparkling wine that is hard to beat. And the Trivalley’s own Little Valley Vineyard makes some of the very best sparkling wines that I have ever tasted. I don’t know how they do what they do, but it’s magic.
In general, champagne, or sparkling, wines give me a headache- the drier the wine, the worse the ache. That being said, a really good quality sparkling wine never seems to have that effect.
(See, honey? I had to order the expensive one.)
Little Valley is not a pricey label, so I think you will all love this recommendation. They make four sparkling wines which retail around $15 a bottle:
Grand Cuvee
California Raspberry
California Almond
Peach Panache
I should digress for the obligatory reminder that champagne is a designation that by common practice (and some uptight French wine experts) is truly only supposed to apply to those sparkling wines (that’s wines with bubbles, people) actually made in the Champagne region of France. All others are referred to as sparkling wines though many people still call them champagne. Similarly, true parmesan cheese applies only to those cheeses made in the Parma region of Italy. I just found that out recently– learn something new every day.
Ordinarily, I am not one for “flavored” wines. Please, the tastes and notes to be gleaned from the grapes themselves, that’s all you really need, right? However, I am always happy to be proven wrong, especially in so delicious a manner. I enjoy all four of Little Valley’s sparkling wines, but I have to say, there’s a touch of genius to their California Almond. Sublime starts to give one the idea, but we could go for broke and simply say paradise.
Yep… paradise.
Little Valley does not currently have a tasting room, however, a list of their upcoming events is on their website and they can be found pouring during performances at the Firehouse Art Center in Pleasanton, California.
http://www.thelittlevalleywinery.com/Home_Page.html
Nor are their selections only limited to sparkling wines by any means. You will also find other offerings: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and my husband and I both love their Decadence Port. They are happy to ship, so if you aren’t going to California any time soon- no problem!
This post was written by Erika Gardner. If you enjoyed it, please sign up to receive updates on this blog. Or you can follow Erika on Twitter @Erika_Gardner or “Like” her Facebook page Erika Gardner- Writer and Storyteller. Check out her creative contributions to the BBB Blog.
Love the almond and peach sparkling wines – and this from someone who is not much of a drinker. Can I call them methode champenoise? Or do they use some other process? Questions to ask when I pick up my next couple of bottles!
Yes, Kim, methode champenoise is correct 🙂 Looking you– tossing out the lingo!