Disclaimer: Don’t drink if you’re under 21, don’t buy alcohol for minors and always drink responsibly.
For many of us, May is a month of celebrations and marks a big change for graduating seniors. Cal State Monterey Bay (CSUMB) is no exception, with commencement set for Saturday, May 18. To accompany this time’s festivities, here is a list of wines with wonderful flavors that are great for popping.
The first wine is Amour De Paris, a sparkling wine produced by a subdivision of the famous Patriarche er Flis. Amour features notes of yellow fruits and sweet floral notes. Amour is dry, with notes of lemon and crisp apples. It is best served chilled and during celebrations. Unfortunately, this is not the best for photos because it doesn’t fizz properly. Amour retails for $7.99 at Total Wine & More.
Our second celebratory wine is La Vostra, a rosè prosecco that tastes like cherry and strawberry. The aroma is similar to the flavor but also features a hint of sweetness and a hint of ripe peaches. I have not tried that many rosès, and out of those, none have really been a favorite. However, La Vostra changed this for me and is definitely one I would buy again. A regular-sized bottle of 750ml retails for $14.99 at Total Wine & More.
Now we’re moving onto what I think is the fun stuff. Bottles to pop for your grad pictures; as an added bonus, they taste pretty good, too!
The first one is another prosecco, Borrasca. Besides the rose, this was my favorite sparkling wine. I’m not going to lie; the golden sparkling label did sway me a bit, but more objectively, flavor-wise, I preferred this one. Borrasca has hints of white flowers, Bartlett pear and a hint of almonds, which adds a subtle layer of flavor.
Borrasca was, unfortunately, the only one tested for photo purposes, but given its similarity to the next one, it should add a nice pop to any grad photo. It is also a great option for any celebratory occasion, and the added golden sparkle on the label is a nice visual touch. This wine retails for $16.99, and given the diversity of uses for this sparkling wine, its quality is a fair price.
The last wine is Louis Bouillot Perle De Vigne Cremant De Bourgogne. While this is the most expensive option, it is the most sophisticated out of all of them. The overall presentation of this sparkling wine gives the most bubbles visually in the glass and aesthetically from the label. The wine tastes similar to classic champagne.
This sparkling wine has a complex flavor and aroma profile. I picked up an aroma of oranges and a hint of apples. The flavor profile also includes more subtle floral notes and herbs such as vanilla, thyme and violet.
Louis Bouillot has the most bubbles out of all of them, and it is these bubbles that make it visually appealing to look at in the glass and make it really pop for the photos. However, all of this also comes at a price, costing $22.99.
Finally, I want to give some safety tips that are important to remember regardless of whether you’re opening a bottle of sparkling wine for a party or sending it off for your grad pictures. Unlike regular wine bottles, these all have a safety mechanism to ensure the cork stays safely on, and won’t go flying off. There is a lot of pressure inside the bottle; after opening the wrapping and wires, keep your thumb or index finger firmly on the top of the cork to ensure it stays in place and won’t accidentally fly off.
There are two ways to open the bottle for a perfect photo. To pop it, you can either shake the bottle but don’t point it toward anything. Another way to open your wine is to “screw” it open, you take one hand holding the bottle firmly, ideally resting it on a steady surface. Keep in mind what I was taught, “screw the bottle, not the cork.” To really make it fizz, stick a finger into the opening and shake well!
Be safe, and dear graduates, congratulations! You did it.
With these words, I also want to bid farewell. I am a graduating senior, and thus, a final farewell with this column. It has brought me great joy writing these columns and trying wine I wouldn’t otherwise have. I hope I have been able to teach you all something about wine and given you some tools to explore and realize what you enjoy about wine.
Thank you, everyone, and for the final time;
Cheers!