A Valentine's Delight: Sparkling Pinot Noir and Yummy Appetizers

Last night, my wonderful and adoring husband took me out for a lovely meal at Dogwood Restaurant here in Atlanta. It was delightful, but we both agreed that the best part was the Gloria Ferrer, Blanc de Noirs, Sonoma, a bubbly made from Pinot Noir, paired with our appetizers:

Hand torn butter lettuce salad, buttermilk dressing, tartufo cheese
Butternut squash soup with local honey, creme fraiche, toasted walnuts

The bright acidity, effervescence and strawberry, yeasty flavors of the sparkling wine (remember that you can only call sparkling wine Champagne if it's from the region in France), were a perfect contrast to the creaminess of the dressing. Tartufo is an Italian sheep and cow milk cheese with truffle shavings mixed in, so it's very earthy. But the bright fruit of the wine tempered the tang of the truffle flavor and the cracked pepper on the salad just danced with the bubbles to provide a lively, harmonious sensation. It was so good that we ordered a second glass and a second salad!


The butternut squash and honey soup with the Blanc de Noirs was a different, yet equally gratifying experience. It was creamy, warm, earthy, and sweet. Alone, it would have been delicious, but the berry essence of the wine made the soup burst forth with fruit and honey flavors while the acidity prevented the sweetness from sticking around in your mouth. The wine was a perfect complement to the creamy deliciousness of the soup and acted as a wonderful palate cleanser between bites.


I find that people frequently forget about bubbly when they are thinking about food and wine pairings, so I thought I'd share our experience, and encourage you to experiment with sparkling and food too. Surprisingly, these wines are very versatile and can even hold their own against certain red meat preparations. So don't be bashful -- it's worth a go!