1999 Mumm Napa Valley DVX Sparkling Wine

Last night, we went to the house of our friends Ed and Elyn to have dinner. The weather was terrible - raining a lot here in SoCal. Took almost two hours for a trip that normally takes 35-45 minues.

We brought the appetizer and the dessert along with this sparkling wine (and two bottles of our own new wine). We picked this up a few years ago on a trip to Napa Valley with the Dorrs.

Very crisp, clean taste, with a nice creaminess and citrus flavors. Went very well with the smoked salmon and caviar Caren had brought.

2004 Carmelo Patti Sparkling Wine

This sparkling wine was produced through the classic Method Champenoise (fermentation in the bottle) with 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay grapes from the "Zona Alta" of Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina. Carmelo Patti is one of the icons of Argentine winemaking. This wine was part of a gift mixed case of Argentine wines we received about a year ago.

The wine has light, salmon colored tones with lively aromas of toasted bread and honey on the nose. There is ripe fruit and balanced acidity in the mouth. This is a delicious wine at a reasonable price (under $25).

We served this wine with an antipasto platter and a tray of baked ziti with three cheeses, meatballs, and broccoli.

Mumm Napa NV Brut Prestige

Winery notes: If you asked winemaker Ludovic Dervin to name the quintessential Napa Valley sparkling wine, his answer would inevitably be Brut Prestige. Sourced from more than 50 prime Napa Valley vineyards—and nearly 80 different vineyard blocks—this elegant, balanced wine is the perfect example of the artistry of méthode traditionelle and the incomparable fruit of Napa Valley. This hugely popular wine offers touches of vanilla and melon, with firm acid and crisp structure.

It is made with about equal amounts of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with a little Pinot Meunier and Pinot Gris as well.

We had a magnum given to us as a gift a while back by the Dorr's. We popped the cork just before midnight to celebrate the New Year with our assembled friends.

NV Malvira "Birbet"

Made by a small producer, Azienda Agricola Malvira, in Piemonte in northern Italy, this is a sparkling red wine made from Brachetto grapes, ideal for sipping with certain dessert courses. In the glass, this wine is lightly carbonated with medium sized bubbles amidst a light red body tinged with brown. The bouquet of the wine is filled with aromas of tart blackberries, raisins, and lots of strawberries. In the mouth it is slightly effervescent. It was served with a dessert course consisting of a mold of chopped cantelope topped with a light vanilla ice cream.