Scaring Up Some Sparkling Wine

Well, we might not have awesome homemade costumes this year for Halloween, but we do have a robot pumpkin named Oscar. That’s about all we had time, energy, and creativity for. Josh thinks he smells funny, but really he’s just jealous Oscar has such good looks.

If you really want something frightening, try going the whole weekend without any sparkling wine. Shocking! Cruel! Too gruesome for words. Even our favorite pug Mr. Jiffers knows you can’t have a celebration without something bubbly. Look into his eyes…you can’t tell him no!

While you’re out being ghastly (or flashing a ridiculous amount of skin, if you’re a college-aged female), we suggest grabbing a glass, or bottle, of something sparkly. Recently we tried the Scharffenberger Brut ($19). Made in the traditional champagne style, this wine had a very light, citrusy aroma, with a lovely golden color. It was smooth and spicy, and while we like our bruts to be a little drier, this still went down smooth and easy. The flavors started sharp with grass and lemon, and ended sweeter and spicier. Still, we were left wanting a little more complexity and a deeper flavor. Of course we finished the bottle, avoiding certain destruction from Mr. Jiffers (he doesn’t let anything go to waste!)

Score: She gives it a 3, he gives it a 2.5

Recommended: It didn’t scare our shirts off, good or bad. You should probably stick with witches’ brew this time around.

We Got Hitched!

For those of you wondering what we were doing all of September, it had a lot to do with a priest, a white dress, and a few toasts. We finally got married! It’s amazing to think we started this blog shortly before our engagement, and now here we are. Growing up, it's a crazy thing!

We’re happy to say the wedding went fine, no one lost the rings, and only a few people cried. Josh may have noted that the best part of being married is having homemade burritos upon request, but that’s ok. Burritos are pretty good. Oh, and there was plenty to drink! Of course!

So what did we choose for our reception sparkling wine? None other than our old favorite, Francis Ford Coppola’s Sofia Blanc de Blancs ($16). Besides the fact that Francis and I share a birthday (we can celebrate together next year!), this is the sparkling wine that we discovered early on, and it’s never let us down since. It has a lovely fruity aroma with hints of peach. The taste is sweet and grapey, dry but not actually dry, with just the right amount of carbonation. The aftertaste brings a sharpness with it that perfectly balances the sweetness of the grapes. The finish is smooth and leaves you wanting more.

It’s the perfect after dinner sparkling wine, and went fabulously with toasts! We think everyone should serve this at their wedding, but we could be biased. Nah, our wedding rocked, everyone should want to emulate it.

Score: A solid 3.5, bordering on a 4.

Recommended: Yes! It’s great for wine snobs and people who don’t think they like wine alike.