Sparkling wine: Summer over celebration

The perfect time for a sparkling wine is not New Year’s Eve, said Fred Tasker in The Miami Herald. “Sparkling wine is summer’s drink” because it is best when served well chilled. Whereas still whites are best at 48 to 52 degrees, “modest everyday bubblies can be cooled to 40 degrees or even lower, accentuating their bubbles and beating the summer heat.”

NV Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut, Columbia Valley, Wash. ($15). The tiny bubbles in this “quite rich” sparkler enliven “golden apple aromas and flavors.”

NV Lamberti Rosé Vino Spumante, Veneto, Italy ($14). This “big, powerful” Italian wine offers “floral aromas” and “flavors of tart cherries and minerals.”

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

NV Pol Roger Brut Reserve Champagne, France ($47). If only champagne will do, try this “dry, crisp, and light” bubbly, which releases “aromas of croissants” and “flavors of lemon meringue.”