André Brut

A blend of varietal whites with a light
touch of dryness and light mouthfeel.

Region: California

André Extra Dry

Slightly sweet and easy drinking, this is a people pleasing bubbly. Soft and dry and easy on the palate. Crisp and refreshing. Serve very well chilled with party appetizers, finger foods and a variety of desserts.

Region: California

André Cold Duck

A sweet combination of red and white
wines blended with a soft concord base.

Region: California

André Spumante

Light, sweet mouthfeel and fruity nose,
with a muscat-type varietal flavor.

Region: California

André Blush

Somewhat sweet, this pink champagne
offers lots of  fruit and a very easy almost sweet-tooth behavior; chill well for proper service.

Region: California

Ballatore Gran Spumante

The winemaker, Spir Ballatore, styled this delightful sparkling wine in a manner similar to Spumantes from the  Asti region of Italy, with a proprietary blend of specially selected California grapes.  Exploding with aromas of flowers and perfume and ripe peaches, the alluring Ballatore Gran Spumante tops many Moscato d' Astis for $$$ less; A GREAT BUY!

FOOD AND WINE PAIRING
While traditionally enjoyed with desserts, Ballatore is an elegant and festive companion to any occasion.

Region: California

A slightly sweeter sparkling wine with an award-winning taste styled in the tradition of Italian Asti Spumantes.  From E&J Gallo.  Enjoy with cheeses and spicy fare.

Region: California

Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvée

Bubbly Brut Cuvée adds a festive touch to occasions, whether it's a barbeque with friends or a quiet night in.  Delightful aromas or tangy green apples and sweet jasmine kick things off, followed by the delicious flavors of kiwi and peach.  Its long, fresh finish makes for a grand finale.

FOOD AND WINE PAIRING
Perfect partner for desserts, appetizers and anything spicy.

Region: California

Barefoot Bubbly Extra Dry

You'll fall for the aromas of apples and tropical fruit followed by the tangy sweet tastes of lime and tangerine.  Its bubbly nature and bright flavors are sure to pep up any party and it makes for a mean Bellini.

FOOD AND WINE PAIRING
Terrific with lighter meals such as salads and seafood.

Region: California

Barefoot Bubbly Chardonnay

Bubbly Chardonnay is refreshing with a tasteful balance of tart green apples and sweet honey.  The clean, bright, and palate-pleasing flavors finish on a smooth, sparkling note.

FOOD AND WINE PAIRING
Appetizers, cheese, salad, or dessert.

Region: California

Bubbly and light-bodied, this effervescent wine combines delicate floral aromas with the crisp flavors of yellow apples, summer pears and white peaches.  It finishes with citrusy and hints of sweet tangerines.

FOOD AND WINE PAIRING
A tasty companion for salads, fish, vegetables, light pasta dishes, and fresh fruit.

Region: California

Bubbly White Zinfandel is perfect for a hot summer day with flavors that pack in a season's worth of fruit: juicy peach, strawberry and fresh watermelon.  All these sparkling notes culminate in a refreshingly sweet finish.

FOOD AND WINE PAIRING
Enjoy with seafood, cheeses, spicy foods, try it with zesty fish tacos or crabcakes.

Region: California

Classic balance typifies this refreshingly soft, yet dry wine. The wine delivers complex apple and pear characteristics accented by citrus spice over notes of almond and caramel in the bouquet. When you taste Brut Classic, look for nutty flavors with hints of brioche that build to a refreshingly dry finish

ACCOLADES
88 Wine Spectator September 3, 2008
87 Wine Enthusiast December 31, 2008

FOOD AND WINE PAIRING
Winemaker Tom Tiburzi recommends serving Chandon Brut Classic to refresh the palate when eating salty, creamy, or nutty foods such as Caesar salad, fried calamari, oysters, or fresh sashimi and sushi.

Chandon Blanc de Noirs is characteristically a delicate salmon color. Dark cherry, currant and strawberry dominate both aroma and flavor with hints of cassis and blackberry. These red fruit flavors build in the mid-palate and finish with a soft, lingering, creamy texture.

FOOD AND WINE PAIRING

Rosé in the glass, the color is a dramatic deep pink with a blush of sunset. Intense ripe strawberry, juicy watermelon, and fresh red cherry fruit aromas and flavors are interwoven with apple, pear, and stone fruit. On the palate, the wine is creamy and seductive, with defined structure from the addition of still Pinot Noir at triage. The overall impression is one of bold vibrancy and impact from start to finish

FOOD AND WINE PAIRING

An inviting floral bouquet is followed by rich, honeyed fruit flavors that harmonize with the velvety-soft texture. Luscious peach and white nectarine layered with honey and apricot persist throughout the long finish.

FOOD AND WINE PAIRING
Chandon Riche pairs particularly well with rich and spicy foods and fruit-based desserts. Winemaker Tom Tiburzi explains that this off-dry style coats the palate to balance the heat of spicy foods, complementing dishes featuring chilies, cilantro, lemongrass, or green curry. This wine works equally well with rich foods like paté and foie gras, or desserts like fresh fruit tarts. For a refreshing apértitif, pour ice-cold Chandon Extra Dry Riche into a chilled flute.

A complex profile due in part to a special dosage of Brandy that emphasizes vanilla and toasty yeast. This blends with a pleasant fruit and mild floral character to provide a harmonious bouquet.

Medium-dry with crisp fruit flavors. The aromas of apple and pear are balanced with a bouquet of toasty yeast notes and floral nuances.

Semi-dry, with crisp fruit flavors, complexity, and a long, smooth finish. The aromas of apple and pear are balanced with a bouquet of toasty yeast notes and floral nuances. 

Medium-sweet with crisp fruit flavors, complexity, and a long, smooth finish. A salmon-pink color with a juicy strawberry/berry character and fresh grape-y notes.

This Spumante is sweet, with fruit flavors, and a long, smooth finish. The aromas of peach and lychee are balanced with a bouquet of toasty yeast notes and floral nuances.

Gionelli Asti

Asti Characteristics
From Moscato grapes, Gionelli Asti spumante, or sparkling, wine is full of fresh fruit flavors with a sweet finish typical of the wines of thiis famed region.  It pairs best with fruits, desserts, or as an apértif or dessert on its own.

From the makers of Cristal, this is a rich, toasty style. Roederer grows two thirds of the fruit that it needs for this Champagne on their own extensive 500 acre estate. Their vineyards are spread throughout the Champagne region with holdings in the Cotes de Blancs, Valley of the Marne and Mountain of Reims. The Brut Premier comes only from grand and premier cru sites, and does not go through malolactic fermentation. It is 56% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay and 10% Meunier. It is aged three years on the lees and a generous six months on the cork before release. -- Gary Westby, K&L

Region: France

Brut: The driest of dry champagnes, Brut champagnes are even drier than those labeled "extra dry." Make sense?

Cuvée: A blend of many non-sparkling wines designed to become a well-balanced sparkling wine.

Extra Dry: Don’t let its name fool you – Extra Dry champagnes are only fairly dry and have some residual sugar. They’re sweeter than their Brut compatriots. Also “extra sec.”

Extra Sec: A French term meaning extra dry.

Demi Sec: A French term meaning "half dry," used to describe a sweet sparkling wine.

Dosage: Sometimes winemakers will add this syrupy mixture of sugar and wine (and – get this – sometimes Brandy) immediately before final bottling to increase the level of sweetness.

Fermentation: It’s how grape juice becomes wine. Technically called the primary fermentation, it’s a natural chain of chemical reactions where the sugars in the grape juice convert into alcohol by yeast.

Flute: Not a musical instrument, but rather, a stemmed champagne glass with a tall, slender, cone-shaped bowl.

Mousse: Pour a glass of champagne and “mousse” is the foam that forms on the surface. Not dissimilar to the head of a freshly poured glass of beer.

Muscat: You’re likely more familiar with this grape than you realized – it’s used for winemaking, table grapes, and raisins. They’re noted for their musky, fresh grape flavor and range from fine light wines to sweet dark versions and are used in fine Asti Spumantes around the world, including Cook’s Spumante.

Residual Sugar: It’s what you’re tasting when a wine tastes sweet and is the natural grape sugar that is either left over at the end of the fermentation process or added back into the wine, as with a dosage added to a sparkling wine.

Secondary Fermentation: Not once but twice: champagne goes through a second fermentation process before the dosage is added.

Spumante: Italian for "sparkling," "foamy," or "frothy".

White Zinfandel: Made from Zinfandel grapes and kept pale in color by quickly removing the skins from the juice after the grapes are pressed, which stops the transfer of color from the grape skin's dark pigments. The resulting color generally varies from pale pink to apricot to salmon.