Years ago we asked an Italian winemaker what makes a good wine. “First of all,” he said, “it must be refreshing!” That’s been our approach ever since, and it’s the philosophy of our new Real Good Wine Club.
It’s August in Portland, which means sunny days and warm evenings ideal for lounging on blankets and dining al fresco. Perfect conditions under which to explore this month’s theme: pink bubbles.
Sparkling wine is beloved around the world and goes back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. But early winemakers considered bubbles a fault, and even Dom Perignon, the monk who first made Champagne, was ordered by his superiors to rid his wines of bubbles, since they were making the bottles explode. Fizzy wine remained misunderstood until the mid-1600s, when an English scientist realized that the addition of sugar to actively fermenting wine resulted in carbonation. Indeed, the English were the first to embrace the bubbly wine coming in from France, rightfully celebrating the transformation of plain wine into something great.
We’re glad they did, as many of our favorite everyday wines fall somewhere along the frizzante spectrum, and come in colors ranging from inky red to cloudy yellow. But our favorite color is pink, and there’s something about warm weather that makes bubbly rosé go down especially easy. With selections perfect for beach blankets and bbq’s, park hangs and picnics, we hope to show you that sparkling wine is versatile and food friendly, and definitely not just for holidays.
Sign up here for the Real Good Wine Club. Selections will be available for pickup at the shop on the third Friday of every month. You’ll receive either 3 or 6 of our favorite bottles, loosely organized around an idea or theme, and highlighting small producers, overlooked styles, and obscure varietals: like this month’s theme, sparkling pink.
Like good food, good wine is a reflection of the place it comes from and the people who make it.
So join us as we take you to those places and introduce you to those people. Because we all know wine tastes best and is most refreshing when shared with friends.
Photo courtesy of Lorren Butterwick/The Fareground
