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12/01/2004 Archived Entry: "Wine Buy of the Week"

Here’s Carol Berman’s Wine Buy of the Week – in her very own words.

“With the arrival of December, I begin to notice that there are visions of bubbly dancing in my head. With holiday celebrations and parties in our very near future, delicious and affordable sparklers are on the minds of those who will be entertaining. My Wine Buy of the Week fits both of these categories.

Raventos i Blanc, is the best Spanish sparkling wine I’ve tasted yet. By the way, Spanish sparkling wines are called, generically, Cava.

This Cava is produced in the Penedes region, and is a blend made from three local varietals: Viura, Xarel-lo, and Parellada, which create a beautifully balanced sparkler. I get notes of green apple and citrus, with a touch of yeastiness, giving it a very intriguing spin. It is full of delicate flavor, and finishes dry.

Raventos i Blanc is a relatively small, quality driven producer, much smaller than a lot of other co-op producers in the region. And smaller is better, certainly in this case. It was founded by a member of the Codorniu family, who many generations ago, were said to have been the first family to produce sparkling wines in Spain. You must know the Codnorniu label. It is very popular. The birth of Cava was very much inspired by family visits to the French Champagne region.

I love drinking this wine as an aperitif. I serve it during the “cocktail hour.” But it is also really versatile with food. I love it with garlic shrimp, paella, or with clams and mussels in a broth. I actually use it in the broth!

The average retail price of L’Hereu, Raventos i Blanc is $13.99. It is distributed by Michael Skurnik Wines."