Synopsis

A vibrantly illustrated, authoritative guide to sparkling wine from James Beard Award winner Katherine Cole in the follow-up to her popular Rosé All Day

Sparkling Wine Anytime introduces readers to every style of sparkling wine, from Champagne and Prosecco to Cava, Lambrusco, Pét-Nat, and more. Wine expert Katherine Cole digs deep into sparkling wine’s compelling history, role in culture today, and the unique process by which it is made, explicating the most complicated concepts with light, bubbly prose. Organized by region, this comprehensive guide includes producer profiles, tasting notes, cocktail recipes, food pairings, and bottle recommendations for any budget. Filled with playful illustrations and infographics, Sparkling Wine Anytime is an effervescent exploration of all things sparkling.

Abrams Books * Amazon * B&N * IndieBound

Review

I love a good sparkling wine but never thought much about how the different types came about or that there were other ways to drink it other than straight out of the bottle (in a glass of course!).

This book is educational and entertaining at the same time. I never knew how varied sparkling wines could be from the country they are produced in, to the types of grapes and the packaging process. I enjoyed reading about the various countries but the United States caught my attention since this is where I live. I think the biggest surprise was a winery that produces Brut in New Mexico.  That is probably the last state I would have ever expected to make a bottle of sparkling wine, but the winery has been there since the mid 1980s.

Along with history, notes, and a wealth of vineyards, there are also recipes sprinkled throughout and several have piqued my interest. I’m going to share one with you so that the next time you have a bottle of sparkling wine, you might pull up this recipe and give it a whirl.

Sweet Stars & Stripes

2-3 ultra thin cucumber slices

ice cubes

4 oz demi-sec (semisweet) sparkling wine

Place cucumber slices over the ice cubes in a wineglass or short rocks glass. Pour in the sparkling wine and serve.

Serves 1

About the Author

Katherine Cole’s newest book is Sparkling Wine Anytime, the companion to Rosé All Day (Abrams). She is also the author of How to Fake Your Way through a Wine List (Sterling Epicure) and Complete Wine Selector (Firefly Books).

Katherine is the host and executive producer of the James Beard Foundation Award-winning food-and-beverage podcast, The Four Top.

Her first book, Voodoo Vintners: Oregon’s Astonishing Biodynamic Winemakers (2011) was nominated for a Louis Roederer Award.

Katherine’s books have been reviewed favorably by The New York Times, Wine Spectator, Huffington Post and Chicago Sun-Times.

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