Absolutely Fabulous Cocktail Recipe for New Year's Eve

You’re looking for this lively activity of bubbles rising from to the top. Nina Simonds: Hi, this is Nina Simonds with Spices of Life and happy holidays. And how fitting that today we are with our favorite wine master Howie Ruben from Bauer Wines and Spirits in Boston and we’re going to attack affordable bubbliest. We’ve asked Howie to select some of his favorite champagnes or sparkling wines and so, Howie, what do you think? Howie Ruben: Well I think this holiday season we’ll need to lift the glass in celebration and put this year behind us and have fun with family and friends and if we’re on a tight budget which most people are right now, there’s a lot of great choices and affordable bubbly these days. Nina Simonds: Oh that’s great. Howie Ruben: And we should take bubbly off the pedestal. So many people think that bubbliest should be serve just for special occasions, weddings and birthdays. I mean it should be an everyday beverage too. After all, it’s just wine. Nina Simonds: I think that’s terrific. Howie Ruben: Have it with your soups, have it with your salads and have it with nothing; when you come home you just feel like elevating your mood. Its basically just another wine and you know, we should have it as part of our daily routine. That’s what they do in Europe. It’s a great little cocktail beverage if you don’t know what to serve for a cocktail and you want to stay away from the hard alcohol. Nina Simonds: Terrific. Okay. So, let’s do our first selection. What did you choose? Howie Ruben: Our first selection is Pascual Toso Brut from Argentina. And Argentina is a hot area right now for all kinds of wine but they just started making some great sparkling wines down there too. It’s light and frothy and it’s very elegant at the same time. Nina Simonds: Now, let’s do this lesson one and we’ll do a one-o-one in the opening, if it’s okay. Howie Ruben: Absolutely. Nina Simonds: Do you need a towel? Howie Ruben: No. Nina Simonds: You don’t use a towel. Okay. Howie Ruben: You take the lid off with a screw there and then you turn the bottle one way and you turn the cork the other way. There’s an enormous amount of pressure in the bottle as you’ll feel at the end there and there it goes. And that’s what the French call “A soft, erotic sigh” and that’s how you open up your bubbly. Nina Simonds: [Laughs] that’s terrific. Howie Ruben: And then you’ll what a see nice little effervescence. Nina Simonds: Yeah. Howie Ruben: This is nice for just holiday gatherings. You’re going to have people coming over and it’s nice to have a little bubbly on hand. This particular bottle is about $10 or $11. Nina Simonds: That’s a real bargain. Howie Ruben: These are good bargains from South America you’ll see some bubbliest and you’ll also see some bubbliest from Spain their called Cava and that’s the Spanish word for sparkling wine. And they are from anywhere from $9 to $15 at the most. So you’ll get some great bargains out of that part of the world and the quality is very good, it’s excellent. Nina Simonds: That’s great. Howie Ruben: So, here’s to the holidays. Nina Simonds: Yes. Yes. Howie Ruben: Happy holidays everybody. Nina Simonds: And to a better year. Howie Ruben: Yes. Nina Simonds: Prosperity for all. Howie Ruben: Nice little fruit. Nina Simonds: Yes. Howie Ruben: When you taste the little yeast component there. Nina Simonds: That’s lovely but it’s dry. Howie Ruben: Yeah. It’s dry. Nina Simonds: It’s very, very, very nice. So Howie, let’s raise our glasses. I think we’re going to be able to do a few here. Howie Ruben: That’s good Nina Simonds: So how many? We have three. Howie Ruben: Okay. Nina Simonds: So, here’s to part one of affordable bubbliest and thanks you so much from Spice of Life. Howie Ruben: My pleasure. Nina Simonds: Happy New Year. Male: Thanks to our sponsor; Legal Sea Foods.