Sparkling Sensations
August 8, 2018This weekend on Nantucket is a significant marker for many that summertime is soon expiring. The Boston Pops on Nantucket concert is the largest and most popular summer event on the island, attracting thousands of music lovers to Jetties Beach for a night of spectacular entertainment – all to raise critical funds for our local Nantucket Cottage Hospital. This year’s perfect pairing with the orchestra is RAIN – A Tribute to the Beatles, which is named in reference to the song as the B-Side of the “Paper Writer” single. They give audiences the experience of seeing Beatles’ songs live and recreating iconic Beatles moments.
Whether you are attending this musical revue, or have other plans for this iconic weekend, there is plenty to celebrate about life on Nantucket. Now you, too, can experience a handful of sparkling sensations to toast the last few moments of summer with a little help from your friend Advanced Sommelier Jenny Benzie.
The undisputed leader of the musical British invasion in the United States was the Fab Four. From their debut in 1964 and the many years that followed, it was a long and winding road that led them to the continued celebration of their musical endeavors today. The same can be said about the history of the house of Pol Roger Champagne, the long-established and traditional family owned Grande Marque in the Champagne region of France. Britain’s Sir Winston Churchill was a grande connoiseur of fine bubbly, with his favorite being Champagne Pol Roger Brut Reserve “White Foil” Non-Vintage. He had befriended current winery owner at that time Madame Odette Pol-Roger at a party in 1944. Their friendship endured through the war and until his death many years later.
This Champagne carries on that tradition as a house blend defined by the quality and consistency of their non-vintage wine. The “White Foil” is sourced from top quality vineyards in Montagne de Reims (Pinot Noir), Vallee de al Marne and Petite Valle d’Epernay (Pinot Meunier) and the Cote des Blancs (Chardonnay). It exhibits freshness and vigorous fruit upon opening the bottle, followed by an elegance and finesse on the palate. You can’t hide your love away for this delicious bottle of bubbly!
The Hy-line Ferry comes and goes numerous times a day, bringing wide-eyed friendly new faces to the island to experience it for the first time (and hopefully many more to come). With so much to see and do as a day-tripper to Nantucket, it is hard to decide where to begin and what should be on your less than twenty-four hour to-do list. You want to make the most of your journey and in search of a thirst-quenching refresher.
Underwood THE BUBBLES in a Can happens to be the most approachable, ready-to-travel anywhere wine. Not all wines travel equally, but this one takes the cake. A lightweight, crushable can with easy to open pour spout, in its own drinking container no less, you should be thinking “got to get you into my life” about this one. You don’t have to sacrifice quality or taste in this small size, convenient packaging to ensure you had a bubbly good-time on Nantucket. Drink with a friend and share the excitement as you recap your island adventure and plan for your next visit to the Grey Lady.
For those of you working all summer long, this is something you can easily relate to. The vigors of long hours each day and little to no time off for weeks on end in order to make money and satisfy the discerning visitors to our island often fade away when the work is over and you have the opportunity to enjoy the island a little bit yourself. No need to break the hard-earned bank in order to take advantage of some well-deserved time-off.
All you need is love and bottle of Mas Candi Brut Nature Cava. Made from organically grown Xarello, Macabeo, and a handful of other Catalonian varieties, this sparkling wine from the Penedès region of Spain drinks like a rockstar. This bubbly has been produced using the classic “méthode champenoise,” the same production method used for Champagne. No dosage is added to this Brut Nature style of sparkling, making it a clean, dry, crisp finish to the lively effervescence on the palate. If only there were eight days a week… Pair with your choice of Nantucket oysters and day off from work!
The literal strawberry fields of Nantucket are a plenty. From Moors End Farm to Bartlett’s, and probably a handful of secret stashes in between, strawberry picking on island is a favorite pastime for people of all ages. The figurative fields of Nantucket are aplenty, with lots of open space to roam and enjoy the beauty of nature without the constraints of walls or gates to access these serene locations.
However you choose to interpret your strawberry patch, the sweetness of it all would pair well with a bottle of Raventós i Blanc, Cava Rosé de Nit. This family owned property since 1497 is so dedicated to their land and winemaking traditions that they decided to create their own more strictly defined and geographically specific appellation called Conca del Riu Anoia. A splash of the red grape Monastrell is added to the traditional Cava white grapes in this cuvée to impart a special complexity and elegance to the beautiful mineral freshness on the palate. Certified organic, this bubbly would perform well with sliced Creminelli Felino salami and Manchego cheese.
As a side note – is it any coincidence that the Beatles’ song “Penny Lane” is the double A side with this song? Perhaps this is what we should call the corridor of Brant Point Harbor, full of pennies and wishes of returning to this magical island again someday.
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