Before New Year’s Eve, we celebrate at Mount Ida with our annual Sparkling Pairing Class! This year was no exception, with four unique wines paired with four delightful small bites.
The class was an opportunity for us to showcase our two sparkling wines, Over the Moon and Stargazer’s Rosé, and show them off against two other sparkling wines from around the world. Attendees were able to learn about the history and winemaking techniques of each bottle. Here is an overview of what you may have missed this year:
2018 Over the Moon Sparkling
Made of 100% of our estate Chardonnay, Over the Moon is unique in it’s rich but bright qualities. The primary fermentation of our Over the Moon is done in neutral French oak barrels, providing a slightly creamy and round palate. With notes of light toast and lemon curd, it was paired with a Paladin brioche. Paladin brioche is a dense bread that is filled with rich butter and eggs. The bright lemon profile of Over the Moon allows for acidity to lighten up the brioche for a balanced pairing.
Barone Pizzini Franciacorta Animante DOCG
The noble Pizzini family has been making wine in Franciacorta since 1870, and was the first winery in the region to become biodynamic, using natural farming techniques. Their sparkling wine is comprised of Chardonnay, Pinto Nero, Pinot Bianco, and is non-vintage. While this wine sat on its lees (dead yeast cells) for over a year and a half to provide a slightly creamy texture, it was fermented 100% in stainless steel. With bright and tart notes of lemon candy and green apple skins, we paired this wine with gooey fried mac and cheese bites.
LeClerc Briant Reserve Brut
The Briant family began making wine in Champagne in the early 1970’s. Also being one of the first biodynamic farms, their Champagne is made of mostly Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. Unlike the other wines, this was fermented completely in new and neutral French oak, and sat on its lees for almost three years before completion. In the glass, LeClerc Briant is a rich golden color, with notes of almonds, toast, honey, and lemongrass. The most classic Champagne pairing is with caviar, and at our event, guests were able to enjoy a peewee potato with Siberian Osetra caviar.
2018 Stargazer’s Rosé
Coming from a combination of French oak and stainless steel, our Stargazer’s sparkling rosé was the first pink bubbly released for Mount Ida! Mostly made from Cabernet Sauvignon, there is also Cabernet Franc, Cinsault, Merlot, and Malbec in the blend. Notes of fresh strawberries, raspberry jam, and young violets create a very aromatic sparkling wine. We paired this bubbly with Chef Nathan’s Korean fried chicken wings, with their spicy gochujang sauce to balance the delicate sweetness of Stargazer’s Rosé.
If you missed out on this amazing class- keep your eyes peeled for the next one on our events page! Next up: Beer and Honey!