Thursday, September 27, 2012

Naked Vine One-Hitter -- Ca' Momi Ca' Rosa

Tasty, Tasty...
Brunch is my favorite meal of the day, no matter what time it's served. And where's there's brunch in these parts, there's bubbly.

A week or so ago, Tara at Balzac sent me a sample of Ca' Momi winery's new "frizzante" offering: Ca' Rosa, a sparkling rosé. Despite the Italian trappings, Ca' Momi is a Napa winery. To bring a bit of the Old Country flavor to the West Coast, Ca' Momi developed a "prosecco-styled" sparkling white. Apparently that was enough of a success that they decided to venture into the world of pink bubbly with the Ca' Rosa.

Ca' Rosa is a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Muscat. It retails for $17-18. The wine was described in the tasting notes as "off-dry." I translated that in my brain as "semi-sweet," so I wasn't thinking about it as a dinner offering. I thought it would be a better match for a lazy Sunday morning over an omelet and some fruit.

What I didn't count on was the sheer scrumptiousness of the salmon filets that I'd cured and cooked to perfection in my little jury-rigged grill/smoker one afternoon. That home-smoked salmon veritably screamed to be used in a main dish, so we decided to do "breakfast for dinner." A simple omelet, some home fries, a little sriracha on the side, and this bottle of bubbly.

Was I mistaken initially. The "off-dry" in the description was much more like "extra dry," which if you remember, is only one step from the bone-dry "brut." The nose was light with some yeast and a little strawberry. The flavor was light with easy pear and strawberry flavors. Nice mousse with a crisp level of acidity. The finish was crisp and fruity. We really enjoyed the bubbly -- and it was a superb pairing with the breakfast food. Brunches aweigh!

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