Written by: Phil Masturzo | Akron Beacon Journal
December 15, 2021
Pop!
That’s my favorite sound of the holiday season. The opening of a bottle of sparkling wine.
My Andrea Bocelli Christmas CD is a close second. (Thanks, Jeananne.)
Ralphie from “A Christmas Story” was warned not to shoot his eye out. I’m here to uncork the same advice and tell you to put a towel over your bottle of bubbly when opening.
Be safe.
Loosen the metal cage. Hold the cork firmly. Keep the towel over the top and then twist the bottom of the bottle to slowly unleash some of the 49 million bubbles trapped inside a standard bottle of Champagne. I’ve never counted them, but that’s what I read in an October 2020 article of Food & Wine Magazine.
The cork can reach a velocity of 24.8MPH when it takes off. Browns running back Nick Chubb reached a top speed of 21.07MPH during his 70-yard touchdown run against the Bengals this season. I wouldn’t want to be hit by either one them.
Disregard the above if you are intending to ring in the new year like one of Tom Brady’s Super Bowl post-game celebrations. Shaking the bottle will look like a broken water main in downtown Akron.
I’ll never tell anyone how to ring in the new year, but I do have a few suggestions on what to drink when celebrating.
A $13.99 bottle of Ca Furlan Prosecco is a great way to start any evening or occasion. It’s made extra dry with aromas of bosc pear with a bit of citrus on the finish. It’s ideal to pair with an order of ricotta cheese Zepperoni rolls from Zeppe’s in Hudson. A crostini with Mackenzie Creamery’s cognac and fig chevre is excellent also. Mackenzie’s is located in Hiram and the cheese is sold at Giant Eagle, among other places.
Buy this wine at The Jenks Building and Krieger’s Market in Cuyahoga Falls, both Mustard Seed Market locations, Cafe Arnone Pizzaria & Wine Room in Fairlawn and the Wine Barrel in Akron.
