A Wine for Tonight: NV Domaine Ste. Michelle Extra Dry Sparkling Wine



By Kori ~ December 30th, 2010.

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the NV Domaine Ste. Michelle Extra Dry Sparkling Wine from the Columbia Valley of Washington State.

Our selection criteria include:

  • A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
  • A price tag of <=$15
  • Must be widely available

What’s a better way to ring in the New Year this weekend than with a good sparkling wine with a great QPR? The Extra Dry is one of an excellent array of value sparkling wines from Domaine Ste. Michelle. Producing sparkling wines for over thirty years, Domaine Ste. Michelle is one of the largest sparkling wine houses in the United States, producing more than 300,000 cases each year. Rick Casqueiro has been head winemaker since 1994. Given the current state of our economy, I believe that celebrating the New Year with such an economical yet excellent bubbly is especially appropriate.

“A rich gold color with abundant bubbles. The wine is very elegant on the palate, and bursts with flavors of pear, guava and kiwi. The delicate flavors linger and make this a great pairing for seafood such as scallops, sea bass and crabs.” –Winemaker Rick Casqueiro

NV Domaine Ste. Michelle Extra Dry Sparkling Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): Small, fairly fast bead of bubbles. Golden straw yellow in color. Nice nose with pear and yeasty aromas. Fig, pear, and apple come through on the palate. Slightly off-dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced and refreshing with a long finish. Residual Sugar: 2.3%
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $12; Available elsewhere, $7 to $14


Filed under: A Wine for Tonight, American Wine, Five-Bangs For Your Buck Wines, Sparkling Wine, Washington State Wine, Wines Under $15, Wines Under $20, Wines Under $25

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