Mumm Napa Brut Prestige Napa Valley, California, USA

$26-$33

“Come quickly, I am tasting stars.” This famous line is attributed to Dom Perignon, after sipping his first taste of Champagne. Good sparkling wine should be just that – a vibrant, lively, exciting taste experience, with thousands of miniscule bubbles breaking across your tongue. This week you can be tasting zippy stars while watching zippy stars. The annual Perseids meteor shower graces our skies on the night of August 12. This year, the moon is just a couple of days past new at the shower’s peak, so there will be no moonlight to interfere with the show.

So not that you need one, but there’s your reason to drink bubble this week. You’re welcome!

Though Dom Perignon was sipping Champagne, today’s Drink looks a little closer to home (albeit, with a French twist). In 1979, the legendary French Champagne house of G.H. Mumm began a quest to find the ideal winegrowing area in the States. For four years they crossed the USA, searching for the perfect terroir for traditional Champagne grapes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Petit Meunier. They ultimately set up shop in California’s Napa Valley. Mumm Napa was completed in 1986, and has been making a portfolio of very popular méthode traditionnelle sparklings since.

The Brut Prestige cuvee was sourced from more than 50 prime Napa Valley vineyards and almost 80 different vineyard blocks. Fresh, crisp and dry, this medium bodied bubble is citrus, yeast and green apple on the nose, with flavours of lively green apple, toasted pecans, spiced pear and white peach blossoms. Creamy and round on the tongue with a tart finish. Pairs with – well – anything. How about a cosy blanket, cloudless night sky and some shooting stars.

Rating:  (click here to see what our wine ratings mean)

Treve Ring, Online DRINK Editor

August 9, 2010