Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/3815
october 2009 / the tasting panel / 67 In response to this demand, both in the tasting room and in the on- and off-premise worlds, Gloria Ferrer began to develop a new off-dry sparkling wine more than three years ago. The result, Va de Vi, hit shelves earlier this summer. The beautifully packaged sparkler—named for a popular Catalonian phrase meaning "It's about the wine"—is a non-vintage cuvée blended from 90 percent Pinot Noir and 7 percent Char- donnay harvested from Gloria Ferrer's select Sonoma vineyards, with 3 percent aromatic Muscat added "to give it a magical appeal with tones of tropical fruit and peaches," notes Bertran. Stainless steel–fermented at 55 to 60 de- grees Fahrenheit, Va de Vi spends a year and half aging on the lees (en tirage). "Before, people were embar- rassed to ask for wines that aren't quite so dry; they didn't want to admit that they liked less dry wines," explains Bertran. But members of the Millennial gener- ation—who represent a signifi cant portion of today's wine drinkers and who look for value, adventure and new experiences in wine—seem to have no hesitation about expressing their preference for slightly less dry sparkling wines. "The response to Va de Vi has been huge," Bertran exclaims; "people love it in the tasting room, and in the market it is being very well received." Va de Vi offers abundant aromas of ripe apple, Asian pear and Bing cherries amid enticing yeasty tones. On the palate, rich fl avors of ripe peach, Meyer lemon, fresh berries and vanilla join with creamy textures in a lasting fi nish. When Gloria Ferrer launched Va de Vi in its highly- touristed Carneros district visitor's center, the wine was paired not with sweets, but with spicy foods. "We didn't want to be pegged to the wedding cake crowd," says Bertran, explaining that off-dry sparkling wines work beautifully with the lively spices in Indian or Thai cuisine, making Va de Vi a wine that can be enjoyed throughout a meal. Other ideal pairings would be with semi-soft cheeses such as fresh chèvre or Brie, or with hors d'oeuvres like paté or potstickers. While Va de Vi makes a plush aperi- tif, it also doubles as the primary ingredient in roman- tic, effervescent late-night cocktails (see sidebar). For those who see sparkling wines primarily as something to drink at the end of a meal, Va de Vi also fi ts the bill, especially with fruit-based desserts or with mascarpone drizzled with honey. With its sleek, eye-catching label and competitive sug- gested retail price of $22 a bottle, Va de Vi presents the perfect package for hip upscale restaurants, clubs and lounges, and enhances the lifestyle that younger con- sumers have so enthusiastically embraced. A celebration of the lively, vibrant Spanish heritage of Gloria Ferrer, Va de Vi is about possibility, laughter, camaraderie and romance, adventure and new experi- ences. But most importantly, it's about the wine. Bertran laughs, "Now, when people come in and ask tentatively, 'Do you have something that's maybe not too dry?', we can say, 'We have just the thing!'" www.gloriaferrer.com Va de Voom 2 oz. grenadine (pomegranate syrup) 4 oz. Va de Vi orange peel for garnish Pour the grenadine into a champagne fl ute and top with Va de Vi. Garnish with an orange peel. The Millennial generation has no hesita- tion about its preference for slightly less dry spar- kling wines."