Drink Up, Chow Down

See ya mimosa? Bye bye bellini? Meet your favorite new bubbly cocktail, the Summer Kir. Sip sip hooray! You'll need:  Sparkling wine Cherry almond simple syrup A Champagne coupe For the bubbles, I prefer the mouthwatering Nino Franco Rustico NV Prosecco . It's fresh and elegant with light peach, citrus and honeysuckle notes and a wonderful creamy quality. It finishes tight and clean and it's one of my sparkling go-tos. Founded in 1919, Nino Franco is one of the oldest estates in Valdobbiadene, and they have definitely perfected their prosecco over the last 100 years. (I used Root 23 Cherry Almond simple syrup in this recipe.) Pour a generous splash of the simple syrup into your glass, then top slowly with the wine. Garnish with a cherry or an orange slice. Repeat every day until winter... Cheers!

Wine tourism is a thing. As a write this, I'm en route to Valle de Guadalupe to sample some of Mexico's finest. (Wine. Not tequila. Although there may be some tequila involved...) The fabulous Snooth.com asked some of their wine bloggers (including me) to write about their favorite wine travel destinations. Although I'm also partial to the spectacular Cape, the mighty Bordeaux and the always-surprising Paso Robles regions, I wrote about my visit to the magical Champagne area. Check out my take on it, and the regions other wine writers chose, here.  Cheers, wine lovers! Don't forget to tweet me your favorite wine travel destinations  @LAWineGal . Tasting at Krug Champagne

Deep below the famous chalky Champagne vineyards in northeast France is where the real history of the area can be found. And, while the villages are charming and picturesque, it's the natural caves and cellars below ground that are truly astounding. Krug As a wine student, one reads about them, but now having visited them puts the astonishing terroir into a new perspective for me. They've housed secret medieval abbeys, kept soldiers safe in both World Wars, and, of course, they've allowed some pretty sacred bubbles to age in calm style. Until we perfect time travel, we only have these profound bottles to take us back into our history. At Krug , I met one of the few remaining Champagne riddlers, working quickly, quietly, in methodical and ancient rhythm. It was also here that I saw bottles that have been resting since 1880, regardless of all that has come to pass above ground.  Resting, Krug At Perrier Jouët , it was the commitment to creating ar...