vintage HL: i'll bring the bubbly

i have to introduce you to the sofia mini, the adorable bubbly in a can, from francis ford coppola winery. yes, a can. i know, people are still getting over the idea of wine in a box. but i have to tell you, you won't be disappointed. and i think i'm speaking mildly here...the introduction to sofia on the coppola website could make a girl blush:

born from a celebration of love, sofia blanc de blancs began as a gift from a father to his daughter. our sparkling wine, as bright and effervescent as the woman who inspired it, along with the charming and stylish sofia rosé, are a tribute to the romantic, ebullient spirit of women everywhere.

MY MY. excuuuuuse me.

really though, i loved it too.

so, a blanc de blancs is a sparkling blend of white wines...basically american champagne. what's different about sofia is that while most blanc de blancs are made from all chardonnay, this one uses mainly pinot blanc and then adds sauvignon blanc and muscat. it's crisp and refreshing and according to the coppola website has notes of pear, apple honeysuckle and citrus. and for the oenophiles...apparently sofia is "elegant in character...lightly textured and vibrant through the finish." yeah, what they said.

i was introduced to sofia around sunset on a friend's fire island deck and it was perfect - convenient, compact and extremely tasty...refined enough for evening, earthy enough for the casual outdoors. i found it to be fuller and more complete tasting than many champagnes and sparkling wines i've had before. is it the absolute best champagne i've ever had? no. but it was really good, and it's one of those things where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts - if i were served a glass of this champagne at a party or a restaurant, i would think it was very good and i'd enjoy it fully. but being handed this adorable can with its attached retractable straw in my favorite place in the world at sunset...it was elevated it to a simple kind of perfection.

the nicest thing about it is that everyone can have it in their favorite place in the world and at sunset, or any other time, because the size and portability factor make these minis perfect for picnics, concerts, the beach, and really any situation where individual servings of bubbly would be called for. the size is just right and the can keeps it nicely chilled for just the amount of time it takes to drink 187 ml. also, not that you'd be trying to hide the fact that you were drinking (it's always afternoon somewhere), but they're subtle too - the snazzy hot pink cans look more like an energy drink than anything else...way classier than a brown paper bag.

it's nice, even at home, to have some on hand to be able to offer the equivalent of a glass of champagne without popping a bottle. the minis are available in 4 packs for $16 or individually for $4, making them pretty reasonably priced, especially considering that they're the type of thing you wouldn't really go through cases and cases of.

they also sell a standard 750 ml bottle for $20, but if you're going to buy a whole bottle, i don't know that i'd buy this one, per se... for me, it really is a combination of the packaging, the concept and the wine itself that make the appeal of the sofia blanc de blancs. you can buy these on the coppola website, wine.com and even at some whole foods locations.

no matter how you buy it, the outcome is the same -- cute, individual, tasty bubbles to go. drink up! love!

originally posted 7/27/09