Easter is coming up this weekend, the perfect excuse to treat yourself and your loved ones to a little bit of bubbly with Easter brunch—and a special bubbly at that.
This soft pink Sparkling Rose of Sangiovese 2011 from Odonata Wines is absolutely gorgeous, overflowing with flavors of cherry pie and a touch of cream, plus those delightful festive bubbles. It’s made by Denis Hoey, owner and talented winemaker at Odonata Wines.
Fruit for this 100-percent-Sangiovese wine is grown in Machado Creek Vineyard in Santa Clara County, where Hoey selects the very best grapes. With its creamy refined bubbles that dance in the mouth, this is a rosy-bright sparkler you will love.
“My family drinks bubbles on any day of the week, and I hope this bottle inspires you to do the same,” Hoey says on his label. “This wine is round, flavorful and lots of fun! I hope you have a blast uncapping and enjoying it,” he adds. When I uncapped it—it has an easy-to-open beer-bottle-style cap—I was on vacation in Palm Desert with my husband. And when family arrived the second week, it was a snazzy welcoming drop of bubbly to pop open.
Odonata Wines recently announced the winery’s first ever “Odonata Bubbles Club,” devoted strictly to sparkling wines. The first 100 people to join the new Bubbles Club will be guaranteed access to a very limited number of sparkling wines currently en tirage, including a Sparkling Riesling from the Santa Lucia Highlands. Initial Bubbles Club members will be invited to special release parties, and will receive two logo’d Champagne flutes as a welcome gift.
The Bubbles Club is similar to the regular Odonata wine club, which offers members a 15 percent discount on bottles and 25 percent on cases. With the Bubbles Club, there are two bottles per shipment of the same sparkling wine, two times per year: enjoy one right away and save the other for later. Shipments will increase to four per year once there is sufficient sparkling product in the pipeline.
Hoey’s tasting room is on Mission Street in Santa Cruz, and he recently opened another one in Salinas. When I met up with him a couple of weeks ago, he said he’s unbelievably busy. Well, with a wife and two young sons and two tasting rooms to oversee, plus harvesting grapes and making wine at all hours, I would imagine he is.
Odonata Wines North, 2343 Mission St., Santa Cruz, 566-5147. Odonata is open Friday to Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Pizza night is Tuesdays from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Open every First Friday for the First Friday Art Walk. Odonata Wines South is at 645 River Road, Salinas. Open noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Odonatawines.com.
Easter Goodies
Linda Meltzer, owner of Pure Health in Aptos Village, carries hand-painted Easter eggs from Kashmir, hand-woven Easter bunnies from Vietnam, hand-painted Easter-bunny boxes, and fine quality hand-stitched Easter scarves made from silk and wool from India. Check out other lovely items in their store, including hand-woven African baskets.
Pure Health, 8050 Soquel Drive, Aptos, 661-5689. in**@pu*******************.com
