How you doin' with that whole "pink" issue now? If you're not over it yet, all you need to do is taste this sparkler. You'll be donning your fancy pants in no time!

Everything from the nose is there, and it just works together. The flavors don't compete -- they blend with a great texture that still finishes clean, with just a touch of tartness.

If you only drink Champagne/sparkling wine when there's something overt to celebrate (birthday, anniversary, making parole), I recommend trying this bad bubbly with dinner. You might think salmon a natural, but I'd break it out for a big salad, sushi or any appetizer involving cherries or berries.

And, if the color remains an issue, break out the tinted stemware, enjoy the Mumm in the closet, opt for the blanc de blanc (a more socially-accepted hay color) or just get over it. Swallow some pride, and then swallow some of this pink fizzy find!

Besides, half of us wasted half our summer nights watching "American Idol." Enjoying a great wine like this, by comparison, is downright respectable.

Cheers,
TSW

So, you read the label of this bottle and you think, "'Blanc de Noirs?' Yes, now that's a bubbly for me!" Dark, brooding and a little mysterious… this is going to be a big wine!

Then you pop the cork, pour some of the carbonated creation into your glass and… what? This can't be right! This can't be. It's pink!

But it is pink. Sure, it may technically be "salmon" or some other color known only to interior decorators and drag queens, but anyone who catches you drinking this wine in a restaurant will think "pink."

I recommend that you put up with the stares and enjoy this one with your pride intact! The nose is dominated by cherry and light berry notes, but it doesn't stop there. There's a great yeast quality, and I swear there's a hint of apple and even a little nuttiness.