Looking for Italian Sparkling Wine

[tomstevenson]

A blue wine? Nah, I sense some of you thinking, Texas Wook is just trying to wind us up! But he ain't! I cannot claim to have tasted Blu di Blu, but I have come across it. Not in Italy, but in Eastern Europe. It is a pre-mixed fizzy cocktail with a peach flavour and an alcoholic strength of 6 or 6.5% if I remember correctly. Nothing much in common with Moet's Nectar (yes, spelt correctly), except a certain sweetness. Personally, I would not bother to seek it out, but if you want something similar there are plenty of this type of thing. Les Societe Remoise des Vins produces a range of flavoured sparkling wines, including a Peach-flavoured one, under the Croisiere label. These wines claim to b e Brut but really are quite sweet. There is even blue Croisiere, which I declared "Best Blue Wine of the Year" in 1995. I should hasten to add that this was written with my tongue firmly in cheek (pretty difficult if you're not a cat). I described Croisiere Curacao Brut (the blue being more turqoise and coming from the Curacao, which gives the wine is orange flavour) as "This unique product must be recommended for its class, which should enable it to fit unobtrusively between the Greek liqueurs and the Mateus Rose lampshade, on the corner bar in the lounge of Mr & Mrs Nouveau Riche."

I can't believe I've taken the trouble to write this, but all my deadlines have been done and dusted and there is nearly three weeks to wait before I go on holiday ....

Tom