So, my birthday is next week. I have two very lovely sparklers I have never tried but are in my stash, and well, I'm not getting married, there are no anniversaries to celebrate, and I think a birthday is a sparkly sort of occasion. Seriously, why wait until New Year's?

The contenders:

2005 Domaine Ste. Michelle Luxe:
This bottle fermented sparkling wine, produced using traditional Methodé Champenoise techniques, exhibits fruit-forward aromas of crisp green apple with lemon-lime top notes.

And the 2007 Iron Horse Vineyards Fairy Tale Celebration Cuvée.



Which should I pick? Which would you pick?

It is safe to say whichever gets the most votes is the one that's getting selected, so this is your chance to make a difference!

inkycatz wrote:Sparkly things!

I'll cast my vote after this weekend, in which I will be celebrating my anniversary with some IH Wedding Cuvee.

inkycatz wrote:(choices!)

If you have two of the FT, good reason to thin the herd, and know what to expect later of the remainder.

At our place, Iron Horse is the house pour for sparklers, mostly because I can't resist buying more whenever the opportunity arises, and we need to drink it sometime. We haven't opened the Fairy Tale Cuvée yet, but it seems like a charming name for a birthday celebration. OTOH, I think rjquillin has a good piece of advice just above.

Not familiar with either wine so can't comment but why would you wait for an special occasion to open a sparkler, they are great any day and a really good food wine.

tytiger58 wrote:Not familiar with either wine so can't comment but why would you wait for an special occasion to open a sparkler, they are great any day and a really good food wine.

Well I bought both wines above with a "this is for a special occasion" excuse (you know, the way you justify things you don't need but do want so much). Thanks to wine.woot, I have plenty of the non sparkling variety to choose from for average days.

Your post did give me pause to think that perhaps I need some more sparkly in my life and reevaluate those 'special occasions' some. Broaden the focus, as it were...

Ignore all these fools. Open both!

I didn't hit any stupid people today, that's reason enough to celebrate with one, then you can open the other

Eating seafood is good enough reason to drink the Champagne...or what bhodilee said...Kyle has a good point too

inkycatz wrote: Your post did give me pause to think that perhaps I need some more sparkly in my life and reevaluate those 'special occasions' some. Broaden the focus, as it were...

Try our idea, then: instead of thinking of sparkling wine as a wine to open for a special occasion, think of it as a wine to help make an occasion special.

Why do sparklers have to be only special occasion wines?

We have sparklers quite often with a meal. And it goes really well with freshly made popcorn with butter.

JOATMON wrote:And it goes really well with freshly made popcorn with butter.

I would have never thought of that!

JOATMON wrote:Why do sparklers have to be only special occasion wines?

We have sparklers quite often with a meal. And it goes really well with freshly made popcorn with butter.

Great minds think alike.
They are also particularly good with sushi.

ddeuddeg wrote:Try our idea, then: instead of thinking of sparkling wine as a wine to open for a special occasion, think of it as a wine to help make an occasion special.

Going to steal that

bdlsmoran wrote:Going to steal that

Sorry, you can't steal it. I put it out there on the World Wide Web, and anyone is free to use it. Salut!

I just looked over this entire thread, and took a moment to look at the St. Michelle website. I've had their other sparklers, and always felt that they were good value, but I haven't tried the one you have, which is apparently their "flagship"wine. As I said above, I haven't tried the Fairy Tale yet either. But you asked for votes, and none of us have voted yet. Based on my love of Iron Horse sparklers, I'll vote for the Fairy Tale Cuvée. By the way, are you going to drink it all, or will you be celebrating with someone?

ddeuddeg wrote:I just looked over this entire thread, and took a moment to look at the St. Michelle website. I've had their other sparklers, and always felt that they were good value, but I haven't tried the one you have, which is apparently their "flagship"wine. As I said above, I haven't tried the Fairy Tale yet either. But you asked for votes, and none of us have voted yet. Based on my love of Iron Horse sparklers, I'll vote for the Fairy Tale Cuvée. By the way, are you going to drink it all, or will you be celebrating with someone?

Friends, of course! Gotta share the celebrating!

ddeuddeg wrote:Sorry, you can't steal it. I put it out there on the World Wide Web, and anyone is free to use it. Salut!

Fine, then I'll steal the whole internet!

I've had the Fairy Tale but not the other. You really can't go wrong with Iron Horse. Hell, maybe you should have both and make a proper celebration of it!

tytiger58 wrote:Not familiar with either wine so can't comment but why would you wait for an special occasion to open a sparkler, they are great any day and a really good food wine.

Maybe because saving bubbles for only every-so-often makes it even more fun when you have one!

I agree with these two people, clearly I need more bubbles in my cellar

"in victory, you deserve Champagne, in defeat, you need it"
Napoleon Bonaparte


"I only drink Champagne when I'm happy, and when I'm sad. sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. when I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I am not hungry and drink it when I am. otherwise I never touch it - unless I'm thirsty"
Lily Bollinger

bhodilee wrote:Fine, then I'll steal the whole internet!

You'll have to answer to Al Gore for that!

inkycatz wrote:Friends, of course! Gotta share the celebrating!

Excellent! You may need to use Kyle's suggestion, and open both.
Of course, Château St. Michelle is just a couple of hours down the road. I'm sure you can get that whenever you need it. And it's significantly less expensive than the IH, while still of good quality.

You *are* going to open both of them -- aren't you...

Cuvée!!

inkycatz - what did you finally decide to do? Inquiring minds want to know...

cjsiege wrote:inkycatz - what did you finally decide to do? Inquiring minds want to know...

A little hint of lime and sugar, wait no those were the crepes I had for breakfast...

We had the Fairytale! It was absolutely delicious and enjoyed by all.

Planning on popping out the Domaine Ste. Michelle Luxe later this weekend to finish out the week. There had been other booze going on so opening both seemed like overkill. Celebrate, but not excessively so!

I still had to get up early today. ;)