Preferred music to my ears? The pop of Champagne corks! It hits me with a pleasure-packed Pavlovian punch every time...causing decades of happy memories to bubble over their banks and dance out loud.
But sipping Champagne from pink splits through sexy straws for a good cause? Carrying my own animal-patterned art pack into the park on a stunning Autumn afternoon that also coincides with the Full Beaver Moon?
APPLAUSE and APPRECIATION to
Champagne Pommery for making me and so many others HAPPY!
I first encountered
Pommery’s POP Rose while eating and drinking for a favorite organization --
SHARE -- which provides all sorts of support services to women with breast and ovarian cancer.
SHARE’s Second Helping of Life event was an exuberant walk-around tasting that paired a dazzling array of female chefs – from
Ariane Daguin to
Sara Jenkins, with such celebrity sous chefs as actress
Tovah Feldshuh and radio host
Valerie Smaldone.
The 187ml splits of Pommery POP Rose -- best sipped through long pink straws -- was beyond perfect. It was pink, practically spill proof, and the constant sound of popping corks added a festive air to the evening. Not to mention that the Champagne is DELICIOUS – generous, yeasty, with aromas and flavors reminiscent of an elegant custard tart topped with delicate red fruits. Plus, it was the ideal accompaniment for dishes that ranged from
Anita Lo’s Kanpachi Sashimi with Lillies to
Sarabeth Levine’s Warm Raspberry Bread Pudding.
I did not want the fun to end! So I prevailed upon
Michelle Ponto of Talbert Communications to send me some!
I was ecstatic to receive a limited edition
Champagne Pommery POP Art Safari collection that comes packaged in a see-though purse trimmed with faux zebra (pictured above). The art on the splits, by Japanese artist Takahiro Okawa, features boldly patterned animal skin backgrounds from which elegantly stylized animals -- in this case zebra, crocodile and giraffe -- leap forth. And yes, straws are included!
But this Champagne is so beautiful to look at that I can’t bear to break the foil, pop the corks and drink the spoils....Just yet.
So while I did take the POP pack into the park on a practice run, you’ll have to stay tuned for tasting notes. We will go on a POP Picnic Safari at some point soon, I promise.
Meantime, something about sipping elegant pink Champagne though silly straws has helped me to think and drink differently. Later in life, should my faculties fail, these memories will serve as smelling salts. And if I have to resort to drinking Champagne from sippy cups in my old age, so be it.
Until such time, I'll be doing all the
Wine Workouts I can...for myself and for groups ranging from family and friends to senior centers...as a way to strengthen the senses, train the brain and ENJOY the process.
For now, I gaze upon the POP pack that graces my coffee table, give thanks, and look forward.
Warmly,
Wendy