Pommery Grand Cru

Pommery's Grand Cru is a sparkling wine, listed here with a Massachusetts, United States origin. The details supplied don't give a vintage, dosage level or grape blend, so the notes below describe what bottles in this style usually deliver. Check the label for the sweetness designation before you plan a menu around it. In a dry style, expect crisp green apple, pear and citrus peel, possibly with a toasty, bready edge if the wine spent time on its lees. The body is usually light to medium, with fine, persistent bubbles and a bright, mouth-watering acidity. Sparkling wines carry no meaningful tannin and rarely show obvious oak, so the finish tends to be clean and dry, with the acidity doing the work. Serve it well chilled, around 6 to 8°C (43 to 46°F). A couple of hours in the refrigerator or about 20 minutes in an ice bucket filled with half ice and half water will get it there. Colder than that mutes the fruit, and warmer makes the bubbles look coarse and the wine feel flabby. Don't decant. Pouring it into a carafe would only strip out the carbonation. Open the bottle slowly by holding the cork and twisting the bottle, so the wine stays lively in the glass. For glassware, choose a tulip-shaped white wine glass or a narrow flute. A tulip gives the aromas more room to open while still holding the bubbles. The wide, shallow coupe lets both escape quickly, so it's the weaker choice here. At the table, the acidity and fizz work well against fried and salty foods such as tempura, fish and chips, oysters, salted almonds and potato chips. Soft-ripened cheeses, smoked salmon, and roast chicken with a lemony pan sauce also work. If the label shows a sweeter designation, move toward fruit tarts or lightly sweet desserts and away from savory dishes. Treat it as a drink-now bottle. Most non-vintage sparkling wines are made to be enjoyed within a few years of release, so keep it in a cool, dark spot lying on its side or standing upright for short-term storage.