LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2019

DRINK WINE EVERYDAY SPARKLE BY JAMES CHATTO • PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB FIOCCA

Time to break out the bubbly for far more than special celebrations— sparkling wine has a versatility that has been too long overlooked.

F IS FOR FIZZ —for frivolous, food-friendly, e ervescence. And f is for fun! Bubbly was once reserved for ceremonial moments; today, corks are popping for no reason at all, before, during and after everyday meals. Where food matching is concerned, brut sparkling wine is spectacularly versatile—and charmingly unpretentious: as good with popcorn as it is with caviar, and in cocktails too!     The bubblies we’re featuring here are all great-value bottles made in the traditional method, just like Champagne, with a second, fizz-inducing fermentation taking place in the bottle. But to get the ball rolling, let’s give a nod to Prosecco, which gets its second fermentation in pressurized tanks—and is none the worse for it. Our first cocktail, The Negroni Sbagliato, is all the rage in Italy.

THE NEGRONI SBAGLIATO recipe on page 98

Once upon a time, a clueless bartender accidentally made a Negroni with Prosecco instead of gin, or so the story goes. Hence the name of this delicious cocktail— sbagliato means mistaken. Or you can think of it as an Americano spritz. The dry bubbly sharpens the bittersweet taste of vermouth and Campari beautifully. Try Mionetto Prestige Brut ( LCBO 483339, $16.95).

FOOD & DRI NK SPRING