Price: $17

Producer: Piper Sonoma

Origin: Healdsburg, California

Type of wine: Sparkling wine made from Pinot Noir grapes

Try it with: Great by itself. Very versatile with food – roasted chicken, spicy vegetable soup, grilled fish, sushi

Date Reviewed: Feb. 2004

Blanc de Noirs means, “white from black.” Piper Sonoma makes this lovely sparkling wine from (red) Pinot Noir grapes. A subtle copper hue in this otherwise golden bubbly hints at the presence of red grapes. The bubbles are very small and move slower than most sparkling wines. Aroma of Golden Delicious apples is backed with honey and floral notes. In the mouth, the Blanc de Noirs has medium body with an initially crisp texture followed by a smooth finish. Its flavor is primarily ‘just ripe’ pear and apple with slight cinnamon and clove. A complex, well-made bubbly at a good price.