We’re at home in the kitchen, making tonight’s dinner and sipping wine. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but we’re drinking Nando Asti, non-vintage of course. I have no idea where the bottle came from. Did we buy it? Did someone give it to us? I vaguely remember commercials from childhood for Asti Spumante, but amazingly, I don’t know that I’ve ever tried it. This one is actually off-dry, with flavors of honey and over-ripe pears, a faint mintiness in the background, tiny bubbles, and a light straw color which is slightly darker than your average non-vintage champagne. At first sip, the sweetness was startling, but it sort of grows on you. It feels more like a cocktail than a sparkling wine; perhaps it’s the sugar. I am partial to the occasional demi-sec, after cheese and in lieu of dessert. Clicquot and Schramsberg make nice ones, but they are a bit more subtle than the Asti we are sipping at the moment. It’s a warm, sunny afternoon after a thunderstorm, with hummingbirds on the deck and elk scattered throughout the backyard. Right now, this Asti is perfect.
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