HER LIFE Magazine

Raventós i Blanc is cava at its prime. Frothy, bright and elegant,Raventós i Blanc is exquisitely balanced. There’s a buttery, creamy noseof toasted nuts, sweet fresh fruit, spring flowers and anise. In the mouth,there is honeysuckle, citrus, minerals, vanilla and spice. After its threeyears of aging, this is one complex wine which tastes like elegance.Sparkling wines have a “mousse.” The term refers to how fizzy thewine feels in your mouth. In cheap wines, the mousse is reminiscentof soft drinks like cola and ginger ale. Raventós i Blanc has a creamymousse. It’s what you want in your mouth and in your wine.If your mind’s more on cocktails than straight wine, then cavais your friend. Plunk a ripe strawberry in a champagne flute, pourRaventós i Blanc over the top and you have summer in a glass. Usea sugar cube and a dash of artisanal bitters, and you have a classiccocktail to turn a meal into a celebration.Ready to surprise and delightyour friends? Use cava to makesparkling sangria with fresh fruit—berries, pitted and halved cherries,and slices of nectarine or apricot.If you like citrus, add the zest of alemon or lime.Ready to surprise and delight your friends? Use cava to makesparkling sangria with fresh fruit—berries, pitted and halved cherries,and slices of nectarine or apricot. If you like citrus, add the zest of alemon or lime. Like life sweet? Pour in a little mango nectar. Wanta bit more bite? Pour in a shot of brandy or fruit liqueur. Put what’sfresh and fanciful in a pitcher, top it with chilled cava, give it agentle stir and serve.Where food’s concerned, cava lets you be playful. One of thebest things about sparkling wine is its amenability. If it were a child,then it would get high marks for “plays well with others.”Serve Raventós i Blanc with seared foie. Match it with oysters,seared scallops, sashimi, smoked salmon, quiche or fresh figs. Pairit with grilled or fried fish, Spanish cheeses or Serrano ham. Layout a tapas buffet, and Raventós i Blanc will go with everything onthe table. Cava’s a fine partner for fresh diver scallops, whether yousimply sauté them or make Coquille St. Jacques.Raventós i Blanc isn’t just for after-hours occasions. Take it ona lunchtime picnic. Pour it alongside eggs and turn brunch intodelightful decadence—but you don’t need food as a reason to servethis sparkler. At Monkey Bar, Belinda says, “We pour it by the glassfrom magnums!”Life’s full of reasons to celebrate. With Raventós i Blanc GranReserve de la Finca, sparkling is an affordable, elegant joy. ■Sources for this article are monkeybarnewyork.com and raventos.com.HERLIFEnewyork.com 23