The OpMom Blog

Mama Likes Brut

Motherhood, business ownership, and wifely-hood.
All great parts of my life, but occasionally mama needs a glass of wine. One of my favorite sites is Women & Wine – our friend Julie Brosterman has created a great community at Women & Wine that brings women together in the appreciation of all things wine – great finds, cool products, and the best in wine travel and “experiences” (vinotherapy spa treatments, anyone?).

Yoga in a wine glass!
Julie has a presentation she gives called “Yoga in a Glass.” I haven’t seen it presented yet, but I adore the title alone. I can picture it… my morning Yoga on the mat… and evening Yoga on the placemat. I love it. And I’ll definitely have more on Julie and her site in a later post.

But today, we’re all about Champagne, folks.
As a part of my OpMom webcast series, I recently visited with Tim Smith of French Country Wines about the differences between Champagne and “sparkling wines.” What I wanted to better understand was the quintessential question with Champagne and (decent) sparkling wine, which is how to find good quality at a good price. This involves much more than just reading the latest Wine Spectator review and proving that we know 91 is a higher and presumably better number than 88. Over at www.opmom.com, the moms in our “Matter of Taste” MomCircle group often discuss this issue, so we decided to consult an expert.

Since I love the bubbly but I’m also budget conscious when buying wine, it’s great to get some tips on how to shop and what types of bargains I can look for. And then there’s the issue of what to choose. Most people get very un-adventurous with wine over time and stick to wines they know, because nothing is worse than spending your hard-earned money on a total guess or grocery store employee recommendation. If you find yourself looking at an overpriced wine menu at a restaurant, the situation only gets more frustrating. So, it helps to know what the labels signify, and how to get the most for your dollar when choosing these great but often pricey wines.

Bubbly isn’t just for big celebrations.
So check out the video below, and remember: You can celebrate a quiet Tuesday evening. Every now and then, I’ll have a glass while hanging out with my husband as we watch the kids run around outside. Another great day completed, healthy & happy kids… you know, that’s enough for me to celebrate!

Watch the show below, and be sure to leave comments! PS - any complaints about the annoying “Pop-Up” style text overlay should be addressed to John!