It’s strawberry season, and a great way to enjoy this delicious and beautiful fruit is by adding it to sparkling wine. You can do this by simply slicing fresh berries and putting them in the glass with the bubbly, or you can make a cocktail called a Rossini. Like a Bellini, which is made with peach puree, the Rossini is made with strawberry puree. It’s named after the Italian composer Gioachino Rossini, who wrote, among many other things, the William Tell Overture (which most of us know as the theme song to the Lone Ranger.) A suggested sparkler? The Carta Nevada from Freixenet. It’s different from the better-known Freixenet Negro because it has a bit more residual sugar in it, which gives it a fresh, fruity flavor with ripe peach and apricot notes. On the website, it’s suggested that this Cava is “the perfect brunch beverage…a fabulous accompaniment in a fruity cocktail, with Asian food, small-plate meals, light sandwiches, or green salads.” Salute to the Rossini!!
