You may have seen these words on a wine bottle and wondered to yourself just what they mean. Carbonic Maceration is a winemaking process that lends certain qualities to wines that make them enjoyable to drink any time at all, but especially around Valentine's Day - so we thought we would take a moment to talk about what it is, and what it does for wine!

Fans of unusual food pairings, rejoice! January 10th, 2023 marks the third annual celebration of Champagne & French Fry Day. Created by Anna Maria Kambourakis, founder and owner of Chania Wine Tours in Crete and the wine blog Unravelling Wine, along with her friend Kleopatra Bright, this international holiday is celebrated every year since 2021 on Kambourakis's birthday. Anna Maria, a trained and certified sommelier, says that the two foods pair so well because the acid and effervescence of the champagne cuts through the salt and fat of the fries. She particularly recommends an extra dry champagne, as opposed to brut, because it is slightly sweet, which mellows out the salt.

Anna Maria and Kleopatra, we at Pairings salute you, and we will be enjoying this combination soon. Your commitment to taking the stuffiness out of wine inspires us. The next time you are in Portland, Oregon, please stop by the shop and say, "Hello." If you come by on a Sunday, Patrick can give you his thoughts on another unlikely food pairing that he loves: cookies and beer.

Happy 2023, everyone! Whether you came into the shop this last weekend to drink Champagne and have fancy bites or a bagel with us, went to a wild (or possibly mild) shindig, or you kicked back at home with a glass of your favorite bubbly, we hope you had a safe, festive New Years weekend. Speaking of which: ever wonder how Champagne became the drink of choice during this time of year?