Puh-fewww. That’s all I can say about the last two months. Tonight is the first night since New Year’s Eve that I can just sit on the couch and watch TV. The TiVo menu is full, I have a huge bag of fresh rocket and some squid tubes to stew. Mmmm….squid tubes. Sorry, my idea of comfort food leads towards the bitter, the garbanzo, and the squid. I got me a box of Fran’s chocolates, the official chocolate of our household and the perfect balance of bittersweet creaminess. And I have a bottle of sparkling Saumur Rose.

Have we ever talked about Saumur? Saumur is a small region in the Loire Valley known for its Cabernet Franc red wines. However, one of my rules of wine is to snag any cheap bottle of Saumur white or bubbles that I can get my hands on, especially if it’s a direct import.

Saumur whites are pure loveliness, and generally made from Chenin Blanc. Wines made from this grape more often than not give off an apple or cider aroma and/or flavor. No accident, the Loire Valley is apple central. Saumur whites aren’t as sharp as cheaper Sauvignon Blanc, and they are far lighter than Chardonnay–with the best features of each I’d say.

And Saumur bubbles…imagine the above, plus bubbles. This Domaine de Brize Rose is a little pricey ($16), but it escapes the fake fruit pitfall of many an under $20, pink bubbly. The wine is mainly Cabernet Franc, and the aroma is a little candied, but the flavor on impact is pure fresh raspberry curd. The wine finishes soft, the bubbles just shy of aggressive. I’m going to drink mine with chocolate, so I’ll probably drop a sugar cube and some bitters in it to sweeten it up. But I’ve got some lemon ice cream in the freezer to help me finish the rest of the bottle tomorrow…