While we were in Las Vegas, my Favorite Daughter was making plans to come to Detroit to do some visiting and get some Rest and Relaxation.  She wanted to make sure that she still got the corporate rate here for her Bed and Breakfast.  She figured that dear old Dad could be wrapped around her pinky.  You just know that I was going to be a fierce hotelier.  Well, we had to start making some plans, of course, she had other things on her mind, and being with us for the entire time, was not part of her plans.  So, we decided to throw a brunch and invite a bunch of people over for her to see, and then she would still have her evening free.

I have to admit the house smelled great that morning.  The aroma of both Canadian bacon and a maple glazed brown sugar traditional bacon was just awesome.  She was making hash browns with onions and cheese.  My Bride was also making a couple of different types of quiche, one classic and one a bit more unique.   As good as everything looked and smelled, I was praying that we wouldn’t run out of food.

Of course, Brunch without wine would just be breakfast and what fun is that.  So, we had to have some Mimosas, which are probably the easiest drink to make and consume early in the day.  I also decided that I would use a couple of sparkling wines that were not Brut finish, so that more people would find it easier to drink.  One of the wines that we used for this drink was Kirkland Signature Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG NV. The Kirkland brand is from the Costco Company, and I believe that I have read that they are now the largest wine retailer in the United States and they have been selling an assortment of different wines with their own branding. Asolo Prosecco is one of the newest DOCG designations from the Veneto district of north-eastern Italy, as well as a Prosecco DOC designation. These new designations now allow only wines from this area to use the Prosecco varietal, and sparkling wines outside of this district must continue using the older, less known varietal of Glera.  The other wine was one of our favorites from Michigan, L. Mawby Vineyards is a serious winemaker, and one of the wineries that my Bride would never forgive me, if we didn’t go there on the trip to Suttons Bay, even though they now have the Ann Arbor Vin Bar. This winery only makes sparkling wine and notice that I did not say Champagne or even American Champagne, since there is almost a universal trade agreement that only allows Champagne from the Champagne district in France to be called it, though there are a few wineries that are “grandfathered” in that can still label their wine as “American Champagne.” Even though the winemaker is very serious, the winery is a fun place, and when we went to one of the tasting areas, our server/host for moment grabbed a hammer and hit a gong to announce that a tasting was going. They produce quite a bit of bubbly and the winery has two labels to differentiate the winemaking process that they use. The M. Lawrence line is division is made using the bulk process, also referred to a “cuvee close” or the “Charmat Process.” I will mention this group of wines from Brut to Demi-Sec, or the level of sweetness. The US label is a Brut wine made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. Sandpiper is a Semi-Dry wine that is a proprietary blend and that is all I was told. These wines are made in small batches and fermented in the “cuvee close method” as indicated on the label. I prefer a little more sweetness myself in this type of wine, as I am always afraid that extra dry can have little nuance. I am happy to say that I could taste some fruit, and a little oak which made it more appealing.  To be truthful I would have enjoyed either of the wines without the orange juice, which I did, just to make sure that they would be up to snuff.  I am sure that my Favorite Daughter appreciated the fuss we did for her benefit.