Toasting the everyday with Benjamin Bridge

I recently received some images of Benjamin Bridge Brut sparkling being served on a Tuesday lunchtime date, in the company of some casual fare, at Halifax’s Brooklyn Warehouse restaurant. While I can’t afford or imagine a $40+ dollar bottle of any wine for a midweek lunch, it did make me think about what constitutes luxury and how we’ve regulated the sparkling wine style to the accompaniment of similarly luxurious ingredients at a short list of mostly celebratory events.

Great sparkling wines such as Benjamin Bridge’s lineup of traditional method (made using the methods perfected in Champagne) sparkling wines have an affinity for food that goes well beyond the oysters and caviar routine. Great sparkling wine boasts that magical combination of aromatic intensity and vibrant acidity that allows them to pair with a range of foods, not all of which cost a lot of money.

While the concept of luxury is often defined by a price tag, mine involves time spent with my family. Nothing is more luxurious to me than a Sunday afternoon watching a game with my wife and kids. With that in mind, and with the holiday season upon us, here a couple ideas to toast what is truly special in life. For me it is time spent in the company of loved ones, and if is accompanied with a glass of Benjamin Bridge bubbly.

Toast Movie Night with Nova 7 by Benjamin Bridge(NSLC, $24.99)

Nova 7 offers a delightful mix of tropical fruit balanced by grapefruit verve. It is the perfect accompaniment to a movie-night in with some take-out Thai.

2010 Benjamin Bride Rosé (NSLC, $44.99)

Made in the classic Rosé style with berry-like fruit notes mixed with a mineral-edge finished. This sparkler would find happy company for a date night accompanied by flat crust pizza.

Luxurious Game Day with Benjamin Bridge Brut (NSLC, $44.99)

An edgy and lively style that can go haute when it needs to but the flavours work with game day fare such as my Panko Crusted Mozzarella.

Panko Crusted Mozzarella

150 g pancetta, diced

500 g mozzarella, cut into ½-inch by 1 –inch long sticks

1 egg

1 cup flour

1 cup finely grated Parmesan

2-3 cups panko

Vegetable oil for frying

Method:

Fry pancetta until it is crispy. Place on a paper towel to remove any excess fat; let cool. Using a sharp paring knife cut a small lengthwise slit in the mozzarella sticks. Place a couple pieces of pancetta in each piece of mozzarella. Make an egg wash by whisking together egg with a couple tablespoons of water. Combine the flour and Parmesan and place in a separate bowl. Place panko in another bowl. Dip mozzarella in flour, then dip in the egg wash and finally dip in the panko. Preheat oven to 350° F. Place oil in frying pan. Place on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot; fry mozzarella until the golden brown on all sides. Transfer to a baking sheet. Bake in oven for 5 minutes.