Day 4: It adds a sparkle to the day...

...says Mr. Osato in James Bond's You Only Live Twice...wise man.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love champagne, better known as sparkling wine in California, and cava in Spain. My favorite is Cristalino Cava Brut— it's a sparkling wine from Spain, made from the grape varietals Macabeo (50%), Parellada (35%) and Xarello (15%). Produced by Jaume Serra, this lovely sparkler offers a fine alternative to Champagne at less than half the price. I usually get it on sale as Cost Plus World Market for $5.99. It is the best, forget the rest!

Here are some notes: Cristalino Cava Brut has a bright green-gold color and shows fine bubbles. It has a pleasant nose of green apples, peaches, toast, flowers, cinnamon and herbs. Crisp and bright, dry with medium-full body, this sparkler offers rich flavors of apples, figs, lemon, roasted almonds and pie crust. It is fruit-forward and balanced, with a clean, lemony finish.

Yum.