There may still be snow on the ground but Spring Break has begun. Thousands of teens and twenty-somethings migrating to warmer climates filled with sandy beaches, girls and boys scantily clad and cheap alcohol. Man, I miss those days. I grew up in Southwest Florida just miles from Ft. Myers Beach, a huge Spring Break destination. In high school my friends and I would troll, err I mean stroll, the beach during the day and walk up and down the strip at night, trying to convince everyone we too were college spring breakers. I remember 2-liter bottles of wine coolers were the rage at the time. Being underage and looking it too, I have no idea how we managed to get alcohol on a regular basis but we did.

Then in my 20’s and part of my 30’s there were the St. Paddy’s Days going out to bars, fighting my way through crowded tents to some awful green and usually flat beer.
How times have changed, this St. Patrick’s Day I cooked a corned beef, mashed potatoes and braised cabbage and stayed home not drinking green beer. Sounds pretty adult like and dull huh? That’s ok; I made up for it on Tuesday when I sipped on elegant and affordable sparklers from Coté Mas. You know me; any occasion is a good time for sparkling wine. Sometimes it’s good to be a grown up and act like one too.
This week I attended a live online wine tasting with Coté Mas winemaker and vineyard manager Bastien Lalauze and Sud de France Educator and Consultant, Jamal Rayyis. Now my pockets aren’t deep and I can’t buy a $50 bottle of bubbly all the time but I do like to live well. Each of the wines are under $20. When I saw the words “Everyday Luxury” on their home page, I knew I’d met my perfect match.
We tasted three sparkling wines all under the Domaines Paul Mas portfolio, Crémaint de Limoux Rosé, Crémaint de Limoux and Blanquette de Limoux all from the Languedoc region of France.

St. Hilaire Blanquette de Limoux NV Méthode Ancestrale
Pale yellow in color bursting with tiny bubbles. Apple and pear aromas with a hint of floral. Flavors of honey, red apple and pear. The wine contains a high amount of residual sugars so I paired it with Humboldt Fog Cheese, it was pure heaven.
Grape Varietal: 100% Mauzac
Appellation: AOP Blanquette de Limoux
Vineyard Info: The vines grow on clay and limestone soils at an elevation of 820 to 920 feet above sea-level.
Alcohol: 7.8%
TA: 3.81 g/L
RS: 80 g/L
PH: 3.3

St. Hilaire Crémant de Limoux NV Brut
Pale yellow in color with fine bubbles. Aromas of citrus and honey lead to lemon and orange citrus flavors and more honey. Excellent balance between the acidity from the citrus flavors and the sugars. I paired this with Naked Goat, a raw goat’s milk cheese from Spain.
Appellation: AOP Crémant de Limoux
Varietals: 60% Chardonnay, 20% Chenin Blanc, 10% Pinot Noir, 10% Mauzac
Vineyard Info: Vines are planted on clay and limestone soils at an elevation of 820 to 920 feet above sea level.
Alc.: 12.5%
TA: 5.15 g/L
RS: 5 g/L
PH: 3.02

St. Hilaire Crémant de Limoux Rosé NV Brut
Delicate pink bubbles with floral aromas of honeysuckle and orange blossom. Peach flavors combine with orange citrus.
Alc.: 12%
Varietals: 70% Chardonnay, 20% Chenin Blanc, 10% Pinot Noir
Appellation: AOP Crémant de Limoux
Vineyard Info: The vines grow on clay and limestone soils at an elevation of 820 to 920 feet above sea-level.
Alc.: 12%
TA: 5.75 g/L
RS: 10 g/L
PH: 3.03

Located in the Coteaux de Languedoc AOC, Château de Conas has been home to the Mas family for over one thousand years and home to centuries of winemakers. Domaines Paul Mas’ history began in 1892 when when Auguste Mas purchased 22 acres of additional land adding to the existing 68 acres. In 1954 Auguste’s great-grandson, Raymond, moved to Château de Conas renovating the estate with the help of his sons Maxime and Paul.

Paul took over the estate in 1987 and is now under the reigns of his son, Jean-Claude who has paved the way to premium winemaking in the Languedoc. The estate now comprises 440-acres of high quality grapes. This was included in the trade packet I received prior to the tasting, “When consumers sip his wines, Jean-Claude’s goal is to create a moment of pure pleasure.”
I had to smile when reading this line because while sipping the wines during the tasting, I was in heaven.