Wanted to start by giving a shout out to Twitter friend ilpalazzone for giving me the idea to make Sgroppino on Christmas Eve. Sgroppino is a refreshing sparkling Venetian digestif (after-dinner drink). The Italian beverage is a mixture of Prosecco, lemon sorbet, vodka, and mint. Yes, it tastes as good as it sounds.
The recipe is simple, and you can basically just mix the ingredients in some logical fashion and come up with a yummy result. Some would have you whisk the mixture, but just scooping in some sorbet worked fine for me, and it’s the recommended process from Food Network Chef Giada De Laurentiis. And who doesn’t respect Giada and her… uhhh… mixed drinks. This serves two:
- 1 cup chilled Prosecco (Italian sparkling white wine)
- 2 tablespoons chilled vodka
- 1/3 cup frozen lemon sorbet
- 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh mint leaves
Mix the chilled prosecco and vodka and pour into champagne flutes. Scoop in the sorbet, top with mint, and serve often.
Twenty Tweet Recap
Several days before Christmas marked our second Twenty Tweet Tuesday game – our new Twitter-based twenty questions game with a secret wine. You guess, we tell, and the winner gets the chosen wine free! This marked out first game using our custom game dashboard, which pulls together the tweets from everyone playing on one screen for easy viewing and increased fun capacity. With the holidays approaching, it was a sure shot we’d go with something bubbly:
The Wine
| Winery: | Scharffenberger Cellars |
| Wine Name: | Scharffenberger Brut |
| Varietal: | 65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay |
| Vintage: | NV (non-vintage) |
| Estimated Deliciousness: | High to quite high |
Scharffenberger Brut has recently received flying colors from many different publications including Wine Enthusiast and Wine & Spirits magazines. It’s also very inexpensive around $17. We recommend you check it out.
The Person
| Name: | Erik Wahlborg (aka Buyno Wino) |
| Person Type: | Winner * |
Michael. Describe yourself in three words.
Erik. Adventuresome, Outgoing, Honest
Michael. Describe yourself in a sentence which must include the word ‘lackluster’.
Erik. My mood can change drastically from a lackluster performance from a Chicago or Purdue sports team.
Michael. What was your favorite original Nintendo game?
Erik. Legend of Zelda without a doubt – best game ever made. Zelda mode is the gift that keeps on giving.
Editors Note: Incorrect. While Zelda was a great game, we’re going to have to go with Contra on this one. I mean, the ridiculous cheat code and the seizure inducing 3D levels? Classic. How about another vote: most disappointing game-ending sequence? Rampage. I remember playing this game from start to finish in my friends basement for two days straight. I’m quite certain we did not eat any food and we just peed our pants when necessary – because there was no ’saving’ allowed. At the end of this process, after essentially just repeatedly pressing A for 40 hours straight, you are awarded with the following screen which disappears after several seconds to show the credits for the game-makers. You bastards.
Michael. How did it make you feel when Structure officially changed their name to Express?
Erik. I can only sum it up with borrowing a quote from Garth Algar: “It’s like a new pair of underwear. At first it’s constrictive, but after a while it becomes a part of you”
Michael. What is your favorite wine that you’ve tried recently?
Erik. Got to enjoy some good wine over the holiday so this is a tough question; probably the 2006 Mount Veeder Cabernet was the best I have had within the past week. I also had some French Champagne for the first time – pretty tasty!
Michael. Have you ever purchased wine online?
Erik. I prefer not to buy wine (hence the nickname) but if I am going to buy I try to support the local establishments. I did recently purchase some wine online for a gift though; buying online just makes it easier if you have to ship the wine.
Michael. The common thought is ‘beer before liquor never been sicker.’ Where do you think wine fits into this equation?
Erik. Beer before wine and everything is fine. It works the other way too!
Michael. What is one thing that you want to do before you die?
Erik. Travel the world.
Thanks to Erik for participating! Erik (aka Buyno Wino on WineMcGee) is currently one of the top contributors to WineMcGee and frequently posts new wine reviews, questions and answers, and his favorite wines of the moment. Check out his profile here: Buyno Wino on WineMcGee. Follow him on Twitter here.
