June 9th

Cupcakes with Wine

I've always been a WINE-er.  Pictures from my first birthday depict me bawling next to my birthday cake.  My family tried everything to stop the crying.  I wasn't hungry, my diaper didn't need to be changed and being held didn't do the trick either.  I had colic and to the dismay of everyone around me, there was no cure.  My grandfather even went as far as flying to Canada to purchase holistic medicine that also didn't seem to work.  If being colicky wasn't enough, I didn't like strangers and would throw fits if I didn't get my way.  My mother tells stories of how I would turn blue and pass out if I wasn't given something I wanted.  Frantic, she immediately made a doctor's appointment.  The doc told her I was having a temper tantrum and although frightening, it wasn't harmful to my health.  Now, I know what you're thinking.  You wish you had me as your child, don't you?  I eventually grew out of this phase and although I've always loved getting my way, I am extremely loving.  I still make mistakes and am not perfect.  But I hope that by entering this world on June 9th so many years ago, my purpose will be to touch the lives and hearts of others.  As I celebrate my birthday today, I can't help but feel that I've come full circle.  I am and will always be a WINE-er.

Cupcakes make me happy.  Their light, fluffy and packed with the good stuff, frosting!  I can seriously lick just the frosting off and be satisfied.  Extra sprinkles too, please!  Spumante is the ultimate cupcake wine.  My personal favorite to enjoy with cupcakes is the 2009 La Montecchia Spumante.  Spumante means sparkling in Italian.  Unlike the Spumante most people are familiar with, Asti, this wine is from the Veneto region of Italy.  Although the wine has an array of tropical and honey aromas, it's the orange and slight vanilla flavors that really shine.   On the palate the wine tastes just like an orange creamsicle.  Its full bodied and creamy with the perfect balance of sugar and acid.  I personally prefer vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting, but this wine can honestly work with just about any cupcake flavor.  After a bite of the food and then a sip of the wine, I notice the vanilla flavor take center stage.  The orange steps in next and because the wine is so sweet, the frosting doesn't ruin it.  Both the wine and cupcake are creamy.  The bubbles help to wash everything off the tongue and prepare you for the next bite.  This pairing is truly a birthday celebration!  Cheers!