Piper Sonoma’s Sonoma County Brut a quality deal

<p>Our wine-of-the-week winner is the Piper Sonoma NV Sonoma County Brut, a sparkler that's made from the custom crush facility Rack & Riddle in Hopland.</p><p>A sparkler without the pomp and circumstance of a winery? Yes, and yet this $15 Piper Sonoma still snagged a 3.5 star rating. </p><p>While the other 4-star rated sparklers out-scored the Piper Sonoma, it showed good quality for the price. </p><p>For the uninitiated, our wine of the week is chosen after considering factors that include price point and availability.</p><p>In the flight of $26 and under, the impressive 4-star rated wines include: Domaine Carneros, 2007 Carneros Brut Cuvee, $26; Schramsberg's Mirabelle NV North Coast NV Brut, $25; Mumm Napa, NV Brut Prestige, Napa Valley, $22; Roederer Estate, NV Anderson Valley Brut, $20. Chandon, NV California Brut Classic, $22; and Gloria Ferrer NV Sonoma Brut, $20.</p><p>For the pragmatics, we leave you with the nuts and bolts — how to uncork a bottle of bubbly.</p><p>Contrary to common belief, the best way to open a bottle of bubbly is not to pop the cork, but rather to slowly allow for the cork's release, achieving an ideal “sigh” as the cork exits the bottle.</p><p>Remove the foil covering the cork.</p><p>Loosen the wire casing with seven twists.</p><p>Hold the cork, within the wire casing, in the palm of one hand.</p><p>Twist the bottle while holding the cork and the wire casing. The cork will come out of its own accord.</p><p>One last tip: Be sure to make the process look easy.</p>