The Bubbly Blaster

It might feel like summer is still a long way off, but we found the perfect pool party accessory for any wine-lover—the Bubbly Blaster. A water-gun-like contraption, the Bubbly Blaster fits into the cork of a Champagne bottle and, when the bottle is turned upside down, can shoot a steady stream of bubbles up to 30 feet. There’s even a GoPro compatible video mount to catch every foamy moment of party-goers frolicking in froth. Blasters ($100) come in a variety of colors—even a very millennial-friendly rose gold. As to why anyone would want their sparkling wine to go anywhere other than in a glass for consumption is beyond us. (We really do need to get out more). (SRM)

In Bordeaux, a second wine is:

A. a wine that is classified between the First Growths and the Third Growths

B. a wine that is re-released several years after the initial release

C. a special, usually extremely expensive, wine produced by a château

D. a wine produced by a château that is less expensive than the château’s grand vin

To make the best possible wine (known as the grand vin), a top château will blend together only its very finest lots of wine from the most mature and well-sited vineyard plots. What happens to all the other wine? In many cases, the château makes a second wine, which will be less expensive and will have its own brand name and its own distinct label. (A second wine has nothing to do with a Second Growth). Some of the best known second wines include Carruades de Lafite-Rothschild (from Château Lafite-Rothschild), Château Haut-Bages-Averous (from Château Lynch-Bages), Le Petit Cheval (from Château Cheval Blanc), and Les Forts de Latour (from Château Latour).

I was so intrigued taking grapes and squishing them up and naturally fermenting them, and coming up with is unbelievably beautiful, multi-layered, complex, soulful liquid … It intrigued the hell out of me…

Jayson Pahlmeyer, Pahlmeyer Winery

The Bubbly Blaster

Get WineSpeed