The Widow Devienne
With most bottles of still or sparkling wine, there’s a story behind them, but it appears much of Veuve Devienne’s family history is unknown. We do know that she gave her name, which translates to “Widow Devienne”, to this traditional sparkling wine.
“Come quickly! I am tasting the stars!” ~Dom Pérignon
Slow, secondary fermentation, careful selection of grapes, the widow Devienne would be happy so many people all over the world are enjoying this Brut bubbly in her name. It’s like a classic, easy-drinking Champagne without the expensive price tag. Pale yellow in the glass with fine bubbles, it’s perfectly dry, with clean minerality, some citrus, and floral notes. Easy sipper on it’s own and a great, clean base for mimosas.
Champagne and Sparkling Wine Grapes
Champagne is primarily made from three main grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. For sparkling wine, a blend of several grapes can be used, but the main grape used is Chardonnay.
Veuve Devienne Blanc de Blancs is made with a blend of four white wine grapes
- Chenin — Chenin Blanc is a white wine grape from the Loire Valley of France with high acidity.
- Arbois — Not a commonly known grape, also from the Loire Valley, less acidic than Chenin, and often used as a blending grape to help soften and balance.
- Chardonnay — We all know this noble grape, the most popular and well-known white variety.
- Ugni Blanc — Ugni Blanc is the French name for Trebbiano, the Italian white wine grape, can be thin and tart.
- 13% ABV
I was pleasantly surprised by this bottle. It’s dry, yet fruity with nicely condensed bubbles. If you’ve ever tried inexpensive sparkling wine and thought “I wouldn’t even use this for mimosas” — try this!
I received this sample bottle for review from local family-owned and orperated Arizona distributor, Silesia Brands. You can find Veuve Devienne in Phoenix at Hidden Track BottleShop.