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20 | OHCC LIVING | JANUARY 2020 | During the holiday season and approaching the new year, do you drink some bubbly? What are different kinds of sparkling wine? Do you remember Cold Duck? The most famous sparkling wine is, of course, Champagne. We used to see "California Champagne" in stores, but the French have negotiated exclusive use of this name, and even limit it within France to wines from the Champagne region. It is made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes, and can vary in sweetness and style. It is the gold standard of sparkling wine. It can be had from $30 or less, to the sky's the limit! Other regions of France make sparkling wine using the "Methode Champenoise" but they are called Cremant (creamy). It can be found in many regions of northern France, including Alsace, the Loire valley, Burgundy and the Jura. Further south, Limoux, a small part of Languedoc, produces a couple of kinds of Methode Champenoise. These non-Champagnes can offer a less expensive alternative to the gold standard. Cremant starts around $10. America's favorite bubbly today is probably Prosecco. It is not aged the way Champagne is, and is simpler in flavor. Prosecco is 'native' to the Veneto region of Italy, but it is produced widely across the country. They're not as fussy about protecting the name as the French are. Prosecco can easily be found for less than $10. Cava is a sparkling wine produced in Spain. It's of very high quality, but until recently the Spanish drank all the good stuff and sent us leftovers, but that has changed. Cava is made the same way as Champagne, from Spanish grapes, and some are aged longer than Champagne. It's very affordable from under $10 a bottle. Germany produces some sparkling wines, called 'Sekt'. It's not widely available in the US but is up and coming. You can get some, made from Riesling grapes, at Total Wine for around $15. And, of course, lots of sparkling wine is produced in the US, mostly in cooler climates in Northern California and upstate New York. Some vintners follow methode champenoise, some don't. There are no laws as to what grapes are used in sparkling wine in the US. Cold Duck? It's available at Total Wine. $5. The OHCC Wine Tasting Club is open to all residents. We have monthly tastings in members' homes. Dues are $12/year. Wine Tasting Club Back by popular demand! Mike McMahon, well-known local teacher of many things digital and photographic, will be giving an informative and entertaining presentation to Photo Club members at our January meeting. On Thurs., Jan. 16 at 1 pm Mike will instruct us on using Photoshop Elements to process and improve our photos. Nowadays pretty good images can come straight out of the camera or smart phone. But what if your photo is too dark or lacking in color? What if it is not as clear as you had hoped? Photoshop Elements to the rescue! Don't worry if you don't have Photoshop Elements on your computer. It is available for your use in our Clubhouse Computer Room. If you want an image with more impact, software processing can make a big improvement. Full Photoshop can be difficult to master, but Photoshop Elements is far simpler, much less expensive, and creates amazing results. As most of us already know, Mike McMahon is both entertaining and very knowledgeable. Get there early for a good seat, the room is sure to be full, and we guarantee you will not be bored! If you are not yet a member sign up at the front desk anytime or in the Clubhouse on Do Dues Day. Only $8 gets you membership for all of 2020 starting with this fun and educational January meeting. Photography