This week's review is inspired by a few interesting statistics, and an inspirational quote. First the stats.

The March 2015 report from The Wine Market Council shows that 40% of Americans drink wine, and 54% of them are women! The Wine Market Council also found that while the total volume of wine sold grew only slightly (to 302 million cases), the value grew more strongly because many people are "trading up" to higher priced wines. Remember, trading up can be from Two Buck Chuck to the incredible values from Chile and Argentina (most of those tasty wines are $7 or less). However, I think the marketing gurus mean those of us who drink wine under ten bucks on a regular basis ARE now moving up to wines in the "teens" ($13-$18) every once in awhile. California winemakers continue to produce and release delicious wines in the "teen range" that are easy to find. Enjoy great offerings from William Hill, Lange Twins, and Dry Creek Vineyards for TRUE values.

Next, inspiration for this week's column, this quote:

"There comes a time in every woman's life when the only thing that helps is a glass of champagne." - Bette Davis

So with Bette's thoughts in mind, and helping to prove the Wine Market Council's report of "trading up" every once in a while, I recently sipped, savored and celebrated a birthday by sharing a bottle of 2003 "J" rrv Sparkling Wine with some of my Warfleigh winos. A blend of three Champagne country grapes (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier) come together like well woven silk. It was creamy, yet light, with notes of soft vanilla, pear and almond. The "rrv" means Russian River Valley, the region in Sonoma County where J winery grows and produces its remarkable wines, both still and sparkling. This one IS exceptional and a splurge for the pocketbook , but like Bette predicted, it helped.