With all its holidays – Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve (at least) – and the associated company parties, family gatherings, and sundry holiday parties, the month of December may be the biggest month of the year for wine drinking opportunities. This situation presents consumers with opportunities and challenges – obviously many opportunities to drink various wines but equally as many challenges in deciding which wines to drink. With this in mind, I have organized this column basically as a shopping list to assist you in making those decisions.
First Up:Bubbly
More than any other wine, this time of year I look to sparkling wine as my first choice – whether it’s called Champagne, Cremant, Sekt, Prosecco, Cava, Spumante, or something else – and certainly it’s the prime choice for celebrations of all types. Of course, Champagne sets the standard an NV Brut is the most widely enjoyed style. Really good choice here is the Laurent-Perrier NV Brut ($40) Its high proportion of chardonnay (50%) makes for a lively, fresh and elegant sparkler.
From Italy, Prosecco has achieved significant popularity in recent years and the Mionetto NV Brut Treviso ($14) is a solid example – fresh, pure and fruity. Another good choice is the Piccini NV Extra Dry ($16), which, despite its designation, actually reveals a bit of residual sugar. But it is hard for me to pass up the “Metodo Classico” of Ferrari, which grows it grapes on hillside vineyards in the foothills of the Alps not far from Lake Garda and makes it bubble using the Champagne Method. Their 2006 Ferrari Perlé ($35) – 100% chardonnay and aged five years – is elegant and refined.
And how about a “Methode Traditionelle” Sekt from Germany? I heartily recommend the 2008 Raumland Blanc de Noirs Vintage Brut Cuvee Marie-Louise ($45). A great surprise, this wine shows a lot of verve and esteemed character of 100% chardonnay.
Of course, there also are several excellent sparkling options from California. One of my favorite producers these days is Letitia in the Arroyo Grande Valley. The Laetitia NV Brut Cuvee ($25) is an enticing blend of pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot blanc, while the 2009 Laetitia Brut Rosé ($30) shows the enticing fruit and lush body of its pinot noir/chardonnay blend. If price is a major consideration, the Barefoot Bubbly line of sparklers always presents good values. At $10 a bottle, whether its for a cocktail party, toasting the New Year, or mimosas for a holiday brunch, Barefoot is the right bubbly.
