It’s that time of the year again when we present our readers suggestions for their upcoming holiday beverage choices.
Nothing graces a holiday dinner table or celebration better than a sparkling wine. Rather than being reserved solely for special events, sparkling wines can accompany almost anything on a dinner table and raise a meal to new heights. If you are a guest at a celebration, it will make you really stand out.
Champagne Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve ($45)This is a French Champagne made from the same classical grapes used to make Champagne for centuries: chardonnay, pinot meunier and pinot noir. There can be no question about it, this is a well-made Champagne.
Berlucchi Franciacorta Brut ($35)Take a walk on the wild side with a dry Champagne-like sparkling wine from Italy. It is a bold, medium-bodied wine, accenting the aromas of apple and pear. The flavor is complex, comprising many layers of fruit, ending in a toasty finish.
J Cuvee 20 Brut ($28)This wine is one of California’s best answers to French Champagne. It is an elegant wine that bespeaks the quality found in a well-made domestic wine.
The grapes were drawn from Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley and display the flavor and aroma of apples, apricots and lime, with a host of other tropical flavors residing comfortably in the background. The finish is pure cream with a hint of toast.
Mumm Cuvee Napa Blanc De Blanc ($21)This wine is a California expression of a French Champagne and is made in the U.S. by a French Champagne producer.
It is a spicy, luxurious wine that derives its special flavor from the blending of 70 percent chardonnay and 30 percent pinot gris (also known as pinot grigio). The chardonnay provides the base flavors and characteristics so familiar and popular in all sparkling wines. It is the pinot gris that adds the snap of spiciness and extra depth to an already fine wine. Being a sparkling wine made solely from white grapes, it is a standout with poultry (including turkey), ham, salmon, mild cheeses and shellfish.
Barefoot Cellars Bubbly Premium Extra Dry Chardonnay Champagne ($10)This is a not too dry, not to sweet sparkler, featuring the flavor and aroma of green apple and citrus. It ends in a creamy, soft and toasty fresh-fruit finish. While not a French Champagne, this wine is almost guaranteed to please one and all at an affordable price.
Barefoot Cellars Prosecco ($7)Barefoot vintners reached out to their compatriots in Italy for this wine. This prosecco is a slightly sweet sparkling wine, displaying a pale straw color and the aroma and flavor of pineapples and pears, followed by a background of citrus. Clean and crisp, this wine has a long citrus-filled finish, and will easily brighten any celebration or meal at a bargain price.
Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and manages ArticlesOnWine.com. He can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.
