Holiday Food and Wine Strategy #5: Bubbles

When all else fails, there are bubbles.

Whether its for drinking, gifting, unexpected visitors, toasting, or sitting by the fire and simply recovering from it all there is nothing--ok, very little--that bubbles cannot fix. In the US, more sparkling wine is sold between December 1 and January 5 than at any other time of the year. Maybe because it's cool and frosty while being warming and toasty and therefore it seems to fit the mood of the holidays just perfectly. Can't figure out what to give as a gift? A nice bottle or two of sparkling wine will be welcomed by anyone over the age of 21. No idea what wine will go with that food? With the possible exception of roast beef, it goes with everything (and if you splurge for vintage champagne, roast beef actually goes very well with it).

The only problem is that it can be so dang expensive. But there are bubbles (cava, cremant de bourgogne, prosecco) that do tend to require less shelling out than other more costly bottlings. The NV Soligo Prosecco Brut is just such a bottle and is quite possibly the best prosecco I've ever had. (I received this as a sample from domaine547, and you can get your hands on some for $15.99) This is a really well-made and superbly balanced wine that strikes a pose between toast and citrus notes. If you don't like prosecco because of what can be a bitter taste, you will not find it here. Instead, look for lots of creamy mousse, and a medium bead. These will be followed up by notes of grilled bread, lemon, and lemon blossom. This wine is many steps up from most $8 proseccos. Excellent QPR. Plus, and not to be overlooked at this time of year, this wine has a bottle shaped like a Hollywood starlet and a label that is tastefully glam. In other words, it is perfect for gifting if you don't drink it all yourself.

I've reviewed lots of other sparkling wines over the past year, so if you are still looking for something with bubbles, check those reviews out and stock up. To be honest, I've never been sorry to have 6 bottles on hand when I go into full holiday mode--and I've never had a bottle left over on January 2, so maybe gathering together a mixed case of sparkling wine now would be a wise strategy!