Bubbles for your Holiday Party!

                                         Image is courtesy of Zardetto

 

  With only eleven more days until Christmas, it's best to make sure you have all the wine you need for your holiday parties.  I've written about whites, reds and dessert wines, but perhaps even more importantly is the  need for sparkling wines during the holidays.  Whether or not you like bubbles is beside the point--your guests will!  Be it Champagne, Cava or my favorite, Prosecco, make sure you are stocked and your guests will truly be smitten.

  Today, I am trying NV Zardetto--Prosecco straight out of Italy.  This non-vintage is a blend of 30% Glera, 30% Chardonnay, 15% Moscato and 25% other local varietals.  The combination of Chardonnay and Moscato makes for a fruit driven and especially floral wine with light effervescence.  Ripe peaches, lemon zest and vanilla bean on the nose may entice you to continue smelling before moving onto the palate.  When you do decide to move on, the palate is full of sweet honeysuckle, tart grapefruit and more of those peaches from the nose along with great mouthfeel and bright acidity.  Lemon zest is prominent on the finish in addition to the lingering peaches reminiscent of summer.

  This wine is truly great on its' own, but for an exciting idea, try having four of your favorite kinds of nectars (raspberry, blackberry, strawberry and peach for example) and your guests can add a splash of nectar to their prosecco for one of a kind bellinis.  As for food, crostini, salumi and semi-hard cheeses would pair perfectly with this sparkling wine.  If this wine or any others that I have written about interests you, please feel free to come visit myself and the rest of our lovely staff here at Greenlake Wines and Seattle Wine Outlet (Elliott and Sodo)!



Ciao!
Erin

(I try to list all the photos I use and if possible, the photographers who take these lovely photos.  If I have a photo of yours, please let me know and I will remove it from the blog.  Thank you).

Magnum for any Party!

Image is courtesy of Feudo Arancio

  It's December!  Are you ready yet?  Have you started planning your holiday parties?  Do you know what kinds of wines you will serve?  Are they crowd pleasers?  If you are reading this and questioning your party planning skills, don't.  Just know that I have an amazing wine to introduce you to today and it's a magnum, meaning double the size of your average wine bottle.  What makes magnums so great is obvious and maybe not so obvious.  As for your party, having a magnum at a party ensures you plenty of glasses out of just one bottle and  it is always a conversation starter because of its' size.  Wine also likes to be stored in larger spaces and typically ages better when it has more room so some people prefer magnums over the standard bottles.

  Today, I have tasted the beautiful Feudo Arancio Nero D'Avola 2008 today and I am certain it will surely knock your socks off and add to any holiday party you have planned.  Not often do my own tasting notes match up so well with the winery tasting notes, but maybe for today we can attribute that to my educated palate!  On the nose, deep currants co-mingle nicely with notes of vanilla bean and anise.  Bright pomegranate is prominent on the palate alongside red cherries and fig.  The mouthfeel is creamy and balanced well by solid tannins and plenty of acidity to hold up to the richest of foods.  More of those bright pomegranate seeds linger on the finish enticing you to pick up your glass for another sip and another.  Remember to decant this one hours before your party so that it has time to open up and get comfortable.

  Feudo Arancio Nero D'Avola is a spectacular wine that will pair well with an assortment of dishes.  I personally like to stick to the Italian dishes for this one--crostini with fig and hazelnuts, cured meats, olives and soft cheeses.  If this wine or any others that I have mentioned appeal to you, please feel free to visit me at Greenlake Wines!



    Ciao!
    Erin

(I try to list all the images I source and if possible, the photographers that take these lovely photos.  If I have a photo of yours, please let me know and I will be happy to remove it from the blog.  Thank you).