The holiday season is a perfect time for celebrations and nothing says PARTY like opening a bottle of bubbly. Holiday baking means so many desserts and sweet treats to enjoy during the festive season and naturally you need a wine to pair with all that decadence. The Bubbles and Sweets event at the Columbia Tower club is one of my favorite events of the year as it is so luxurious. Thank goodness I’m not diabetic! Here’s a recap of the event.
Every event requires a plan of attack. Having a little food before engaging in the consumption of alcohol is always a good idea. Charcuterie, cheeses, breads and crackers are a great way to start the evening.
At this event the tables are arranged by distributors. I like to move from tasting the lighter bubbles to full bodied bubbles first. The Nicholas Feuillate Brut is a classic Champagne that pairs well with a variety of foods. Don’t forget that small bottles of bubbles make excellent stocking stuffers for Christmas!
The Drappier Champagne Brut Nature and the Deutz Champagne Brut Classique offer great quality champagnes that are very affordable at $35. Growers Champagnes are very unique and make a great choice for the Champagne connoisseur. There are so many styles of bubbles based on the grapes used and the dosage added. A new sparkling for me this year was the Dom Franck Besson Dentelle Method Traditionnelle NV which is made with 100% Gamay grapes and would be a festive addition to any dinner.
Premium champagnes like Billecart Salmon Brut Rose consistently top my list of must have bubbles. This one is made of 45% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir, and 25% Pinot Meunier grapes. I love the pale salmon color. Lovely aromas of jasmine, wild strawberries, raspberry, red cherry, and fresh baked bread dominate the nose. On the palate it shows beautiful red fruit flavors, chalky minerality, and toast. The delicate texture and crisp acidity of this wine show great balance and depth.
Palmes d’Or by Nicolas Feuillatte is another one of my favorite Champagnes. I love the story behind the bottle on this wine. Nicolas Feuillatte was so enamored with a young opera singer that he designed this bottle to reflect his infatuation with her. She used to wear a black pearl necklace and so the dimpling on the bottle symbolizes this, and her jewel-like voice. Palmes d’Or is an outstanding wine that is only made in exceptional harvests.
Moving on to the other bubbles which included Cava, and sparkling wines made by various countries.
With all these delicious sweet treats one needs a sweet wine such as a sweet Riesling, Monbazillac, Sauternes, Madeira, or Port. I enjoy all these various styles of sweet wines. Tonight my favorite was a Yalumba Antique Tawny from Australia which would be perfect to sip on during the cold winter nights in front of a fireplace.
Bubbles and Sweets was a great event to taste many styles of sparkling wines and sample some sweet wines. With wines like these on hand, I can’t wait for the festive season to start. Happy Holidays everyone!
