TIS' THE SEASON
I’m sitting here trying to study Central Italy, if you ask. One child is grabbing my notes from the printer, extremely enthusiastically. Another child just got diagnosed with strep throat, and the third is beginning to feel a little warm. How’s your day going? I figure wine high in tannins and alcohol will kill any bacteria. Please don’t debate me on this. I’m just going to assume it works and pray I don’t get sick.
I’m also trying to figure out which wines I will serve at a cocktail party Saturday. One of the Pinot Noirs that I love just changed vintages. I bought a few bottles, and, let’s just say, they are not the same. It went from a bit earthy and delicious to blunt blueberry flavor. Not a fan of the new vintage. Off to find another. Any ideas?
For me, the biggest thing when picking a wine for a party is choosing a reasonably priced wine most people can appreciate that is drinkable with or without food. I tend to go for Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet. New or old world works here. (I know, I know, most people love a Pinot Grigio, but I cannot bring myself to buy one! Insert wine snob comments here.) These may seem like bland choices, but I’ve thrown a lot of parties, and these wines seems to please the masses.
Another thing I pay attention to is the alcohol level: if you are serving a 15% ABV wine, your guests are going to be getting a little lit very quickly. Especially if your friend Sally hasn’t eaten all day so she can squeeze into her dress.
First up is typically a white wine: I tend to stick with Sauvignon Blanc, which can come from many countries – New Zealand, California, France, etc. (Tip: Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume are Sauvignon Blanc wines from France). You might even find a nice Fume-Blanc (aka oaked Sauvignon Blanc wine) from California. Sometimes, I will throw in a Chardonnay, either a White Burgundy (Bourgogne Blanc) or an un-oaked or lightly oaked version from California – and recently I served a South Africa Chardonnay. I’ll also occasionally venture outside my ‘normal’ parameters with a refreshing Gavi (Italy) or Rueda (Spain), and Chablis (France) but it just depends on what I’m serving and who’s coming to the party.
Red is a wide-open field. I tend to try to find a wine that will be appealing to any taste. This is where it is hard to please everyone. If I am only serving one red, I will tend to stick to a an inexpensive or mid-priced Cabernet Sauvignon, whether stand-alone or part of a blend, is a good choice for a smooth, easy drinking wine. If I can find a well priced Bordeaux (France) that will usually replace my new world choices.
Pinot Noir is generally a crowd pleaser, except for those who specifically don’t like it (usually because they want something heavier). I never serve it as my only wine, but if I am serving two reds, this is generally my second choice. Again, a wide range of countries with a variety of tastes can be served. California pinots tend to be fruit forward but also elegant, and California is producing some high quality Pinot Noir wines. Oregon is producing some fantasic Pinot Noirs that I highlighted in a recent blog. Lets not forget the king of Pinot Noir grape, Bourgogne typically producing a more earthy, elegant version.
My Italian option is a Barbera, which is a grape that is on the rise in terms of international popularity, Barbera D’Asti Superiore DOCG wines tend to be full bodied with high acidity and low tannins, which equals delicious with or without food and perfect for a cheese platter. On a side note: if you see the term superiore on the bottle, that’s a fancy way for Italians to indicate that particular wine has higher alcohol than normal. For instance, it could hit the 14% ABV mark, where typically they are 12-13%. Look for 2011 vintages, as the Barbara grape tends to do well in hotter years, which 2011 was.
This weekend, I will be serving:
White: Chablis, Chardonnay (France), and Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand)
Red: Pinot Noir (Sonoma) and Bourgogne (France), a red blend (Napa valley),Italian Barbera and a Malbec (Argentina).
These wines I mentioned tend to appeal to most palates. You can also choose many different types or styles to fit in this slot: South African Pinotage, California Cabernet, Washington State Cabernet and Cabernets from Argentina and Chile (Maipo, Rapel, Maule, Elqui Valley).
Wines Listed that I am serving:
White:
2014 Rain Sauvignon Blanc $14.99 (Malborough, New Zealand) https://www.vivino.com/wineries/nz-rain/wines/sauvignon-blanc-2014
2013 Vire-Clesse Burgundy (Macon, France) $40.99 https://www.amantivino.com/wines/Les-Heritiers-du-Comte-Lafon-Macon-Vire-Clesse-2013-w6529997yp
2013 Gilbert Picq Chablis Dessus la Carriere (Chardonnay, France) $29.99 https://www.amantivino.com/wines/Gilbert-Picq-Chablis-Dessus-la-Carriere-2013-w4954904wb
Red:
2014 Argento Malbec (Mendoza) $11.99 https://www.vivino.com/wineries/argento/wines/mendoza-malbec-2014
2012 Calluna Chalk Hill (Sonoma, CA) $26.99 http://www.wine-searcher.com/wine-126111-0001-calluna-vineyards-calluna-vineyards-cuvee-cvc-red-chalk-hill-usa
2013 Domaine Hubert Lignier Bourgogne (Pinot Noir, France) $34.99
http://www.astorwines.com/SearchResultsSingle.aspx?p=1&search=19845&searchtype=Contains
2012 Chanson Pere & Fils Le Bourgogne Pinot Noir (Burgundy, France) $17.99
2012 Knez Anderson Valley Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley, Ca) $25.00 http://www.wineanthology.com/p-12103-knez-anderson-valley-pinot-noir-2012.aspx
Party on, Wayne!