C'est la fête! A few of my favorite party wines

I know a thing or two about parties.  I also know a thing or two about wine.  So here are my top 4 party selections.  All of these will cost you between $10 and $20 (so you won’t feel tooooo bad when the drunk girl at the party spills her glass down the front of her dress).  Obviously all of these are available at the store that I work at:  finewine.com of Gaithersburg.   Or at the next party you see me at.

Beaulieu Picpoule de Pinet 2010, France:  From a cooperative in the Languedoc region of France, this white is super fresh  and easy to quaff.  It’s citrusy and refreshing and not super high in alcohol (which believe me,  can be a good thing at holiday parties).   For around $10 bucks for bottle, you cannot beat this.  Plus the elegant green bottle looks très fancy (think: hostess gift).

 

Blind Dog, Midnight Run Cuvee (Non-Vintage), California:  This is my go-to party red.  It’s also the red I keep around my house when I’m kicking back.  It’s a “kitchen sink” blend from Paso Robles and it is absolutely delicious.  Bring to your next party because it is awesome by itself as well as with a variety of foods. 

Paringa Sparking Shiraz 2009, Australia:  I’m covering both your red wine and sparkling wine bases here.  Essentially this is a rich, dark fruity Shiraz that has a bit of sparkle to it.  It’s a tad sweet but won’t turn off those party-goers who roll their eyes at anything off-dry.   Plus, who else would think to bring a sparkling red wine to the party?

 

Adami Prosecco Bosco di Gica (Non-Vintage), Italy:  Proseccos are crowd-pleasers, hands down.  This one isn’t too sweet, but it’s got that heavenly, frothy texture.  It’s delicious and all the ladies will love it.  Done.

(top photo credit: studiotwentyeightdesign.blogspot.com)

Pass the bubbly, s'il vous plaît

One of the perks of my job is tasting vast amounts of delicious wines .  Tonight  at the finewine.com store we held our annual Champagne Tasting class.   We poured eight high end champagnes , all of which were lovely.  The highlight of the night  was tasting a bottle of Salon (vintage 1999), an ultra-exclusive champagne in which only 36 vintages have been produced since its founding in 1905.  We popped the magnum, which retails for $600 a bottle.  And yes, it tasted like heaven.  (A more budget-friendly option is Salon's baby sister, Delamotte).

My favorite was actually the Jean Vesselle Oeil de Perdrix (translates to “Eye of the Partridge”).  It’s a Pinot Noir-based Champagne that has a very unique, vivacious red-fruit flavor.  My co-worker Dorian and I are bringing it to bring to our NYE soiree (also because we can’t afford the Salon…a girl can dream).