I drink sparkling wine all year long. Happily. Oh, so, happily! This year in particular has been a fun one in the sparkler-sphere, too. We’ve found many wines that are unique AND affordable, so my inclination to bring them home has been even greater. Long story short, while I’d never turn down an opportunity to enjoy a few gorgeous Champagnes (that is, from the Mothership of Champagne, France itself) if you travel outside this elite sparkling region you can find some real values.

Now, when it comes to the traditional time of year to pop a few corks (namely New Year’s Eve), I’m super psyched to have several of these options to choose from before heading to my friends’ to toast 2012. Here are a few that have caught my fancy so much so that they’ve inspired full-fledged wine notes. Ready? Set… GO!

Finca Flichman Extra Brut ~ Malbec is the sure-fire winning grape of 2011. But we wine nerds can’t forecast a reason to make a change in 2012! This trend has every right to carry on with gusto, particularly when we can also find it in an everyday celebratory (and affordable) package! Finca Flichman serves up a pretty bubbly, with terrific florals, snappy cherry and even a dash of blueberry and black raspberry fruits on the palate. This dry, redish sparkler (a blend of Chardonnay and Malbec) certainly intrigues and delights every sip of the way. And yes, for $9.99 it over delivers on quality!

Dom. Collin Cremant de Limoux ~ This is a sparkling wine (aka Cremant) with pedigree and pizazz from the Loire Valley of France. The pedigree part is that they man behind the magic has a Champagne project, but he thought it would be fun to dabble in the Loire as well. A blend of mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (two of the three grapes permitted in Champagne) with a little Loire-tastic Chenin Blanc thrown in for good measure, the winemaking behind the wine ensures a toasty, brioche-like flavor and texture to the wine. Tiny bubbles deliver clean fruit notes (apple, lemon pith and pear) a touch of bitter almond, plus a whopping of cleansing mineral notes bringing the dry finish all the way home. Take this bad boy home for only $13.99. A party-pleaser for sure!

Selim Spumante Brut NV ~  This is perhaps the rarest sparkler I’ve ever encountered. Hailing from Campania, Italy it is no Prosecco – rather it is a blend of three grapes, one white (Fiano) and two reds (Aglianico and Barbera). Such a blend delivers a white sparkler with an intriguing and delicious flavor profile and texture: its smooth mousse offers up pink roses and lemon curd aromas and then delivers lifted, delightfully nuanced flavors including citrus, raspberries and bing cherries. A touch of talc provides a welcome and balancing minerality. Selim is a complex yet approachably delicious crowd pleaser for any occasion. Grab a bottle and discover what I’m so excited about! $20.99

Oriel “365″ Prosecco NV – If you want something that offers a little something more in the traditional Italian sparkler-sphere, Oriel has just the thing. Their idea is to bring you an affordable Prosecco vehicle that is affordable enough you can enjoy bubbles ALL YEAR LONG, as Prosecco should be. (And yes, to answer your question, Prosecco is an Italian sparkler made from grapes of the same name.)  This not-so-simple, but oh-so-satisfying, lightly moussed wine with ample pear, lemon cream and yellow apple fruit takes a familiar experience up a notch. $17.99

Domaine Rolet Cremant du Jura Brut 2007 ~  For a non-Champagne sparkler, even with such great competition found this year in the marketplace, this wine might be the go-to Show Stopper for a pseudo Champagne. An offering from the off-the-beaten-track of Jura, France, this wine is a blend of Chardonnay, the indigenous Savagnin, and Pinot Noir. It has a luscious, rich texture yet fine bubbles and clean fruit. Specifically, quince and honeydew melon flavors offer a nice balance of tart/clean and savory/fleshy. A tangerine zip of acidity delights to no end. This bugger comes in just under $20 at $19.99. Happiness!

If you aren’t on the bubbly bandwagon just yet, this weekend to jump on. Grab something fun and live it up! But please, have a safe, happy and healthy New Year!

Apologies for the virtual hiatus, but Pour Favor tastings have been keeping us awfully busy this holiday season! We’ve traveled the world grape by grape with myriad interested parties and are coming off of our whirlwind tour just in time to plan our own holiday soiree.

And that’s when I realized it is quite possible we’ve never discussed the most important thing about The Holidays (aside from what to pour, of course) – how MUCH to have on hand! Are you in this particular predicament as Christmas looms or New Year’s RSVPs flood in, too?

First things first, consider how many people in your crowd will be drinking wine with you. If you have 50 people coming but only about 30 people who you think will imbibe vinously, use that as your base number.

Next, think about how much, shall we say decorum?, is anticipated. If you have a moderate drinking crowd, figure 2.5 glasses per person. Multiply that number by your base (2.5 * 30) and achieve your total number of drinks expected (75). A healthy pour would mean 4 drinks per the standard 750ml bottle. A more moderate pour will be 5 per bottle. If you prefer to strike a middle ground, use 4.5. Carrying our example of 30 moderate drinkers forward, you are looking at nearly 17 bottles needed. It never hurts to round up, so consider buying a case and a half and you should be good to go.

The other variable we’ve alluded to above is whether you think all of your folks will be wine drinkers. Play with the ‘formula’ above to adjust accordingly (e.g. 30 wine drinkers, with 15 others more interested in beer) and make your final call on how much to have on hand. Then, put on your party shoes and fire up the iPod! It’ll be time to celebrate like it’s 2012 in no  time.

Wishing you and yours a safe, healthy and happy New Year!

A man walks into a fine wine shop, takes ten minutes to peruse the shelves, scratches his head, furrows his brow and then says, “Madam? Inspire me.”

While I find pleasure and comfort in routine, I find in my “old” age equal pleasure in stepping outside of the box. Enter Anne Amie and their special Pinot Noir Blanc wine. And, no, that’s not an oxymoron. Pinot Noir, like any red grape, can take the form of “blanc” just so long as the winemaker presses the juice from the skins so quickly after harvest that the pigment of the skin doesn’t impact the color of the wine – creating a white vin from red fruit.

Whilst frolicking, tasting and learning at Pinot Camp last July, I had the rare opportunity to taste Anne Amie’s “Prisme” Pinot Noir Blanc for the first time. Winemaker Tom Houseman was running around the giant tent at dinner, trying to find me to taste this 2008 vintage elixir of life. It is named after the word prism, which means the splitting of white light into its various colors – or essentially what Tom does with Pinot Noir grapes from their finest Pinot Noir vineyards to create this special wine. I had to know what this Anne Amie treasure was like, and Tom was on the task.

Prisme tastes like Burgundy – on both the white (Chardonnay) and red (Pinot Noir) sides of the spectrum. (It is the perfect convergence of my favorite wine experiences, offering a taste of Burgundy at the roots of Oregon soil.) The nose is pretty, warming and childhood-memory inspiring: for me that translates to a bouquet of white and yellow flowers (honeysuckle, dandelions and gerber daisies), creamsicles and nutmeg.  The palate offers not only ripe pear, savory yellow and tart granny smith apple, and meyer lemon citrus fruits, but also a toasty/creamy, cheese rind and ginger spice essence comes to bear due to 18 months of aging on the lees in French barrels. A helping of ripe raspberries and just a teaspoon of blueberry flavors dance along the finish, a flavor profile I am not unhappy to experience when tasting great Champagne made with an extra helping of Pinot Noir, actually.

Thankfully, Prisme has officially landed on our Massachusetts shores, just in time for the holidays.

“Sir? I have just the thing….”

Many people assume that wine professionals consume all styles of wine in their leisure time.  I am here to tell you this is not so.

Wine professionals tend to respect all styles of wine. I.e. a wine can be well made, show all of the right varietal nuances it should as well as (what we call) a sense of place (terroir)), but it may not tickle our own fancy. Remember we are actually in the business of wine; while I don’t know anyone who isn’t also passionate about our field, the reality is, when we come home at the end of the day, having a glass of wine is not “new” to us – we’ve been working at it all day. Literally. (I’m sure I’ve said it before here, but there is a lot of crappy wine on the market. It is our job to suss it out and filter it out of the pipeline so that you, too, will not suffer.) As such, we are certainly apt to discriminate (possibly even more) when choosing a wine to enjoy at our leisure.

This all said, we are human, too. Our preferences can shift, just like yours. And respect can turn to personal appreciation.

For my part I’ve turned the corner this year in a few areas. One particularly worth noting as fall begins to knock on our door is Beaujolais. Beaujolais is a village in France that is part of Burgundy making a style of wine by the same name from a grape called Gamay. That’s right – while Burgundy should be directly associated with Chardonnay (on the white side of the spectrum) and Pinot Noir (on the red side of the spectrum), Beaujolais itself is an area that is just north of the Rhone. Its climate is its own, one where Gamay has its optimal home.

Beaujolais is perhaps known best for the unique winemaking style they employ there – carbonic maceration. Long story short, this process means that the grape juice ferments inside of the grape skins. This process creates a style of wine that is much higher toned, bursting with fruit and few tannins. Apply this process to an already fruity, high acid, light skinned grape (Gamay) and you have a wine that surely follows suit.

For a long time I could respect these wines but struggled to get on board despite the fact that there is actually a fairly dynamic range of flavors/styles within the Beaujolais category itself. (I’ll save those differences and why for another post.) Suffice it to say, I’ve turned the corner. We’ve encountered several wines of late that have less of the funky circus peanuts meets bubblegum flavor profile I find off-putting – so much so I’ve not only enjoyed several Beaujolais at home, but I’ve even found myself opting for it off of a wine list full of other desirable options!

My point today, dear reader, is you never know when you’re going to have a new appreciation for something even after years of being in your ‘rut’. So keep tasting, keep exploring, and keep an open mind! You are apt to discover new friends.

As much rose and white wine as I’ve been enjoying all summer long, the last several weeks – quite sticky/warm ones, we all agree – I’ve dipped my toe in the red pond more and more. I’ve found a renewed affection for Nebbiolo in particular (La Kiuva, Devorville, etc.), a light-skinned Italian red grape with an I-can’t-stop-smelling-it rusticity and a bout of structure that makes it a grill-lovers dream. I’ve also had a blast revisiting the big, bold reds of Washington State, and dabbled in Pinot Noir from the worlds most prized area, Burgundy, as well as Oregon and California.

The key to my success enjoying each of these wines on even the stickiest, thickest of summer days? Serving temperature.

When you go out to eat, do not be surprised if you have to ask for an ice bucket to chill your red down to actual “room” temperature. If you get a dirty look, throw one back. Sadly few restaurants have enough foresight (or the facilities?) to ensure red wines are served at the optimal temperature. (Sometimes you may even see the wine bottles high up on shelves or racks behind the bar – where hot lights are adding a little extra not-so-welcome ‘magic’ to the wine.) At home, all you need is 30 minutes of fridge time; so when you walk through your front door after work, grab your bottle of choice and stick it in the fridge. Then putter around, opening mail, letting the dog out, putting away your CVS purchases, etc. 30 minutes will be gone in a second, and your wine experience will be delightfully happier for it.