Nothing says celebration better than sparkling wine. But many people break out the bubbly for their midnight toast and forget about enjoying sparkling wine during the rest of their New Year’s festivities. This New Year’s weekend, I encourage you to be far more adventurous with your use of bubbly.
Here are six ideas for enjoying bubbly on a broader scope this New Year’s weekend:
Add a Yeasty Flair to Your Toasts
Enjoy sparkling wine as you toast the good things that happened in 2016 and the good things you look forward to happening in 2017. The notes of yeast that are typical in sparkling wine will pair beautifully with your toasts ☺
Add Sparkle to Your Appetizers
Here are some appetizers that will be great matches for bubbly both on New Year’s Eve and on New Year’s Day:
- Bread slices topped with brie and pear
- Crackers topped with pecorino cheese and dried apricots
- Sushi and other seafood dishes
- Stuffed mushrooms
- Olives
- Potato chips (a favorite pairing that I discovered in Barcelona, Spain!)
Pair Sparkling Wine with Your Main Dish
If you’re having a serious main dish such as turkey, serve sparkling. It’s a palate cleanser that will refresh full eaters and give them more room to enjoy more of your delicious food.
Add Bubbles to Your Breakfast
- Mimosa? Sure!
- Cranberry juice and sparkling wine? Why not?
- Another juice paired with sparkling wine? Of course!
- Sparkling wine on its own? You bet!
Toast the Beauty of the Tournament of Roses Parade
If you’re watching the Tournament of Roses Parade with friends and family members, come up with a plan for when you will drink sparkling wine – perhaps every time you see a horse, perhaps every time the emcee says, “Isn’t that beautiful,” perhaps every time you see something that you think you’ve never seen before in the parade. Have fun! Make sure to eat a lot while you’re at it!
Use Sparkling Wine to Add Some Spirit to Your Football Games
On New Year’s Day, you’ve already got the sparkling wine out. Why not celebrate the game with sparkling wine?
Words to the Wise
And remember, this New Year’s weekend, do whatever it takes to not have to repeat the famous words of John Maynard Keynes, “My only regret in life is that I did not drink more Champagne.”
Happy New Year!
As an independent wine consultant with WineShop At Home, I absolutely enjoy bringing a taste of the Napa wine country home to you one sip at a time. Whether you simply love to drink wine, would like to host a tasting, seek a special gift, or are in search of a new wine jobs opportunity as a wine consultant, feel free to contact me for a truly unique wine tasting experience!
Cheers,
Betty Kaufman, WineShop At Home
4 comments
Pairing sparkling wine (and wine) always seems like a challenge to me. Thanks for sharing your inside tips for my celebration tonight – think I’ll take up your idea of the stuffed mushrooms!
Happy New Year!
Lee
You’re welcome. I hope you have a sparkling celebration tonight!
Sounds heavenly! I love sparkling wine/champagne and love celebrating the New Year with great food and this special drink! Thanks for the ideas about what to pair with it!
You are welcome! I hope you have a sparkling New Year’s celebration!