To the Occasion, Fit the Bubble

Wine professionals friggin’ LIVE to tell you to pop bubbles all year round—and sure, don’t save the good stuff for special occasions, but also, holidays are THE time to be popping corks. And also, sometimes the holidays don’t feel so merry, so the least you can do is open a bottle to liven s@it up and get a smidge tipsy. Micro-dosing alcohol is a grand way to make it through the season. I’m here to cover the more subtle-but-unavoidable holiday gatherings you may encounter—what to drink and how to make your exit more gracefully than just “well, my Uber’s here.” House Hangout With Childhood Friends: A Mouthy but Quality Bottle from Browne Family Vineyards to Shock and Delight Put together a better-than-average cheese plate, and because you rock, open a bottle of DO EPIC SH*T from Browne Family Vineyards, ’cause it has a fun name but is also made in the Champagne method, b*tches. The nose is reminiscent of ripe pears, apples and salty cheese. The palate has riper pears and apples on a sourdough loaf plus a smidge of…brine? It’s actually great and super saucy. Exit line: Gotta go, I have MORE epic sh*t to do. Brunch with Actually DEEP Friend Catchups: Saint Enzo Lambrusco Let’s not lie, brunch is leaning more savory and protein-maxxed by the minute: pancakes are out, 12-egg omelets are in. This Lambrusco was, in fact, created for day-drinking that is slightly elevated, still fun but a tad more serious. Saint Enzo Lambo is dry and elegant—a mood and an occasion. I haven’t encountered a dry Lambrusco quite this deep, dark and serious that still remains (because bubbles) fun. Exit line: Love to your family, I’ve got book club to get to! Meeting the Significant Other’s Family: Cava Okay, so you may want to ask about the family’s wine expertise and tastes, but for an open-minded family, bring something that will taste good without breaking the bank. This way, if the parents are penny-pinchers, they will admire your thrift. However, if they are also wine lovers, they will still appreciate the bottle you brought. Cava is made in the same way as Champagne, although the grapes tend to be Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel·lo. The Campo Viejo Cava Brut kicks in with a sweet citrus-fruited nose—think pink grapefruit, lime curd and even sweetened kumquat along with floral notes. And like, a yeasted saltine cracker? On the palate, the bubbles are gentle and plush. Accompanying the citrus tones are honeyed notes and clover. Yum. Easy to drink, easy to share. Exit line: You’re off the hook, this one’s on your sig other to make the call. High School Reunion: Prosecco Whoops, is it only my high school that was so small that they have small holiday gatherings in lieu of actual reunions? At these sorts of things, no one is paying as much attention to the drink as they are to who has kids, who never left town, etc. I recently opened a La Farra Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Brut at one such gathering. The nose reveals stones, peach, leather and strawberry marker, while the palate is peppy. The bubbles are a bit bigger and explode across your tongue like well-mannered and completely bay-leaf-savory Pop Rocks. Exit line: You’re still off the hook. Just wait for the parents and married couples to tire out and leave first, then ride on their coattails. The Winter Solstice: Henriot Champagne (or something else made by a woman) Go femme and go hard, release your inner witch and suck down the most beautiful bubbles you can get your mitts on. Henriot was founded by Apolline Henriot in 1808 and is currently helmed by Alice Tétienne. I am going old-school: the Henriot Millésime Brut, a 50-50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot. It gives all the white peach stone fruit and floral vibes on the nose, with a sharper, tauter palate and a savory, honeyed finish. Exit line: Time to walk widdershins and close this circle. NY Day mimosas or what-evs: Gruet (Because everyone knows dry January starts on the 2nd.) Gruet is GREAT on its own and punches well above its price point, so sip solo or mimosa it up. Or, if you are as depressed about the future as I am, add some absinthe for a Death in the Afternoon. If you sip solo, though, the Gruet Blanc de Noirs has a nose of slightly burnt toast and just-blooming flowers. The palate is luxurious and dry, offering slight tannin tingles with notes of copper penny, kumquat, oxidized apple and tangerine peel. This producer consistently over-delivers time and time again. Not totally plush but with seafoam-on-your-toes froth, this delivers browned fruits and spice before ending with echoes of lemon pith acid. GOSH. Exit line: I guess dry January starts now? Or not? Want to read more from Ellen? Check out her recent articles: The Grape That Changed My Life Old World v. New Bordeaux Blends New Zealand, Sustainability, Forethought Tube-Wines Interview with the Winemaker: Adam Casto Wine Situation Final Five: Fahara Zamorano You can also listen to Ellen's podcast The Wine Situation here.