I could easily make this my go to champagne style wine for entertaining. Creamy enough that Mum would like it, complex enough that my wino friends would like discussing the layered flavors (hint of crisp green apple and ripe honey pear) & slight bit of toast and cheap enough that the wallet won't complain too much if I splurged on a few bottles. Win/Win in my book.
Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut is 91.2% Pinot Noir and 8.8% Chardonnay. I served it with almonds and small bites on crackers: Salmon with a creamy dill sauce and pork rillette (from Thomas Keller's Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing). At 12.5% ETOH, there's not even a hint of a headache on New Year's Day. (did I already say win/win??)
Why did I choose Gloria Ferrer as my New Years Eve wine? Firstly because it is USA grown and produced: Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyards, Sonoma County, CA (a Freixenet company). Secondly, I liked their Blanc de Noirs when I tried it at WBC 11 ( I am sentimental that way); Third, you can't beat the price $13.99 a bottle.
It was a quiet night saying good bye to 2011. A year full of highs and lows; some great wine: Jacquesson Rose and the beginning of my love affair with Banfi. Travel: London (February), Maine (May, November), Virginia wine country, WBC 11 & Monticello, Colonial Williamsburg (August), Euphora in Greenville South Carolina (September) and then back to London (November). I am a very lucky girl.
I'm looking forward to 2012: What's to come? Some North Fork Long Island Vineyard visits(Spring); A week on a boat (July), Napa and my CSW exam (July), a trip to Oregon Wine Country (WBC12 August) and in between... many many sips of wine. Hopefully I'll be writing about them all along the way.
Cheers!
$13.99 sounds pretty reasonable.
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