What to Drink on New Year’s Eve

Dec. 30, 2014 — No need to think about this one.  The drink of choice is bubbly.  What you do have to think about is your wallet.

The big trend that’s getting lots of media attention, and we’re as guilty as anyone as we wrote about it ages ago, is Prosecco, Italy’s answer to France’s Champagne.  It isn’t really the answer as it tastes and costs nothing like Champagne but it does have bubbles and is affordable.  In fact sales of Prosecco are up 32 percent this year.  Prosecco tends to be sweeter, forgettable and costs about $12.00 a bottle.  Champagne starts around $45 a bottle and goes up from there.
But why not buy American?  There are some terrific sparklers made in California.  Several of the big French houses have wineries here such as Moët et Chandon (Domaine Chandon), G.H. Mumm (Mumm Napa Valley), Tattinger (Domaine Carneros) and Louis Roederer (Roederer Estate).  There’s also Spain’s Freixnet Group that makes and markets Gloria Ferrer in this country.  Other domestic producers not associated with the great French Champagne houses are Korbel which cheekily calls their wine ‘California Champagne” and has been around since the late 19^th century, Schramsberg, Scharffenberger, Iron Horse Vineyards and J. Vineyards.

Most of these wineries offer different levels of product and price points.  There’s a great selection in the $15 to $20 range and they are widely distributed.

Let’s bring in the New Year with American-made bubbles.

Cheers!