Sparkling wines are both festive and pair well with holiday foods.

Many people are in the holiday gift giving spirit during December and wonder what is the perfect gift. One common event is a dinner or party at a friend’s or relative’s house. A fantastic gift is a bottle of wine. But what wine?

Will the host open the wine during the dinner or party? Is the wine a welcomed aperitif or will the wine pair with the foods? Will the host keep the wine and not open it? These are some of the questions that answers can help you narrow a wine selection. If you do not know the answers, it is best to go with a wine that is rather universal, a wine that goes well with a wide range of foods or as an aperitif. Sparkling wines are among the most versatile wines plus they have a festive image that matches with the holidays.

You can select a domestic or international sparkling wine. In the United States many dry sparkling wines can be a bit pricy. So too are Champagnes. If you want to go with a French sparkling wine and Champagne is out of your price range, consider a Crémant, a sparkling wine made in a region of France other than Champagne. For excellent international values, consider Cava from Spain and Prosecco from Italy.

Why would a sparkling wine make a great holiday gift? Most dry sparkling wines are very food friendly. They can match a wide variety of foods. The effervescence helps to cleanse the palate, so they pair well with many foods that you may encounter during the holidays. Sparkling wines are also good as an aperitif. Greet friends as they arrive with a glass of sparkling wine.

We are going to have several cavas during the holidays. We spent a week in the Penedés region of Spain and visited several cava producers. We also had many Catalan foods and they all matched well with cavas. Some of our favorite cava producers include Cuscó Berga, Juvé & Camps, Llopart and Mas Codina. If you are interested in reading about great cavas, download for free the 50 Great Cavas 2014 pdf from the Wine Pleasures website.

You can make your holiday plans and gifts festive with sparkling wines. See how well they pair with foods and bring smiles to faces.

Cheers,
Terry