Raise a glass for holiday wines.
It’s the time of year when almost everyone’s thoughts turn to gift giving.
Yes, ’tis the season to be giving. There’s hardly a situation when giving a gift is wrong. The rub, it seems, is what to give.
I’m going to suggest bubbly.
Yes, it could be argued that mittens or gloves or other sorts of hand-warming garments are useful as we approach winter. Or that everyone needs a mug for coffee, tea, hot chocolate or mulled cider. You don’t need to be equipped with a law degree to make a case for the latest in futuristic electronic devices, a great book or an XXL-size wedge of aged Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
But a bottle of bubbly is singularly appropriate for the upcoming season of toasts that will climax with the last glass-clinking of 2017 on New Year’s Eve.
Give a bottle of bubbly and you’re giving a sure-fire way to make any old evening a celebration.
So here’s the second part of the rub: What’s a bubbly that not only doesn’t break the bank, but also encourages ease and comfort and a why-not attitude when served? You don’t want to spend $70 or $150 on a bottle; you don’t want to give a too-fancy, too-fussy bottle; and you don’t want to present, to anyone you truly care about, one of those overpriced, big-house brands that never deliver the taste their price tags’ promise.
Here’s a list of value-priced bottles that not only deliver taste, but style, compatibility with food—and approachability that’s worth a toast in and of itself. These are a few of my favorite sparklers, ones that I turn to year-around. And, frankly, turn to them more often at this time of year, when I want to share something especially special with those I most love.
Bisson Vino Frizzante. Small, delicate bubbles, elegant and balanced, this lovely fizz from Italy cannot be labeled prosecco because it’s got a flip-top cap. Fine. Who cares? It’s the best on the market and it’s under $20. Imported by Neal Rosenthal/Madrose.
