We hope you are having a great Holiday Season so far!
Tomorrow being New Year’s Eve, it’s the #1 occasion of the year for sparkling wine. And, since the majority of people only drink the bubbly once a year, it’s a good time for us to give a little “Champagne 101″ refresher course. (and read on to the bottom….we have some great deals for New Year’s!)
Rule #1. Not all sparkling wines are “Champagne.” (But it doesn’t matter.)
“Champagne” is simply sparkling wine that is made in the Champagne region of France, using the methods required by their association and government.
However, there are lots of other great sparkling wines out there. Spain’s is traditionally called Cava, and the Italians are known for Moscato d’Asti and/or Spumante. In most other parts of the world, including California, it is simply labeled “sparkling wine”.
To avoid confusion, you will often hear us call the whole category “Bubbly”.
Rule #2. Ignore the hype. It’s not that big of a deal.
The French Champagne makers have done great marketing over the years, creating an aura of prestige and luxury. This also creates a problem, though – the vast majority of people are under the impression that Bubbly is expensive, only for special occasions, and has all kinds of rules about how to open it, serve it, and drink it.
We say: Relax. Just drink the one(s) you like, whenever you want, however you want. We can help you understand all the finer points to become a connoisseur if you want, but in the meantime just enjoy it.
Rule #3. Drink what you enjoy.
The connoisseurs would have you believe that Brut is the only way to go, and the drier the better. However, we think that is limiting, and keeps a lot of people from enjoying sparkling wine more often.
Over the past few years, we have introduced lots and lots of our shoppers to the Italian style of Bubbly: Moscato (d’Asti or Spumante). It tends to be a notch or two sweeter, and has more crisp fruit flavor than dry Champagne. And, it’s a lot less expensive!
Whether you want dry, off-dry, moderately sweet, or whatever, we can help you pick the right one. We just encourage you to drink it often, and proudly.
Rule #4. Buy your Bubbly at Bourbon & Canal.
We couldn’t resist throwing that in! But seriously, we do have by far the largest selection of Bubblies in the area (55 to choose from!), and the knowledge to help you make the choice that’s best for you. Plus great prices to boot.
So…with all that in mind, here’s our featured Bubbly for New Year’s:
San Giulio Moscato d'Asti, only 9.99!
We are suggesting a Moscato d’Asti for a couple of reasons. First, most parties use a dry Champagne for the midnight toast. Problem is most people don’t actually enjoy it. So we like a Moscato because it’s a bit sweeter, and everyone can enjoy it – not just for the toast but all through the night. And, in this economy there is no reason to spend big bucks for proper French Champagne unless you’re a connoisseur. So a $10 Moscato is more affordable and just all-around better.
We’ll be sampling it all through the day on New Year’s Eve so you can taste it before you buy it.
Also for New Year’s, we’re able to repeat the crazy deal on Crown Royal Cask No. 16:
Crown Royal Cask No. 16, $40 off for New Year's Eve.
We’ve gotten some more cases of it and were able to get the low price again like we had the weekend before Christmas. It usually retails for $100, tomorrow it will be only $60 while it lasts. This would be a nice treat for a small New Year’s party.
In addition, we have a flying pig!
Full size kegs of Rogue Mayerfest (an amber lager) that are usually $175 are on sale for only $58. If you’re having a big New Year’s party, this would be a great beer to serve – plus it’s the cheapest keg you can get!
That’s all the news from here…we hope to see you tomorrow (New Year’s Eve) to pick up all your party supplies. We’ll be open til midnight!
Cheers!
PS: For those with strong livers, we’ll also be open New Year’s Day from 3-11pm.
