The Key to Mastering the Next Month of Parties, Edition 1:Essential Holiday Wines, Seasonal Beer and Cocktail Recipe Ideas! —by Gary Cummins, Cooper Wine Consultant
Thanksgiving is in the bag, but you’re still on the hook for a handful of holiday parties over the next month. Instead of waiting till the day before, come into the shop this week and stock up on the wines you know you’ll need, Champagne and other classic sparklers, whites from around the world, juicy Beaujolais, rich Rhône reds, for all those hearty roasts, delicious wines from Italy and more. You’ll be locked and loaded for every brunch, host gift, and holiday dinner on the books — and any curveballs the season throws at you to boot.
NV Piper Heidsieck Brut Champagne, (Reims, France)This Champagne House gained huge momentum… in the United States in 1933, when it became a favorite of Hollywood, with its debut in the Laurel & Hardy film “sons of the Desert.” It was the darling of Hollywood with legends like Humphry Bogart, Ava Gardner, Clark Gable & Fred Astaire drinking Piper Heidsieck. Marilyn Monroe adored Piper Heidsieck and was quoted as saying “I go to bed with a few drops of Chanel No.5 and wake up each morning to a glass of Piper Heidsieck.”
Created from a blend of fruit from “Grand Cru” vineyards, the cuvee is a blend of 55% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier and 15% Chardonnay. It is aged on lees for 24 months. This Champagne teases and allures, on the nose one senses loads of fresh orchard fruit (red and yellow apple, pear, apricot). Creamy, yet light and lively with a focus on fresh pear and apple on the palate.
A festive beverage that can easily be enjoyed without food, try this with crab legs, fish and chips, even popcorn.
Coopers Price $44.99 Special Price: buy 2 bottles -$40.00/ea
2021 Domaine Du Paternel “Blanc de Blanc” Cassis (Provence, France) Cassis exits as an almost undiscovered French wine region. Although the village of Cassis has a history dating back at least to 600 BC, the wines of Cassis remain local curiosities, rarely seen outside of Provence, let alone France. This is definitely our loss, for Cassis produces unique, stylish, and sophisticated whites of real class and distinction. According to the AOP rules, growers may produce red, rose, and white wines in this corner of France, although, for the most part, white wines tend to dominate production. Cassis was awarded its wine appellation status in 1936.
A fourth generation property, the Domaine Du Paternel label and first bottling of wine arrived in 1951. This Blanc de Blancs is made from Bourboulenc, Clairette, Marsanne and Ugni Blanc grape varieties. The vines are grown in the Cassis Protected Designation of Origin vineyard. Clairette gives fat, aromatic complexity and freshness. The Marsanne provides the fruit, the structure and the length in the mouth. Ugni blanc is added to these two main grape varieties and brings fruit and extra freshness. The nose very expressive, bouquet of citrus fruits and white flowers. On the palate, Complex with notes of citrus, green and yellow apples, pears. A very nice length in the mouth underlined by its freshness.
Great as an aperitif, the wine has hints of fennel seed, fresh herbs and great fruit that pairs great with grilled fish. BIODYNAMIC
Regular Price $29.99 Coopers Price $21.99 Mixed Case Price $17.59
2021 Jean-Marc Burgaud Beaujolais-Lantignie (Burgundy, France) Over recent years the top Beaujolais producers are not content with labeling their wines as Beaujolais-Villages, a term on labels of Beaujolais which means the wine can be produced from fruit grown in any of the 23 recognized Villages of Beaujolais.
One such wine maker is Jean-Marc Burgaud. The grapes for Jean-Marc Burgaud’s Beaujolais Villages are grown in Lantignié, the village, which is where Jean-Marc is originally from. The Gamay vines here are over 55 years old and planted on clay soils, which lends excellent concentration to the finished wine. The Beaujolais- Lantignié is a masterclass in balance. An attractive deep ruby in the glass, the nose boasts bright aromas of crunchy red fruits and violets. On the palate, the wine has a superb structure, with grainy tannins, concentrated red fruit flavors. Organic
The Gamay grape dances well with foods such as poultry (think Coq au Vin), roast chicken or turkey, Steak Frites, charcuterie boards, seared salmon / tuna, simply grilled pork. Camembert and brie are excellent cheese pairings.
Cooper Price $17.99 Mixed Case Price $14.39
2020 Enrico Togni-Rebaioli Nebbiolo 1703 (Lombardy, Italy) Enrico is a true original in the Lombardy appellation of Italy, growing the Nebbiolo grape, most typically associated with the Piedmont region of Italy. Even more of an original for his approach to creating wine from Nebbiolo, he ferments with whole clusters fully intact (a very unusual choice for this variety whose stems are usually far too tannic in other regions for whole cluster fermentations) and for six months on the skins and stems (yes, you read correctly: six months!) in 1000-liter concrete tanks, followed by three months in concrete prior to bottling.
Enrico’s Nebbiolo, labeled 1703 Millesettecentotre Vino Rosso (named after the highest nearby mountain whose altitude is 1703 meters), should be sought out by all Nebbiolo junkies. It is very light in color and layered with extremely delicate Nebbiolo nuances, especially the variety’s classic sun-roasted red and orange rose aroma. Enrico’s Nebbiolo seems almost like an aromatic distillate of a complex Barolo where everything harsh and intense are removed and it’s left with lifted subtleties and a softer frame Simply captivating! Biodynamic
Regular Price $34.99 Coopers Price $18.99 Mixed Case Price $15.39
Colorado Wine Feature
Wild Capture Statement of Focus
Colorado is the land to which we belong, not the land that belongs to us. Our mission is to craft wines that authentically reflect our homeland. We advocate for minimal cellar intervention, allowing the natural qualities of the fruit to shine through. In our cellar, no additives or processing aids are employed; we trust in the inherent richness of the fruit, avoiding unnecessary manipulation.
Embracing natural microflora ensures our wines are consistently unique, capturing a distinct moment and place. Our commitment to this style is evident in Wild Capture’s name, symbolizing the wild capture of yeast from the local air, making each product truly one-of-a-kind.
Featured during our in-store tasting November 10, 11 these wines are definitely worth exploring, if you missed the tasting.
Wild Capture “Golden Harvest”
Created from Traminette grapes harvested from Palisade. For those unfamiliar, Traminette is a French American hybrid grape designed to capture the flavor characteristics of Gewurztraminer, be resistant to fungal diseases, to maintain a hardiness in cold climates. The grapes left on the skins for 23 days leave a beautiful orange hue, great aromatics and flavor. A gorgeous wine, your mouth will water in anticipation when you smell it! Cooper Price $27.99 Mixed Case Price $22.39
New Winter Seasonal Beer Suggestions
Olgera Winter Ale – Einstok is a craft brewery located in the fishing town of Akureyri, Iceland. An extremely limited selection brewed with hand-cut and cured spruce tips along with smoked Icelandic barley. The smoky pine and whiskey notes bring out the full bodied character of the brew. Pairs well with smoked meats and dark chocolate. chocolate. $15.99 4pk X 12oz cans
Fremont “Melange” Barrel Aged Cuvee – Limited 2023 Release – Melange is an exclusive marriage of select vintages of The Rusty Nail and a porter specifically designed for this beer. The Rusty Nail begins life as The First Nail, an oatmeal stout of epic proportions with brewer’s licorice, smoked barley, and pale malt and is then aged on cinnamon bark. She becomes The Rusty Nail after spending 15 months in 12-year old bourbon barrels. The result; Aroma: Brown sugar, chocolate, molasses and some vanilla & cinnamon but also licorice/anise.
Flavor: Moderately sweet with a gentle bitterness, medium body, some astringency, slightly spicy, some warming, a little carbonation and slightly mouthwatering. $4.99 16oz can
Holiday Cocktail Recipe
Poinsettia 75
1.5oz Gin
1oz Cranberry Juice
.5oz Lemon Juice
.5oz Simple Syrup
3oz Champagne (or sparking wine)
Combine all ingredients except Champagne into a cocktail shaker and shake with ice for 15 seconds, add champagne and strain into a martini glass.
