It is that time of year again! While this year looks entirely different, I choose to focus on the good things; like family, friends and delicious wine.

I am a ‘make a list and check it twice’ kind of girl who truly enjoys compiling this list each year to make your holiday shopping decisions more straightforward and less stressful. Yay! Your bubbly selections this week feature wines from British Columbia, a few from my other home in Champagne, as well as a Cava from Spain and a Lambrusco from Italy. My choices include bubbles that are great for entertaining (when we can actually do that again!), some for gift giving and others to secretly purchase for yourself and savour when you have some well-deserved ‘down-time.’ 

• Varias Genui Cava Brut Nature Catalonia, Spain $15.99 – This is a bottle of fun. It is naturally dry with flavours of almond, lemons and pastry. It is a wine I keep in stock – affordable and tastes like more.
• Evolve Cellars Pink Effervescence Okanagan Valley, B.C. VQA $21.49 – Who doesn’t enjoy a glass full of easy to drink Rosé bubbles? This is so approachable and pretty and affordable, you might just choose to go for the new magnum out for the holiday season – only $42.99 at Save on Foods locations. GGG Score 90 Points.
• Paltrinieri ‘Piria’ Lambrusco Di Sorbara Frizzante Guarda, Italy $21.99 – Oh, how I have come to love Lambrusco. It is an absolutely perfect pairing with a charcuterie board while cozying up inside on a cold night watching a fire. It is bright with a zingy finish. And, quite sexy too!
• Blue Grouse Estate Winery ‘Paula’ Brut 2017 Vancouver Island, B.C. VQA $34.99 – Many of you know already that I am a huge fan of winemaker Bailey Williamson. He enjoys sparkling wine as mush as I do and has crafted an excellent one with the 2017 traditional method sparkling ‘Paula’. Made with an uncommon trio of Pinot Gris, Ortega and Muller-Thurgau, you will delight in the flavour profile and continuous finish of the wine.
• Haywire Vintage Bub 2013 Okanagan Valley, B.C. VQA $38.99 – I truly enjoy vintage wines, especially vintage bubbles, and this bottle is no exception. It has all the rich, creamy goodness that I look for in my sparkling wine with secondary notes of biscuit and pastry. It has over five years of bottle ageing which adds to a distinct complexity and richness.
• Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars Rosé Brut R.D. 2016 Okanagan Valley, B.C. $40 – Crisp, dry and flavourful, this Rosé from Blue Mountain is a knockout. With delicate notes of fresh strawberry, watermelon and peach on the palate, this wine is crafted with 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay all from estate fruit.
• Champagne Deutz Brut Classic NV Champagne, France $67.98 – The minute I walked into Champagne Deutz on January 8th, 2019 for a private tour and catered lunch with Jean-Marc Lallier Deutz, I knew the memory of the visit would forever stay in my heart. This is their non-vintage champagne and it is fresh and elegant with a good amount of complexity. It is, in my opinion, one of the most delicious non-vintage champagnes on the market and one that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.
• Champagne Larmandier Bernier ‘Latitude’ Blanc de Blancs NV Extra Brut Champagne, France $76.99 – Here is a ‘grower’ champagne for the wine enthusiast on your list. Made entirely with Chardonnay (blanc de blancs) from the premier cru village of Vertus, this was one of the first houses I visited during my year in Champagne. There is a depth of flavour in this wine that is undeniably beautiful and powerful at the same time.
• Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé NV Champagne, France $119.99 – Oh la la! What is pink, exquisitely made and tastes like a dream? This delicious Rosé champagne from one of my favourite houses, Champagne Billecart- Salmon. Think finesse and elegance in a glass with a dash of sass – it is the flagship wine of the house – with good reason. This lively champagne is bright and full of flavours such as fresh strawberry tart, cranberry, whipped cream and a hint of orange. Purchase for someone very special. That means YOU!

Also, if you are searching for the perfect cookbook for the wine lover on your list, look no further than Jennifer Schell’s ‘The B.C. Wine Lover’s Cookbook’ available at Indigo and Amazon. I am working my way through the recipes (well, David is and I am pairing the wines and loving the meals) and it is by far our favourite B.C. cookbook in our home.

I wish you a very happy and healthy weekend. Thank you for reading.

Love,
Christine