What if there is a buffet or you are simply bringing the wine as a hostess gift? You need a flexible, crowd pleasing wine that can pair with most foods or just a glass.  Here are a few we have tried this year that fit the bill.

Treveri Sparkling Rose. It is a bottle of alcoholic pink bubbles.  Do we need to say more?

Halter Ranch 2012 Cote de Paso blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre from Paso Robles California.- Full of red bramble fruits, bright acidity, and a long smooth finish.  This is a dream to pair with food. It is like your favorite pair of jeans – super comfy and goes with anything. Sample. Views are my own.

Most people like Zinfandel.  Because zinfandel grapes ripen unevenly there are usually some on the bunch that have dried to raisins. This makes a very fruity, high alcohol wine that seems a little sweet even when it isn’t.  For all of the fun with a little more restraint and sophistication consider Zenaida Cellars 2012 Zinfandel. It is nice enough to meet your parents but naughty enough to party.

Chehalem’s Riesling  – Oregon Riesling producers meet each February, before bottling, to sample each other’s Riesling in a blind, peer review.  This gives everyone the opportunity to tweak and optimize their wines before bottling.  In the forefront for quality, flavor, and approachable acidity – Chelahem makes a Riesling lover’s Riesling.  You won’t go wrong with any of their Riesling, but Corral Creek Vineyard from Chehalem Mountains AVA might be our favorite.

Sparkling wine is the “little black dress” of the wine world – a classic that never goes out of style. Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut – *found on sale at World Market for $12* is made in the traditional method.  This wine has the requisite characteristic yeasty flavors to bless your glass, but is subtle enough for sparkling cocktails.

On the topic of sparkling wines, we definitely recommend them as great gifts for the wine lover in your life.

Please comment and tell us your top choice for wine hostess gifts.  What is the best one you ever received?

Cava from Spain

Cap Classique from South Africa

Sekt from Germany

Cremant – French sparkling wine from anywhere other than Champagne.

All of these, with the exception of most Sekt, are made using the traditional method. There are some differences though.  Grapes, climate, and time on lees vary and affect the flavors.

Chenin Blanc is a popular grape in Cap Classique and Cremant from the Loire Valley. These wines have more floral notes and body.  Cava uses three indigenous grapes: Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Paralleda.  Chardonnay has been allowed in Cava only in recent years. Cava is known for an earthy, rubbery flavor.

There are New World examples as well.  One of our favorites, Gloria Ferrer, is from California.  We especially enjoy the fuller body of Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir.  Gruet is from New Mexico and we found their Blanc de Blanc Gruet to be bready and yeasty with a lot of body and pronounced lemon flavor.

Nine months on lees are required and most are not aged as long as champagne.  These wines will therefore have less yeast and attic flavors and in some cases more fruit.

There is a little variation from the traditional method that is sometimes used.  It is called the transfer method.  It is cheaper and eliminates the need for riddling.  At the disgorgement step the bottles are emptied – lees, wine and all- into a pressurized tank.  Lees are filtered out and the wine is dispensed into a new bottle.  Critics claim the bubbles are less fine and the filtering process removes character. Bottles cannot say “traditional method” or “fermented in this bottle”.  They can say “bottle fermented.”

Interesting tidbit.  Moet & Chandon recently began making sparkling wine in India. Have you tried a sparkling wine from an unusual place?  Tell us about it. Next post we’ll tell you about some sparklers from the Pacific Northwest plus share recommendations from our wine friends.