By Doc Lawrence
The New Year begs to be introduced with flutes of Champagne.
The tradition is integral to that magic celebratory moment of ringing out the
old and ringing in the new.
In the South, Champagne enjoyment recalls special moments in
history and folklore, notably Captain Rhett Butler’s daring runs through the
Union blockade during the Civil War to bring Champagne to Charleston, Savannah
and New Orleans. Ever the clever entrepreneur, Butler assured his safety by sharing
his bottled cargo with generals and politicians (and their consorts), with no
regard to allegiance.
The choices for New Year’s bubbly are vast. Personally, I
opt for the sentimental Laurent-Perrier Rosé, pricey, but who cares on this one
evening? There are many other sparkling wines available and if you prefer
something from the good old USA, the selections are huge. California and New
York state keep the wine shop shelves stocked and one I recommend is from New
Mexico: Gruet, highly-regarded and fairly priced. You’ll experience no
difficulty in locating it.
There are outstanding sparkling wines from Southern
vineyards. Wolf Mountain from Georgia is beautifully constructed as is Biltmore
Estate from the Asheville, NC winery.
Let’s not linger. With only a few hours left to shop, we’ll
head out to the market and find a bottle or two. No need to wait until the
midnight hour, though. Festive Champagne and other quality sparkling wines pair
with almost all food and make an impressive aperitif.
Every calendar transition involves the mystery of the
unknown. We hope for the best. Some are good at making resolutions. The best
ones will be so profound that the Blue Ridge Mountains will tremble.
May your New Year bring good health, more friends, dreams
galore and a trove of pleasant surprises. Champagne, by the way, is the
preferred beverage for dreamers.
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