Bring on the bubbly: Champagnes and wines to gift this Christmas with Martin Wine Cellar
Everyone has that one person in their life that is impossible to shop for. Should you get them a scented candle for the fifth year in a row? A gift card they will probably lose or forget about? Clothes that will just become never-worn clutter? Skip out on the risky gift ideas this Christmas and give your loved ones a present that pairs perfectly with the celebrations of the season: wine and Champagne. Jim Wallace from Martin Wine Cellar shared his top picks for the best bubbles to fill our flutes with this Christmas.
1. Miquel Pons Cava Brut
Price: $12
“There is so much to love about cava,” Wallace says. “It is crisp and bright, but at the same time it finishes with ease on the palate.” These bright bubbles are guaranteed to liven up any event, whether it stands alone or with cocktails. “That easy-going nature also makes it an easy choice for a gift,” he says.
2. Champagne Gaston Chiquet Brut Tradition NV
Price: $37
“Gaston Chicquet is proof that you can find wonderful, true Champagne at a reasonable price,” Wallace says. Bottled up in these bubbles are fruity flavors harvested from estate vineyards in and around the famed town of Dizy, he says. “Still crafted by family member Nicholas Chiquet, this is not one to miss.”
3. Camille Saves Brut Cuvee Anais Jolicoeur 2012
Price: $79
“This is something a little different for when you really want to share something special,” Wallace says. “This cuvee, named after one of the founders of Camille Saves, is simply amazing.”
Like the Gaston Chicquet, Camile Saves is a smaller producer with vineyards located one of the most famous villages in Champagne for pinot noir, Bouzy. This village is one of the few areas that make still red wines as well, he says.
“All that pinot noir, combined with a good bit of time in barrel and on lees, leads to very opulent, toasty style of Champagne. And while this will taste great if opened tonight, it will age gracefully for a decade or more,” he says.
What is your favorite wine to gift? Let us know in the comments below.