New Year's Resolution #1

I would like to say "drink more champagne" but since I made that resolution last year, I am doing quite a good job keeping my commitment! So this year I will start with "posting twice as often" with the goal being three or four times, as I am always excited to try new and different pairings.

New Year's Eve has almost always been a working holiday for me (honestly I did enjoy watching others enjoy!), but now that I have the opportunity to enjoy it simply, I usually do. Our standard pairing is Champagne and Caviar, and although perhaps obvious, it hits the right notes for a celebratory night at home.

I have been a fan of sustainably farmed caviar for quite a few years - I believe it was a documentary on the treatment of sturgeon (I have never felt so wholeheartedly sorry for a fish before! ugh) that caused me to seek it out (imagine you could google it if you are curious but let's just say it doesn't begin or end well for the sturgeon). The quality has gotten better and better over the years. Tonight's Plaza Osetra came from Costco at a great price. (Thank you Costco for allowing us to indulge. ) Another great sustainable caviar comes from Tsar Nicoulai in California - always excellent quality and a terrific group of people who run it - Costco had theirs as well.

Tonight's choice for saying goodbye to 2021 and welcoming 2022 is the 2006 Pol Roger "Sir Winston Churchill." The Winston is a Pinot Noir driven sparkler - around 80% (this was Winston Churchill's favorite style - he famously drank two bottles a day for a half a century! See, I really don't consume much after all.....) with a creamy mousse and luscious texture. Richly powerful, it has some bottle age on it so I am anticipating enhanced complexity as that lees aging for over a decade delivers more and more over time. I was reading some reviews and it always makes me smile when I see a critic post a simply honest expression of a wine or champagne - in this case, it was British critic Jancis Robinson who explained that despite the professional requirement to do so, the 2006 Winston was "Impossible to spit" - Amen sister! It is also described by critics as having a "fatty richness" which in this case is very appealing. A little Triple Cream cheese like Cowgirl's Mt. Tam or the French Pierre Robert would be a nice addition too.

Wishing you all the happiest New Year - let's make this a fantastic one, filled with terrific wine and delicious food shared with those we love. And of course, more champagne.