Nothing compares to beginning the holiday season with a glass of something sparkling and fizzy—except perhaps ending the holiday season on a similar note. We love Champagne, to be sure, but we also welcome its international cousins: Prosecco from Italy, Cava from Spain, Sekt from Germany, or sparklers from California and Long Island. Bookended with bubbles, these evenings of late fall and early winter present a splendid opportunity to share and enjoy festive seasonal drinks.
This year we are kicking off the celebrations with an East Hampton original, developed by Michael Nolan, co-owner, and the staff of Fresno. Starting with a couple of dark, glistening Morello cherries marinated in a bit of bourbon along with their syrup, and continuing with a flute of Prosecco, they top the glass with five or six drops of Bittermens Xocolatl Mole bitters that add just a hint of cinnamon, spice and chocolate to the drink, and garnish with a slice of orange peel. Fresno has managed to take a classic combination of flavors that enhance one another and fashion them into an entirely new, as yet unnamed cocktail.
Madeira, the wine used by the founders to toast the declaration of Independence, was, because of British trade restrictions, the only wine available to the settlers on Eastern Long Island. In a nod to local history (and Thomas Jefferson) we have added these fortified wines to our after dinner holiday drinking. You will have to visit a retailer or restaurant that deals in rare wines for an important vintage bottle like D’Oliveira Bual from 1908 ($699 from Amagansett Wine), a luxury that will reward you with an opulent and sublime drinking experience. A somewhat newer but still great vintage like D’Oliveira Bual from 1958 can be had for a more affordable $300.
The Cabernet Franc grape has found a natural home with the soil and climate of Long Island, and local winemakers, like their counterparts in the Loire Valley region of France, are producing elegant and engaging versions of this delectable wine. With silky, herbal and leafy qualities, served young and cool, Cab Franc is a perfect food friendly red wine choice for holiday meals from Thanksgiving onward. Our recommendations include the 2012 Reserve from McCall Wines ($38) and a 2010 from The Old Field ($35).
Our choice to welcome a joyful New Year is Sparkling Pointe’s 2005 Brut Seduction ($60). Recently released, this prestige tête de cuvée matches winemaker Gilles Martin’s traditional French experience with his New World innovations and enthusiasms. One of the outstanding wines produced on Long Island—it won the title Best Sparkling Wine in New York State for 2014—it is rich and complex with tiny bubbles. Martin tells us “the wine delivers a full spectrum of wild berries and floral aroma.” Brut Seduction offers a dazzling end to the holiday season and a lovely way to start 2015
