Another year has gone by… can you imagine that? We are almost in 2022, that last week of 2021 where our main focus is: What am I going to do for new year’s eve? Well whether you are at home, stuck due to the Covid-19 pandemic, or you are organizing or participating in a party, there is always time for celebration! After all, we have lived another year, in these odd conditions, so we have more than reasons to celebrate. So, here at Meeting Wine, we have some advice that can come in handy in this time of year Here are our suggestions for New year’s eve wines and other drinks that we consider a perfect fit with this celebration.
Beer, wines, cocktails, sparkling wines or Champgne?
While choosing the perfect drinks for your new year’s eve, the major advice I can give is to go for something lighter than what you would go for in other celebrating dates, such as Christmas. And why? Because, New Year’s eve is a party day, you can either go out or stay at home, drinks are going to flow a little bit more this day, than Christmas wines. Therefore, your drinks choice should not only be funnier, but also, lighter.
Everyone knows that at midnight, we all scream, kiss, and cheers to the new upcoming year with one another. The best company for this moment is, of course, Champaign. However, we can not drink Champaign all night right? Beer will get you full before even starting to party, cocktails may also be dangerous since it will be a long night. So the winner is inevitably, wine: Sparkling, Rosé and white wine.
The truth is: Alcohol often plays a critical role on anyone’s New Year’s Eve celebration. And, the second truth is, life is too short to be happy with medium wines during occasions such as this one. Therefore, there is a huge number of Sparking wines, for sure, but, use this occasion to really get into the new year with the right foot, by tasting “La crème de la crème” of Sparkling wines.
So, here’s our top suggestions for sparkling wines:
- Bairrada Doc Marquês de Marialva Cuvée Extra Brut 2012 (Adega Cooperativa de Cantanhede winery)
- Bairrada Doc Marquês de Marialva Baga Blanc de Noirs Bruto 2015 (Adega Cooperativa de Cantanhede winery)
- Sparkling Mateus Baga and Shiraz Rosé Brut (Sogrape winery)
- Alianca Vinhos de Portugal Particular Bruto (Bacalhôa winery)
- Provam Castas de Moncao Bruto Natural (Alvarinho winery)
As we said, New Year’s eve wines should be lighter, more fruited. If you are not a fan of sparkling wines, here are three great options to ensure the best party ever, and the best tastes there is.
1 |COSTIÊRE-DE-NÎMES ROSÉ
I usually give priority to the Portuguese wines on these occasions. However, during one wine experience in France, we encountered this pearl that is really the perfect fit to finish 2021 in beauty.
A light pink color means it all: It will be fresh and fruited. This bold wine, produced by Château du Cornut winery is made of Syrah and Grenache wine varieties. It is bold and quite dry. However, it does not feel too acidic to the palate which is a plus for this occasion. Plus, it combines really well with every gastronomy, appetizers, tapas, and any dish you are thinking of making for the Réveillon.
Average price: 10€ | Wine grapes variety: Syrah, Grenache
2 |QUINTA DA GIESTA
The Quinta da Giesta Rosé wine from the Dão region, the oldest wine region that Portugal has known. This Rosé is made of a unique wine grape variety, one of the most popular in Portugal, called Touriga Nacional. In 2017, the wine was considered the best Rosé wine in Portugal by the W Awards.
Quinta da Giesta Rosé has a bright cherry color, which says a lot about its fruited aroma, to violets and red fruits notes. The wine color also tells a lot about the wine taste, freshness to the palate, and it is light intensity, perfect for any New year’s diner table.
Average price: 7€ | Wine grapes variety: Touriga Nacional
3 |Grande Rocim
Rosé wines are great for New year’s since they are light, and, combine with any food you are thinking for your menu, whether you are making a big dish or just some small appetizers for a more party fun mode. However, I could not leave this excellent white wine aside.
White wines are also often lighter than red wines for example. This one from Herdade do Rocim, Alentejo DOC, is made with just one wine variety called Arinto from Bucelas, the capital of this amazing wine variety, sounds an excellent option to add to the dinner table as well.
Average price: 15€ | Wine grapes variety: Arinto
Anyways, the most important thing is to have fun and spend an excellent New Year-s Eve surrounded by amazing food and drinks. We all know that gastronomy has the power to make some moments, unforgettable. Make your 2022 New Year-s Eve unforgettable too. Happy New Year to all!
