Party Time


• By Allen Dale "Ole" Olson   |   Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 2:27 pm   |     |   Print   |   Permalink

In spite of the recession, it is entirely likely that some of us will have to plan a company holiday party or even host a party at home.  For these events, we don’t usually address the question of what wine goes with what food. After considering what’s available (and relatively inexpensive), we consider only the following: 

We need a white and a red. Both should be tasty and uncomplicated. Both should be discounted by the retailer if bought by the case, meaning an end price somewhere between $8 and $15 a bottle. Neither should be sweet.

We avoid sparkling wines for party use. For one thing, they tend to be expensive. Red sparklers don’t satisfy many tastes. To serve a sparkler properly, you need a “flute,” that conical glass designed especially for sparkling wines. If you insist, look for a Spumanti Extra Brut or a Prosecco, both from Italy and both priced under $12.00 at most places. Sparklers from Caifornia and Champagne will escalate the budget considerably.

However, we suggest keeping it simple. One white and one red. Enough for those who want only one or the other and for those who will sample both.  In spite of how trite it sounds to say Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio, we can do so with a clear conscience: A very nice Chardonnay, with a Burgundy cachet, comes from Macon, and we use a lot of it year round from producers such as Drouhin, Lugny, and Jadot. It’s easy to find insipid Pinot Grigio at one end of the  cost spectrum and overpriced Pinot Grigio at the other; but somewhere between are a number of very pleasant, light bodied wines from Friuli and Alto Adige. Nor will you go wrong with a modest little Vielle Ferme Blanc from the Rhone Valley.

Our hands-down favorite party red is a Beaujolais-Villages. While we have sung the praises of such wines by Nicolas Potel and Louis Latour, for a party we turn to the “King of Beaujolais,” Georges Duboeuf. For mass production, Duboeuf wines are dependable, consistent, and fairly priced.

Pinot Noir is always popular but tends to be a bit pricey.  Louis Latour offers a pleasant one at just under $15 on average, and we’ve had good luck with Pinot Noirs from Trinchero.

None of these wines garner high marks from the score keepers, but all of them offer very good value, especially for serving throughout a holiday party for a crowd. Cheers.

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