Happy holidays from the Val’s teams in Greenwich, Glenville and our newest addition…Stamford. We are excited to introduce you to some new ideas for a festive 2020 holiday season. And while there are a lot of distractions out there and we are REALLY looking forward to 2021, let’s not forget to enjoy this holiday season.
Speaking personally, I really enjoy fun holiday cocktails…both hot and on the rocks. Last year I featured warm cider and wine with mulling spices. This year I have some other ideas. My first features Jameson Irish Whiskey. This is a take on a fruit punch with a winter appeal. The second will be very intriguing.
Jameson Winter Punch:
4 oz. Jameson Whiskey
½ oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
2 oz. Grapefruit Juice
1 oz. Cinnamon Syrup
1 oz. Sprite Soda
Garish with Grapefruit Slice, Cracked Pink Peppercorn and Star Anise
Add ingredients to shaker, shake and strain over the rocks.
This next cocktail may cause you pause and I can only imagine the look on your face as reading it…Tequila with cinnamon and hot chocolate. I said it, you read it, Tequila. Not just for margaritas anymore!
Tequila & Cinnamon Hot Chocolate
3 oz. Espolon or Herradura Reposado or Anejo Tequila
3-4 Cups of Milk
1 Vanilla Bean Split Down the Middle
5 oz. Milk Chocolate (chopped/grated if in block) or Ghirardelli Hot Chocolate Mix
3 Cinnamon Sticks
1 Pinch of Salt
1-2 Table spoons of Pure Cane Sugar
Garnish with Cinnamon Stick & Whip Cream
Bring milk, cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean to a slight boil, reduce heat immediately. Add chocolate, sugar, salt and whisk till thoroughly mixed. Add tequila. Best served in a tall mug
The final cocktail is really going to get you into the Christmas spirit. This might best to be enjoyed while decorating the Christmas tree or putting the mechanical Santa and reindeer out on the front yard (for the Clark Griswold and Christmas Vacation movie fans).
White Christmas Cocktail
1 oz. Vodka (Zyr or Ketel One)
1 oz. Heavy Cream
1 oz. Peppermint Schnapps (Rumple Minze for an extra kick)
1 oz. White Crème de Cacao
1 Small Candy Cane for Garnish
1 Small Crushed Candy Cane for rim of glass
Combine Vodka, heavy cream, schnapps, and white cacao in a shaker with ice. Cover and shake until the outside of shaker has frosted. Use the crushed candy cane to rim the chilled martini glass. Drain shaker contents into glass neat (martini) or on the rocks (tumbler).
Now for the wine drinkers out there, we have several options that you can enjoy with holiday meals. Red wines by Caymus and Frank Family Vineyards are a great choice.
Caymus was started by the Wagner family and has become a Napa Valley icon since it was founded 45 years ago. This wine shows a decadent ripe blackberry flavor with a hint of vanilla and toasted oak. Frank Family Wines from Calistoga have a distinctive taste of black plums, warm cassis and licorice, with hints of bay leaf, juicy black fruits and earthy undertones. Both Cabernets are a great buy and favorite of the staff. Other classic California cabernets…Stag’s Leap, Jordan, Quilt and Bear Path…. are excellent choices that have found a home on my wine rack at home and holiday tables of the past.
When looking at white wines, many seek a delicious California Chardonnay. Our staff picks include Rombauer and Flowers. Rombauer has an aroma of peach, honeydew and lemon rind with a hint of vanilla and spice. The taste is fresh, full bodied and fruity with a nice balance of oak on the finish. You will find Flowers to have a caramelized oak aroma with a taste more towards apple and pear. Don’t be surprised with a hint of lemon peel and orange zest on the finish.
As an alternative, Sauvignon Blanc a somewhat lighter option for white wines. These include some of the New Zealand producers, like Cloudy Bay and Kim Crawford as consistent favorites, showing the typical tones of grapefruit and gooseberry. There are also great Sauvignon Blancs from California, or perhaps a Sancerre from the Loire Valley in France.
Are you celebrating Italian style? One popular style is Brunello di Montalcino, made from the Sangiovese grape in Tuscany. This is a rich and elegant red that exhibits tones of cherry, smoke, herbs and spices. One the staff favorites at Val’s is the 2012 Renieri Brunello. This exceptional wine received a score of 95 points from James Suckling and is drinking perfectly now. It also makes a great gift for your wine loving friends.
Obviously with Christmas and New Year’s only a week apart, almost everyone chooses to toast the holidays with their favorite sparling wines. Prosecco has become a favorite value-priced sparkler with most selling for under $20 a bottle. Popular brands include LaMarca, Mionetto, 90+ Cellars and La Contesse. These wines are made from the Glera grape native to the Veneto area in northeast Italy.
Prosecco is tank fermented so that larger quantities can be made, also reducing the production cost. Champagne in contrast goes through a secondary fermentation in the bottle, called Methode Traditionelle, formerly Methode Champenoise. This is very technical and time consuming. True champagne must also come from the Champagne region in France, located about 100 miles northeast of Paris. The grapes are usually a blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay grapes. Champagne labeled as “Blanc de Blancs” is made only from the Chardonnay grapes.
While Veuve Clicquot and Moet are always popular Champagnes, try the Laurent Perrier. This delicious wine has a toastiness with a yeasty, full bodied style. There are also many sparkling wines from California using a similar fermentation process like Chandon and Roederer Estate which are excellent but cannot classified as Champagne. Since they are produced domestically, they are typically about half the price of true Champagnes.
Our wine, spirit and craft experts are available to assist with your shopping needs. The staff at Val’s wishes everyone a safe and healthy holiday season and the best wishes for the new year.
