Yesterday we started making our New Year’s Eve plans. Since we’ll be going on a big family vacation the next day, we want to keep things pretty simple. So we’re just going to toast the new year with a sparkling cocktail and a few hors d’ oeuvres.
For the sparkling wine, I recently found a brand that I love – Freixenet, prounounced “fresh-eh-net”. Their black bottle is the most popular, often referred to as the “Black Bottle Bubbly.” Freixenet Cordon Negro is a blended wine consisting of 3 traditional but little known Spanish varietals – Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada. Macabeo produces a fairly light but fruity, aromatic wine of medium-high acidity – characteristics crucial to the production of sparkling wine. It is also an important grape in the aging process because its must does not readily oxidize. Xarel-lo yields a robust, high-acid wine and contributes power and depth. Parellada is the star of all cava blends. It has both beautiful demonstrative fruit and finesse.
And did you know that Freixenet is the #1 imported sparkling wine in the world and ideal for any occasion? It has a crisp, clean, and well balanced flavor that is extremely versatile and pairs well with most foods, including spicy cuisine. And my favorite part of this wine is that it’s perfect for parties because it’s priced at right around $12 a bottle!
For these cocktails, I used their Cordon Negro Sweet Cuvée. It’s a little sweeter than the Brut, but not too sweet. This wine is perfect for people who don’t like dry sparkling wines. I love using it in cocktails like this and mimosas. This is their first line extension of their Black Bottle Bubblies in 20 years – something that they are very excited about. On the palate it’s fruity with ripe summer peaches, and tropical fruit, culminating in a long, silky sweet finish. This sweet sparkler pairs well with a variety of dishes and cuisine, ranging from tried and true pairings like oysters, seafood, and desserts, to more surprising pairings like spicy foods, pizza, and popcorn.
Drive a MINI Sweepstakes
Freixenet is on the move this fall with a three month long MINI tour where a duo of Freixenet MINI Coopers are traveling the nation from New York City to Florida and ending in California. We will be popping up at retailers and popular restaurants and bars, where fans can enjoy samples, play games and find hidden bubbles to enter for a chance to win a two year lease on a brand new MINI Cooper! We’ve also hidden bubbles with rewards codes throughout the Freixenet website, our Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest pages, and even in retail stores. Once you find a bubble, visit www.findthebubbles.com to enter the rewards code. Keep an eye out for more codes, as the more times you enter, the greater chances you have to win.
Freixenet is widely available nationwide in restaurants, wine stores and grocery stores as common as Whole Foods, Trader Joes and Publix.
The proof, as they say, is in the bottle: today, the most often popped corks in the world say “Freixenet.”
Yield: Serves 2
1 oz pomegranate juice
1 teaspoon hibiscus syrup
sparkling wine as needed
Pomegranate seeds for garnish
Add pomegranate juice and hibiscus syrup to champagne flute. Add sparkling wine to fill glass and garnish with pomegranate seeds.
Who says the holidays are the only time for bubbles? Make it your resolution to sparkle 365 days of the year with Freixenet cavas. Our sparkling wines come in a variety of different styles to suit any moment or mood. Cordon Negro Brut, our classic Black Bottle Bubbly, is great as an aperitif before a night out on the town or at home with takeout pizza. Our brand new Cordon Negro Sweet Cuvee is the perfect match for brunch favorites like pancakes and eggs benedict. Visit FreixenetUSA.com for more information about where to buy Freixenet sparkling wines and learn how you could win a 2-year lease on a new 2013 MINI Cooper.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Freixenet. The opinions and text are all mine.
