From Faith and Alex Province — On special occasions, Champagne is a dazzling host gift, especially at the holidays. We just re-tasted Pol Roger Brut Reserve, the same sparkler chosen by Kate and William for their Westminster wedding. This one, $50-$60, exceeds our normal price point of $20 and under, we realize, but since the holiday season is here, gift wines are a category unto themselves. And what a gift wine this is.
The house making the wine, as Alex explains, blends a variety of vintages and uses three different grape types, including Pinot Noir, to come up with this elegant tasting experience. We often drink sparkling wine through the entire meal, start to finish, because it often matches well with just about everything except red sauce. We drank our Pol Roger with Chris Prosperi’s stunning Choucroute Garni (duck, sausage, garlic and sauerkraut) and it was sensational. He serves the dish at his restaurant, Metro Bis, in Simsbury, Connecticut. Trust me, that dish alone is worth the drive.
Simply tell your wine store that the distributor is Frederick Wildman & Sons. It should sell for $50 to $60, though smaller stores often price a little higher.
