New Year's Eve Party Planning
There’s really no better party than celebrating the end of the year with family and friends! To ensure you get the most out of your ball dropping bash, we’ve put together some tips to make it as easy, beautiful, and delicious as possible!
Decorating
Sparkles over Flowers.
Skip all floral arrangements and the gorgeous centerpiece, and instead fill glass hurricanes or vases with foil horns, silver balls, confetti and even NYE tiaras.
Glitz and glamor are the order of the day!
If you have a sequined runner now is the time to use it on your table! If you don’t you can just as easily sprinkle confetti and sequins on exposed surfaces to pump up the glam factor. You can also try layering strands of gold and silver ribbon throughout for even more sparkle.
Cheers to the countdown!
For a quirky, and useful decorating touch, gather up some old alarm clocks and place them all across your table and bar. Set them all to ring at midnight for a celebratory cacophony your guests will love!
Celebrating
How Much Alcohol Do You Need?
Regardless of which theme you choose, there’s nothing worse than running out of alcohol in the middle of your party. You typically want to ensure guests have a drink in their hand from when they arrive to when you shuttle them off in their Uber. Smaller parties are easier to estimate as the worst that will happen is you end up with an extra bottle of wine or two whereas larger parties you could end up with several handles of liquor that will remain in a cabinet collecting dust. A general rule of thumb is to assume each guest will consume two drinks during the first hour of the party and one drink every hour after that. So, if you’re hosting a four-hour long party, plan for each guest to have five drinks.
A Guide To Champagne
We usually get Champagne for a celebration, and we usually want our celebrations to be perfect, right? The last thing you want is for your celebration to leave a bad taste in your guest’s mouth. And while you may have mastered the art of party planning from the music down to the napkins, we could all use a little help on picking the perfect Champagne! Our simple guide will help you choose the perfect bottle for any occasion, even if it’s just pizza on the couch!
Know the Different Types of Bubbly
Champagne: If the bottle has Champagne (with a capital C) it means it was made in the Champagne region of France. In order for a sparkling wine to be considered Champagne it must be made in the region and follow a strict set of rules and winemaking techniques. All Champagne must be made from traditional Champagne grapes (chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier). Cava: Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine that’s similar to Champagne but uses less expensive grapes which means a lower price tag. It’s sweeter than Champagne but not as sweet as Prosecco. Cava has bubbles that are finer than Prosecco but larger than Champagne. Cava is an excellent Champagne alternative as it’s close in production and taste to legit Champagne. Prosecco and Spumante: Both of these sparkling wines are from Northeast Italy and made using the Charmat method. Meaning, they’re fermented in tanks first and then bottled, as opposed to Champagne and Cava which are fermented inside their bottles. Prosecco is sweeter than both Champagne and Cava, but Spumante is the sweetest by far. Cremant: Cremant is sparkling wine made outside of the Champagne region in France. Compared to Champagne, it is a fraction of the price and just as good quality. It’s the next best thing for savvy drinkers who want quality sparkling wine without the hefty price tag. Sweetness Levels Brut, Extra Brut, Natural Brut: These are the dry choices that can pair well with anything from pizza to crab cakes. This is the best choice for savory foods. Demi-Sec, Sec, Extra Dry, and Extra Sec: These are still relatively sweet, but not too sweet for many food or dessert lovers. Doux: These will have the sweetest taste. These work best with rich desserts.
Champagne & Sparkling Wine Recommendations
Freixenet Brut is a Spanish Cava featuring notes of apple, pear, citrus, and a touch of ginger. Mionetto Organic Brut Prosecco is on the sweeter side, but not too sweet. Piper Sonoma Brut A California sparkling wine with bright citrus fruits, apple and orange blossom Sofia Blanc de Blancs bursts with rich pear, honeysuckle, and exotic passion fruit aromas. Domaine Carneros Brut displays notes of macadamia nut, baked apple, and shortbread that complements its zesty citrus aroma. Abel Charlot Brut, Champagne This fully sparkling methode champenoise blend of 15% Chardonnay, 50% Meunier, and 35% Pinot Noir including 10% reserve wines (for richness and complexity) raises the bar for value in Champagne. Dibon Cava Full of toasty, nutty, qualities with notes of cinnamon and corn meal this is very complex aromatically. Francois Labet Brut Crémant De Bourgogne Pinot Noir It is made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (2 of the 3 champagne grapes, the third is Pinot Meuneir). An appley, crisp, and fresh Crémant offering the delicate flavors of kiwis, green plums, and a touch of toast. Andre Clouet Brut This extremely good value, all-Pinot Noir Champagne comes exclusively from grand cru vineyards. This impeccable, elegant wine shows terrific overall balance as well as complexity. Copyright 2023 Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
