Doesn’t seem possible but 2012 is coming to a close. This year brought many changes to our household. After 17 years together I had to put my 19 year old cat Katundra down just days after the start of 2012. A few days later we got a shelter cat, Daisy and made her part of our family. In April we decided to get Daisy a friend. We headed to the shelter intending to get another cat but one look at an Australian Cattle Dog named Rooster and we knew he needed to be sprung. Three days later our chickens arrived in the mail. We went from one pet to seven in just a matter of days.

I also accomplished quite a bit this year; I began taking writing courses from the local college working on a Creative Writing certificate, was awarded a scholarship to the Wine Bloggers Conference held this past June in Portland, OR and passed my Wine Spirits Education Trust Level 2 with distinction! Still I feel like I should have done more. I already have some of my 2013 projects planned.

With the end of 2012 comes the big ball drop in Times Square and plenty of clinking glasses ringing in 2013 and that means it’s time for my annual Bubbly Report. Below are just a few of the wonderful bubbles that will help you celebrate not just on NYE but throughout the entire year.

Biltmore Estate Blanc de Blancs Méthode Champenoise Brut
Apple, toast and yeast aromas. Crisp clean flavors with, green apple and pear and hint of almond in the finish. Tiny bubbles with a nice acidic balance.
Varietal – 100% Chardonnay
TA – 0.91
RS – 1.0%
pH – 3.08
Alcohol – 12.5%
SRP – $21.99

Toad Hollow NV Risqué French Sparkling Wine
Crisp and fruity pear, sweet Red Delicious apple and honey flavors. With just 6% alcohol it’s not as risqué as it sounds and you won’t end up dancing in the street naked. Instead, stay indoors and have a little fun of your own.
Using the Méthode Ancestrale also known as traditional method or méthode champenoise the effervescence is produced by secondary fermentation in the bottle. Typically reserved for sparklers produced in the Champagne region, the process is slightly more complex, more expensive and produces wine that is slightly sweeter as the wine is bottled prior to the residual sugar converting into alcohol. This also gives the wine a lower alcohol content and less effervescence than other methods.
Varietal – 100% Mauzac
TA 4.5 g /100ml
RS 7%
Alcohol – 6%
SRP – $14.99

Poema Cava Brut Rosé
Salmon pink (love pink bubbly) in color, aromas of strawberry and rose petals. Flavors bursting of raspberry, strawberry and toast. Rare Trepat grapes are grown in the Conca de Barberà region of Catalonia, Spain where the limestone soils are ideal for this grape. Following Cava DO’s strict wine making policies the wine is crafted in small batches by the traditional method used in Champagne.
Varietal – 100% Trepat
Appellation – Cava
PH – 3.1
Acidity – 6.6g/l
Alcohol – 11.5%
Aging – 12 months on the lees

Zonin Prosecco
Clean crisp pear, aromatic floral and apple notes. The wine is well balanced and finishes with a hint of almond, a common characteristic of Glera grapes. So food friendly you can serve as an aperitif, through out the meal or dessert. It’s a great accompaniment to any celebration.
Varietal – 100% Glera
Alcohol – 11%

Castelli del Poggio Moscato d’ Asti DOCG, Piedmont, Italy
Golden straw color with a delicate peach aroma. Slightly effervescent, sweet Asian pear, creamy honey and bready notes in the finish. Alcohol is just 5% so you won’t have to worry about over doing it.
Produced with 100% Moscato bianco, the wine is fermented until it reaches 5% alcohol then refrigerated giving the wine its sweet flavors. SRP – $15.99

So here we are another year over and another approaching, they go so fast. I’m still working on my New Year’s resolution. Have you come up with yours yet?

Cheers!

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