Holiday Party Idea: Self-Serve Bubbly Bar! Free Printable Sign!

When we think of New Year’s, we think of bubbly! A festive way to ring in the New Year with family and friends is to set up a self-serve sparkling wine bar at home. Let your guests have fun creating their own sparkling cocktails! Your guests can choose a simple Kir Royale, or play mixologist as they combine flavors to create a multi-layered concoction. We’ve even made a free printable sign for you to download and place at the bar for the party!

FREE PRINTABLE BUBBY BAR SIGN >

Click the link above to download and print this Bubbly Bar sign!
After you’ve printed it, simple cut out the sign, fold in half, and place at the bar.

THE BUBBLY BAR SHOPPING LIST >

Click the link above to download and print the list of everything you’ll need. Stop by Bottles for all of these ingredients!

 

What You’ll Need for a Bubbly Bar
  • Ice Bucket
  • Jar of spoons (Pouring the mixers straight into your glass will cause the mixer and sparkling wine to combine too quickly. The best way to create a sparkling cocktail is to turn a spoon upside down and let the liquid slowly run over the spoon into your glass. SCIENCE!)
  • Champagne Flutes (check to make sure you have enough for all your guests!)
 
Our Favorite Sparkling Wines
We’ve drawn up a list of our favorite sparkling wines, Cavas, and Champagnes for you to choose from. Chill them beforehand, and place them at a the Bubbly Bar table.

 

  • Grandial – Light and bright, this Blanc de Blancs Brut is made from 100% Chardonnay that gives this sparkling treat a lovely note of green apple on the finish. $9.99
  • Mercat Cava – Wonderfully balanced and complex Cava from Catalonia, Spain.  Notes of lemon and peach meet with an undertone of minerals to create a spectacularly dry sparkling. $16.99
  • Gruet Brut – Sparkling wine from New Mexico? No way! Thank goodness French winemaker, Gilbert Gruet, travelled through New Mexico in the 1980’s and found European winemakers planting grapes in this inexpensive location. He promptly moved his sparkling wine operation from Bethon, France to Albuquerque, New Mexico! $19.99
  • Meinklang Rosé Frizzante – Bio-dynamic, organic and absolutely fun, this Pinot Noir sparkling style has less effervesce than others on this list but makes up for it in the most splendid strawberry notes. $21.99 
  • Mumm Napa – French Champagne house G.H. Mumm found a new home in Napa Valley in the early 1980’s. Notes of melon and vanilla are abundant in this rich and balanced California sparkling. Classic Californian sparkling, bright. $29.99 
  • Charles Heidsick Brut Reserve – From the house nicknamed ‘Baby Krug’ comes the most spectacular champagne I have had in recent memory. Delicate hints of nectarine and peach first come into play followed by a creamy, honeyed finish. Complex and rich, this is a non-vintage champagne that drinks like a vintage bottle twice the price. A fantastic way to ring in the New Year! $69.99
 
Not sure how many bottles of sparkling wine to get for your party?
 
Meinklang Rosé Frizzante
An Assortment of Mixers
Here’s our hand-picked selection of syrups and liqueurs for guests to mix with bubbly.
 
Giffard Crème de Cassis Noir de Bourgogne – $34.99
A dash of Cassis over a glass of champagne = a classic Kir Royale! While a Kir cocktail is a French cocktail with white wine and blackcurrant liqueur, a Kir Royal is a variation that uses bubbly instead.
Pama Pomegranate Liqueur – $14.99
Add a rosy glow to your glass of sparkling wine! Pama has the complex, sweet, yet tart taste of pomegranates.
Giffard Pamplemousse (Grapefruit) – $24.99

 

100% natural fruit crème that makes a great aperitif cocktail when mixed with bubbly.

Quince & Apple Rhubarb Hops Syrup – $11.99

Quince & Apple Tart Cherry Grenadine – $11.99

Quince & Apple syrups are all natural, hand crafted syrups from Madison, Wisconsin. Quince & Apple syrups rely on the best local produce to create a smooth, not too sugary syrup that can be combined with sparkling wine, liquor or club soda to provide a refreshing, non-alcoholic drink.

Let’s talk Champagne!

Champagne is a region in France, home to some of the best Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes in the world that create delicate, complex and heart stopping wines. Buying Champagne to stock a bubbly bar can get pricey fairly quickly, but there are plenty of other sparkling wines made outside of Champagne that will impress your guests with their grace and balance. Featuring sparkling wines made from different countries and different regions is a great way to have an educational moment in the midst of good, old-fashioned bacchanal.

However, as the clock is about to reach midnight, I pull a few bottles of Champagne from the back of the vegetable crisper, underneath the Swiss Chard and grapes (don’t tell my friends about my hiding spot) and pop the piece de resistance as the clock strikes midnight!

Happy New Year!
– Joanna
Bottles Fine Wine

Learn about Dessert Wines

dessert wine guide

Dessert wine? If you’re not familiar with them, and are curious to learn more, then watch this video guide! Eric Taylor, the Bottles wine expert, talks about different dessert wine styles, and gives you an example of a few of his favorite brands in the shop. Great for the holidays!

Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more wine guide videos:  http://www.youtube.com/bottlesprovidence

Cheers!

Sparkling Wine Pairing: Huevos Al Plato

Huevos Al Plato - Sparkling Wine Pairing Idea

Nothing else evokes the celebratory spirit of the holidays than bubbly! Whether you have Cava from Spain or Champagne from France, sparkling wines are great gifts, the perfect way to welcome guests, or, of course, enjoyed with food. This Huevos Al Plato provided by Edible Rhody Magazine works as a savory brunch recipe, or a creative holiday appetizer. Pair it with sparkling wine and you’ve got a winning combination!

Wine Pairing: Sparkling Wines
Grandial Blanc de Blancs - Affordable Sparkling Wine for New Years

Grandial Blanc de Blancs, France
Light, fresh and delicious – a perfect party sparkler that is great by itself but also makes wonderful Bellinis and Mimosas.  One of the best values we have seen in a long time!
Mercat Cava - Sparkling wine from Spain
An amazing Cava! While Mercat has a beautiful label the real magic is in the bottle!  Super dry and crisp with millions and millions of tiny yet aggressive bubbles.  Flavors of fresh flowers, green apples and pears with a hint of stone fruit.  A perfect accompaniment with brunch foods like the Huevos al Plato.
Tattinger Champagne - Food and Wine Pairing

One of the World’s benchmark wines!  Subtle in style with loads of creamy apple, apricot, almonds, orange blossom and apple.  A perfect gift, even for yourself!

Huevos Al Plato
Siobhán Chavarría, chef/owner, Flan Y Ajo, Providence
The Spanish culture truly embraces the simplicity of an orange yolked farm-fresh egg. Eggs go far beyond the realm of breakfast, and huevos al plato (meaning literally “eggs to the plate”) is a versatile, simple dish for any season. This wintry version is prepared with Butternut squash and chorizo, combining the sweet roasted squash, runny yolk and hearty chorizo for a warm, harmonious dish.
½ cup Butternut squash (or your favorite)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried or fresh herbs (we use thyme or rosemary)
2 fresh farm eggs
¼ cup (1 ounce) Spanish chorizo, sliced (or substitute Portuguese or Italian sausage)
Pea tendrils, spinach, arugula to garnish (optional)
Crusty baguette

Heat oven to 350°. Peel squash and slice in half-moon-shaped pieces ó inch thick. Toss the squash with olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes, or until tender. 

Grease a 6-inch cast-iron skillet (or small roasting dish) with olive oil. Crack the eggs into the skillet and add the roasted squash. Scatter the chorizo and add a pinch of salt to the yolks. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the whites are fully cooked. Pay careful attention not to overcook the yolks. Remove pan from the oven and add fresh greens. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy. Serves 2 as an appetizer.
VISIT



Cheers!
Visit our wine store to shop a great selection of wines for the holidays.
We’re located at 141 Pitman St., Providence, Rhode Island.

Hake Chowder Recipe, Paired with Chardonnay

Hake Chowder Recipe with a Chardonnay wine pairing

Soups and chowders go hand in hand with cold winter nights. Edible Rhody Magazine has a warming Hake Chowder recipe that uses vegetables and fish from Rhode Island winter farmer’s markets. Feel free to substitute the hake with pollock, cod, or haddock. Enjoyed with crusty bread and glass or two of Chardonnay, and this food and wine pairing will be one to remember! We’ve chosen a few of our favorite Chardonnays that range from un-oaked to rich and hedonistic for the holiday season.

Wine Pairing: Chardonnay
Donati ‘Sorelle Per Sempre’ Chardonnay, Central Coast, California
An un-oaked Chardonnay!  By not using oak barrels the winery really allows the true flavors of Chardonnay to stand out.  Look for creamy lemon meringue, with hints of grapefruit zest and round luxurious stone fruit like peaches and apricots.  Makes a great party wine because it doesn’t need to be paired with food, but can be delicious if you do!

Stags’ Leap Winery Chardonnay, Napa Valley, California
One of our favorite wines in the store.  Beautifully made with subtle hints of oak and butter – an elegant and retrained style that will please everyone.  Expressively aromatic with flavors of fresh peaches and nectarines with hints of pineapple.  The bright and lively acidity is a perfect pairing with the rich and creamy bacon-laced Fish Chowder.


Chappellet Chardonnay, Napa Valley, California

A rich and hedonistic treat for the Holidays!  Concentrated flavors of apple, custard and citrus zest with hints of vanilla and brioche.  A lovely way to celebrate good times!  

Hake Chowder
Andrew Nathan, chef/owner, The Sea Goose Grill & Raw Bar, Westerly
1 large Spanish onion, diced
¼ pound farmer’s bacon or salt pork, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch kale or collards, washed, de-veined and cut into roughly 1-inch pieces
2 pounds new potatoes (yellow or red), cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
8 cups fish stock or clam broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1½ cups heavy cream
2 pounds boneless skinless hake (or pollock, cod or haddock), cut into 1-inch cubes

In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, cook onion and bacon over medium heat until bacon is browned and onion is translucent, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and kale; sauté until wilted. Add the potato, rutabaga, carrots and fish stock. 

Next, add the bay leaf, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Simmer on low for 15–20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Add the cream and adjust to taste with salt and pepper. When chowder returns to a simmer, add the hake. Stir gently, cover and turn off heat. Allow to rest for 10–15 minutes and then serve. Serves 8–10.
VISIT



Cheers!
Visit our wine store to shop a great selection of wines for the holidays.
We’re located at 141 Pitman St., Providence, Rhode Island.

Learn about Wine: Pinot Noir

Learn about Pinot Noir WineEver want to learn more about Pinot Noir and its different variations, styles, and flavors? Or how to choose the right Pinot Noir for you? What food pairs have with this particular type of wine? Eric Taylor, the Bottles wine pro, can answer all of your questions. Watch the video below and learn about Pinot Noir from the Old and New Worlds and some of Eric’s favorite Pinot Noirs in the store.

Want to learn more wine basics? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/bottlesprovidence

Cheers!

Your Heirloom Eggnog Recipe

Christmas parties call for one classic drink: Eggnog. There are plenty of good pre-mixed eggnog options, but don’t you think there’s something special about food and drinks lovingly made from scratch? Edible Rhody Magazine has provided us with an easy but delicious homemade Eggnog recipe that will please all you guests. You’ll just need a few basic ingredients, brandy, rum, and a blender.

We recommend that you adjust this basic recipe to your taste buds. Don’t like nutmeg? Try using cinnamon, clove, allspice, or a combination of these spices. Need variety in your life, and want to explore other liquors other than brandy or dark rum? Applejack, bourbon, or madeira are interesting flavor twists. Experiment, enjoy, and create a tradition!

Your Heirloom Eggnog

by Chris Amirault, Cook & Brown Public House

INGREDIENTS
2 large, fresh farm eggs
3 ounces (by volume) white sugar
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3 ounces brandy
3 ounces dark rum
6 ounces whole Rhody Fresh milk
4 ounces heavy cream

DIRECTIONS
Beat eggs in blender for 1 full minute on medium. Sprinkle in sugar while blending for another minute, then add remaining ingredients while blending thoroughly. Chill completely in the refrigerator and serve with additional nutmeg grated on top. Serves 2 generously, or 4 in moderation.

VISIT

Cheers! Swing by Bottles for all your cocktail ingredients! www.bottlesfinewine.com

So You’re Having a Party? Amounts of Wine, Beer, or Liquor to Have

Amounts of Wine, Beer, and Liquor to buy for a party

Having a party? Ever wonder how much wine, beer, or liquor to supply your guests with? With the arrival of the holiday season, many of us are hosting parties, and drinks are a must. But, it doesn’t have to be a mystery when it comes to getting the right amount of drinks; just follow our party planning math guide!

Tips & Tricks for Entertaining

  • Survey your glassware situation. How many wine glasses have survived the summer?
  • Chill those drinks! Take white wine out of the fridge 20 minutes before serving, and have 1lb. of ice per person. Are you attending a party? Be a champion and bring ice!
  • Always serve food along with drinks.
  • Have a pitcher or two of water available for guests, and keep them filled!

Stop by our shop, we’re here to help you with your celebration!


Bottles Fine Wine
(401) 372-2030

Prime Rib Roast Recipe and Red Wine Pairing

PrimeRibRoast_600
Christmas is a holiday that has been around since as early as the 4th century, with Christmas dinner becoming as much of a tradition as giving gifts. Each country has its own particular “traditional” menu. In America, we have adapted our traditions mainly from the United Kingdom, and with it, Prime Rib Roast.
Prime Rib Roast is a now classic centerpiece on the Christmas dinner table. Tender, juicy beef that is roasted to perfection and marinated in seasonings might just be the highlight of the meal that friends, family, and guest look forward to the most. We’ve paired a traditional beef roast recipe with an elegant Italian red, Vietti Nebbiolo Perbaco. Stop by our Providence wine store to pick it up!
Wine Pairing:
 
Native to Piedmont, the Nebbiolo grape is the key grape in the wine of Barolo and Barbaresco. Its most common descriptors are ‘tar and roses’ because it has the toughness of tar and earth, yet a soft, floral character that keeps the wine balanced. The Vietti winery, one of the top-level producers in Piedmont and one of the first to export to the U.S., Nebbiolo Perbacco is perfect for that Christmas dinner roast because it is strong, intense and powerful growing, more complex and elegant as it ages with generous flavors of fruit, menthol, spices and hard candy.

Prime Rib of Beef with Horseradish Sauce or Au Jus

Adapted from “The Way to Cook” by Julia Child
Serves 10
Horseradish sauce:
1 cup light sour cream
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons country-style Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
 
Prime rib:
1 (5-pound) fully trimmed rib roast of beef
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup finely chopped carrots
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups rich beef stock or broth
½ teaspoon arrowroot dissolved in 2 teaspoons water
Method of Preparation
  1. Prepare a horseradish sauce by stirring together the sour cream, horseradish, mustard and white pepper. Cover and refrigerate. Thirty minutes before serving, remove from refrigerator.
  2. One hour before roasting, remove meat from refrigerator. Rub the exposed ends of the meat with oil and place in a roasting pan fat side up.
  3. Roast in a preheated 325-degree oven for half an hour. Baste with the fat that has accumulated in the pan. Roast for an additional half hour. Place the carrots and onion around the roast and sprinkle with the thyme, salt and pepper. Continue to roast for about 1 hour and 15 minutes longer, or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Baste the roast occasionally with the drippings.
  4. Remove the roast from the oven and let rest 10 minutes. Pour the fat from the pan and place pan over medium-high heat. Pour in the beef stock or broth, add the dissolved arrowroot and simmer 4 to 5 minutes, scraping up the caramelized juices in the bottom of the pan. Strain and keep the au jus warm.
  5. Carve the roast and serve with the 2 sauces.

Bottles at the 2013 FASRI Beaujolais Festival!

Recently, Bottles was honored to support the French-American School of Rhode Island at their 20th Annual Beaujolais Festival. The theme, Masquerade at Versailles, brought in a beautiful array of costumes, masks, and of course, dancing!

The French-American School of Rhode Island is a “unique educational alternative for Pre-school through 8th grade” where students are immersed in dual-language, French and American programs. FARSI is a fully accredited school by both the American and French government. The annual Beaujolais Festival benefits their programs and curriculum all year long.

Held at the majestic Rhodes on Pawtuxet in Cranston, RI, guests tasted through countless French wines, bid at the Live & Silent Auctions, and enjoyed a fantastic performance by live neo-vaudevillian, tap dancing ladies, Kristen Minsky and The TropiGals.

Check out our photos below!
 
bottles for the cause, beaujolais festival, french-american school of ri
bottles for the cause, beaujolais festival, french-american school of ri
bottles for the cause, beaujolais festival, french-american school of ri
bottles for the cause, beaujolais festival, french-american school of ri, kristen minsky,chifferobe

Cider Braised Pork Shank Pairs with Malbec Wine

Cider Braised Pork Shank pairs with Malbec Wine

Hearty and warming, braised pork is a fantastic dish for the winter season, and with the addition of a fabulous wine pairing, your dinner will sing! Edible Rhody Magazine has provided us with a succulent recipe for a special Cider Braised Pork Shank, and we’ve paired it with Malbec wine. Happy Holidays!

Wine Pairing: Malbec
Robust, dark in color, and one of our favorite wine varietals, Malbec is not only a great wine for the season, but is especially delicious with this hearty braised pork dish. The flavors are bold enough to stand up to the full flavor of this preparation, with out being too strong to overwhelm the reduction sauce and your vegetable side dishes. Below are top picks from the wine experts at Bottles.

Mission La Caminade - Malbec Merlot from Cahors, France
A delicious Malbec from France. A dry style wine with big black cherry, plum and violet aromas and flavors. A great value!
Antigal Uno Malbec

A delicious wine in a beautiful bottle! Smooth and luxurious with dark fruit flavors like ripe plums and cherries, a very silky smooth texture and a dark cocoa and coffee finish. The ‘One’ on each bottle was cut from used wine barrel hoops – impressive both on the outside and inside. Really nice by itself but also great with the Cider Braised Pork Shank.
Luca Malbec - red wine from Mendoza, Argentina

Incredible dark opaque color with flavors of lavender, spice and black cherry cola. Great depth of flavor with lively acidity with a super long finish. A very flexible wine due to its concentration and balance.


Cider Braised Pork Shank
Martin Lyons, executive chef, XO Café, Providence
Embracing the change of seasons, this hearty dish is sure to take the chill out of a cold winter’s night. Blackbird Farm free-range pork braised with Barden’s apple cider, served with a gratin of Schartner’s root vegetables and some sautéed kale—a perfect way to pay homage to the work of our local farmers.
3–4 pounds pork shoulder or 6 (8-ounce) pork shanks
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 yellow onions, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
½ cup red wine
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups apple cider
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
4 each whole cloves and green cardamom pods
2 whole star anise
1 teaspoon whole allspice
¼ cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 325°. Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in an oven-safe heavy-bottomed pot on medium-high heat and brown pork shoulder on all sides. Remove from pan. Add vegetables and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Deglaze pot by adding red wine, scraping any browned bits. Reduce wine by half, and then stir in tomato paste. Add stock, cider, herbs and spices and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add shoulder back to pot and cover. Place in oven and bake for 3–4 hours, until fork tender, turning occasionally.

Remove shoulder from pot and keep warm. Strain other solids through a fine-mesh sieve and discard. Defat and then return the liquid to the pot; add brown sugar and vinegar and cook down until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Serve pork sliced (or whole, if using shanks) with reduction sauce. Serves 6.

VISIT



Cheers!
Visit our wine store to shop a great selection of wines for the holidays.
We’re located at 141 Pitman St., Providence, Rhode Island.