Do you have an Advent calendar? Some families do chocolates, toys, or riddles for each of the 24 days. I saw an Advent calendar wine rack on Facebook once and got inspired to do a little tasting of my own. My husband and I could probably finish a full bottle a night if we really wanted to, but we really shouldn’t. So on a whim, we stopped at Spec’s for split bottles and craft beer to try through the month of December. I staggered the beer and wine through the 24 days and also had a nice bottle of port in the rack at home from a dear friend that needed tasting as well, thus completing an Advent calendar plus one! What better way to try new wines and beer?
I’m not going to bother with tasting notes. All that matters is did we like it or not. For each of the days we tasted, we rated the wines and beers on a scale from 1-5 (1 being the worst and 5 being the best). Since alcohol was involved and numbers are intimidating, our ratings were a bit more simple:
1 – NOPE (translation: gross, please don’t make me drink this swill again)
2 – MEH (translation: it’s ok, I’d drink it if nothing else was around)
3 – MMM (translation: good, pour me another glass)
4 – NICE (translation: oh that’s very good, let’s buy this again)
5 – YESSS (translation: nectar of the gods, we need cases of this)
* Wine prices listed below are based on 750ml bottles, averaged
Day 1: La Marca Prosecco (Non-Vintage Sparkling Wine from Veneto, Italy) $14…NICE
Day 2: Bodegas As Laxas Albariño (Non-Vintage White Wine from Galicia, Spain) $16…YESSS
Day 3: Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut Cava (Non-Vintage Sparkling Wine from Spain) $9…MMM
Day 4: Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale (Beer)…NICE
Day 5: Alan Christopher Brut Blanc de Blancs (Non-Vintage Sparkling Wine from Southern France) $10…MMM
Day 6: No Label Brewing Co. El Hefe Weizen (Beer)…NICE
Day 7: Castellblanch Extra Brut Cava (Non-Vintage Sparkling Wine from Catalonia, Spain) $16…NICE
Day 8: Real Ale Brewing Sisyphus (Beer)…MMM
Day 9: Cantine Maschio Prosecco Brut (Non-Vintage Sparkling Wine from Veneto, Italy) $10…NICE
Day 10: Schug Carneros Pinot Noir (2013 Red Wine from Varneros, California) $19 (split)…NICE
Day 11: Segura Viudas Brut Rosado Cava (Non-Vintage Sparkling Rose from Catalonia, Spain) $9…MEH
Day 12: Odell IPA (Beer)…NICE
Day 13: Aspal Demi-Sec (English Draft Cider)…YESSS
Day 14: Segura Viudas Brut Cava (Non-Vintage Sparkling Wine from Catalonia, Spain) $9…MMM
Day 15: Ballast Point Brewing Co. Calm Before the Storm (Beer)…MEH
Day 16: Domaine Chandon Rose (Non-Vintage Sparkling Rose from California) $18…MMM
Day 17: Rotari Brut (Non-Vintage Sparkling Wine from Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy) $13…MEH
Day 18: St. Arnold Christmas Ale (Beer)…NICE
Day 19: Alexander Valley Vineyards Chardonnay (2013 White Wine from Sonoma County, California) $17…MMM
Day 20: Domaine Chandon Brut Classic (Non-Vintage Sparkling Wine from California) $18…NICE
Day 21: Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (2013 Red Wine from Sonoma County, California) $20…MMM
Day 22: Aspal Grand Cru (English Draft Cider)…YESSS
Day 23: Chateau Haut Charmes Sauternes (Dessert Wine from Sauternes, France) $38…MEH
Day 24: Bacio Divino Cabernet Sauvignon Blend (2004 Red Wine from Napa Valley, California) $71…YESSS
Day 25: Vincent Arroyo Winery Port (Petit Syrah Port from Napa Valley, California) $25 (split)…YESSS
What will be in your advent calendar next year?