May is the month when the beautiful weather outside will leave you wanting to spend all day outdoors, however it is always a month when lots of events will be shown on television.
Eurovision Song Contest & Champions League final, to mention a few. Every event is an opportunity for a party and inviting friends over to watch a live event on TV, which is always a great idea.
When watching a sports event or a song contest on TV, we shift from the dining table to the sofa, so the food and wine have to also match the atmosphere.
Whether it’s a takeout or some carefully prepared nibbles, the choice of wine has to be easy to drink but interesting.
It’s not a real party without some rosé, so our first choice is a rosé wine that seems to fit any occasion. Gerard Bertrand Cotes des Roses is a personal favourite. Its bottle is unusual, with a rose-shaped base, created by a young designer from the Ecole Boulle. It is a wine that is offered as a bouquet of roses. The bouquet releases aromas of summer fruits, cassis and redcurrant. Floral notes of rose along with hints of grapefruit complete the picture. On taste, the finish is fresh, offering notes of candy. On the palate the impression is fresh and full, with great aromatic persistence and balance.
The second is a wine that probably few have heard of, Domaine Moillard Bourgogne Aligoté. Aligoté lives in the shadows on Chardonnay, which is the dominating white wine variety in Burgundy, however, it is an interesting wine in itself. The wine has a nice note of apples and peach with smoky undertones. Its high acidity makes it a very refreshing wine and an ideal party wine.
Our choice of red is a wine that will definitely leave its mark and make way for an interesting discussion. The Federalist Bourbon-Barrel aged Cabernet Sauvignon. Yes, aged in Bourbon barrels for 6 months. This can be considered as a craft wine or a wine that pushes boundaries, however, it remains a very well-made wine. The casks give the wine smoky vanilla notes along with that distinct berry aroma.
Finally, we are talking about parties and celebrations and it is not a celebration without Champagne. For the white, red and rosé, the choices were a bit versatile, however for the choice of sparkling we chose a wine from Champagne; Nicolas Feuillatte Réserve Exclusive Brut. Beautiful on the nose with honey, wild strawberry and white chocolate leading through to a generously complex palate. Zesty with a lovely balance and an enjoyably long finish.
