How To Update Your Sparkling Wine For The Holidays
Big holiday feasts such as Thanksgiving are best kicked off with a glass of sparkling wine — whether it's to get into the holiday spirit, to build the tolerance for family drama, or simply to wake up your palate and your appetite. Whatever the reason, the holidays are license to make sparkling wine a little more fun and fruity.
Here are three of our favorite ways. First, try adding a cranberry to each glass, then pour. Cranberries are plentiful this time of year, and one in each glass will bring an extra tartness and sweetness to the wine — not to mention that it's a good way to get your palate ready for even more cranberries.
Cranberries can be a little too chewy for some, so you can also try adding a pomegranate seed or two to each glass, then pour. Most grocery stores sell pomegranate seeds pre-shelled, so there's no messy extraction work (there's plenty of that on Thanksgiving anyway). Adding one or two seeds brings a splash of color and an integrated, tart yet juicy flavor.
If you truly need to kick things up a notch, make yourself a holiday version of a Kir Royal instead using Rimon, an Israeli pomegranate dessert wine. Adding a splash of this liquid superfruit brings a beautiful cherry color and a burst of flavor perfectly festive for any winter celebration.