Happy Whatevs!

It is the last day of the year and here is my last post of 2011.  Big deal!  The idea of marking time as a cycle has never really appealed to me.  It seems silly to have one day that marks a new beginning for everyone when most of us don't share that day as a birthday.  Is it a new year for me, who was born in May?  I don't think so.  And I get the idea of a new beginning, setting new goals, etc.  I just don't buy that you have to do it on a specific day of the year decided by others.

I don't make New Year's resolutions.  I think that people who do are just setting themselves up for failure. Setting goals should be done in the context of a single objective.  For instance: if my objective is to find a new job I should be setting realistic and accessible goals (i.e. update my resume by a certain date, upgrade my skills by another date, increase my professional network, etc) and I should be re-evaluating these goals and my progress continually throughout the year.  Just stating I will have a new job in 2012 does nothing towards preparing me for new employment and makes me feel like a failure when the year passes without reaching my objective.  The same goes for dieting, smoking cessation, etc.

In addition, all calendars fail to be an accurate reflection of the time it takes for a year to be complete.  The current Gregorian calendar we use has been violated and abused by so many people over the years that its standing as an authoritative reference is dubious at best.  Calendars were developed to help us predict the best times for sowing and reaping our crops by tracking the solstices and equinoxes.  Religions utilized them to mark specific holy days at the same point every year.  None of those events can be claimed as the starting point of any given year without some debate and yet all would be a better date then January 01.

But every year society, and especially the entertainment industries, make a huge deal of this one night when everyone should tune in to Dick Clark, review their past year, declare a resolution to better themselves, quaff enormous amounts of alcohol, and ring in the year with an expensive glass of fermented grape juice.  But, I say enough is enough.  Oh, don't get me wrong, I will still be going out and will do my best to enjoy the evening.  But, I will be damned if I am going to break the bank on expensive Champagne.

There are plenty of great sparkling wines that are just as good as the more expensive Champagnes.  The French have decided that the term Champagne can only be applied to sparkling wines produced in the Champagne region using grapes from the same area.  OK, fine.  I can still enjoy a sparkling wine from any region;  Prosecco from Italy, Cava from Spain, or, of course, variations from all over the planet.  Including a Sparkling Vouvray from France for under $20 cad.  So here are my choices for the best sparkling alternatives to Champagne, because, be honest, none of you are going to be raising an expensive glass of Dom Perignon either.

Chateau Monconteur Vouvray Brut  $15.95 France
Astoria Prosecco La Robinia  12.95 Italy
13th Street  Cuveé Sparkling Rosé  24.95 (a little higher than $20, but worth it for a VQA)
Jansz Premium Cuveé  16.95  Australia

13th Street Premier Cuvee

Last night, prior to dinner, a friend and I enjoyed some 13th Street Premier Cuvée Sparkling Wine. This was a remarkable sparkling wine blend of 2/3 Pinot Noir and 1/3 Chardonnay.  It was very bright with tastes of green apple, citrus and herbs.  The high level of carbon dioxide created a high level of bubbles that persisted through the finish.  This would be an excellent choice to serve at any special celebratory event and could hold its own with any champagne.  It is recommended that this wine be stored for 2-3 years to achieve its full potential.  A great demonstration of the talents of Ontario wine makers. LCBO 142679 $29.95.