In our last blog posts, we introduced you to our appellation wines, available exclusively in three-bottle sets designed for gifting, upgraded Tuesdays nights, furthering a wine education or loading the pantry. We released those wines available exclusively and directly to you in five curated three-packs. Spoiler alert: there will be four more curations and a few dazzling new wines in the New Year!
To hold you over until then, we want to acknowledge the festivities in 2020 are certainly looking different. For many, rather than large gatherings and festive celebrations, they have involved immediate household or small pod groups only. In some regions, not only are there shelter in place orders, there are curfews as well. Which means that traditional New Year’s Eve activities, like many other things, will need to wait for next year.
But that does not mean we can’t celebrate! Indeed this may be a chance to do what you have always wanted to do for New Year’s without the pressure of a loud and glittery ball drop or traditional multi course restaurant menus.
What to do instead? Takeout from your favorite local restaurant. And why not Chardonnay for NYE? These are versatile wines that bring a vibrancy that makes them feel festive, even if consumed in footie pajamas. Plus, in a year of so many changes in plans, why not try something besides the expected bubbles? Not that we don’t love bubbles and look forward to introducing our Dough sparkling wines to you in the New Year, but why not embrace trying the unexpected in your glass. New Year, New You, New Wine?
Without further ado, we’d like to offer a few celebration suggestions, focused on our new Chardonnay wine set. This lovely compilation showcases two bottles of our 2019 Russian River Valley Chardonnay from Sonoma, California, (one for this year and one for the next!) and one bottle of our 2019 Willamette Valley Chardonnay from Oregon.
THE TIME TRAVELER: It is not that time in 2020 has had no meaning, but it is true that sometimes we were not certain if a day was Tuesday or Wednesday. So for New Year’s why not take advantage of this “time confusion” and celebrate in the city where you wish you could be. On the West Coast, but dreaming of New York? Your New Year’s can be at 9 pm. In Boston and dreaming of Paris, why not a 6 pm celebration? Not ready to give up on midnight as midnight? Theme your evening around the region you are missing: our chardonnays with oysters will have you thinking of the French seaside, or try them with fondue and imagine yourself in the Alps (bundled up in sweaters and scarves!).
HIGH/LOW: In a year when “you are on mute” may be in the top five most widely used phrases, why not end 2020 with one last Zoom? Combine dressing up with an easy dinner to add some fanfare to the evening. Instruct fellow Zoomers to don their tuxedo jackets or feather boas (party on top – you decide on bottom) and whip up a low key meal like grilled cheese on sourdough bread or shrimp tacos. Whether you are showing off your finest sequins or cooking together with family, our curated wine sets make it easy to share wine with friends and family far away.
THE FINER THINGS: For the “wake me when it is over” crowd, how about one last treat to send off the year? We are thinking of fried chicken, whether it be from a neighborhood favorite restaurant or dare we say, fast food joint (no one said you had to plan ahead!). Whether it’s with the chicken itself or the accompanying biscuits and mashed potatoes, the acidity in our chardonnays will brighten the meal. Not a fried chicken fan? We’ll suggest mac and cheese or pasta Carbonara. We’d be remiss to not also mention how great the depth and balance of these wines pair with the New Year’s classic of potato chips, topped with caviar and a dollop of creme fraiche. Really, after a year like this, treat yourself!
Our wine sets come with 3 bottles each and are perfect to be gifted to your friends and family, or even for your own “to be enjoyed list.” Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram, @doughwine. We love seeing how you are enjoying dough at home – whether it’s New Years Eve or a Thursday any day of the year!