‘Tis the season for twinkling lights, cozy nights, and bubbly. Sparkling wine can and should be enjoyed year-round (not just on New Year’s and other special occasions), but we can’t deny that it’s especially primed for the holiday season. So, as you start to plan your annual festivities, why not throw a sparkling wine-themed party?

没有人比纳帕的标志性城堡做得更好了， 葡萄园Carneros, so we asked them for some tips on throwing the perfect sparkling soirée that’s equal parts elegant, 容易, 和有趣的. Channel your inner Audrey Hepburn and follow these six 容易 steps to a bubbly good time.

第一步:选择葡萄酒

The wine is obviously the most crucial component to your sparkling wine party and selecting a variety will not only ensure that you have something for everyone, but also encourage your guests to explore different styles of sparkling wine.

你不必在昂贵的法国香槟上挥霍. High quality sparkling wines can be found at a much more approachable price point from wineries like 葡萄园Carneros, 它们使用相同的 方法traditionelle (meaning the wine undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle) as used by French Champagne houses.

Choose wines that are both dry (like an Ultra Brut) and sweet (like a Demi-sec), 或者用不同葡萄品种酿制的气泡酒. 例如, 白郎白, 比如葡萄园Carneros的Le Rêve, 是用100%霞多丽葡萄酿制的吗, while Blanc De Noirs are made solely with pinot noir grapes. 还有一些是混合的. 这 闪闪发光的经典 Trio是一个很好的开始，或者选择 奢华的气泡样品 为了一些更特别的东西.

For a true party-pleaser, throw a late-disgorged sparkling wine into the mix. These wines spend more time aging on the lees (yeast) in the bottle, 这会增加游戏的复杂性和丰富程度, 疯狂的味道.

When considering how much wine to purchase for your party, keep in mind that each bottle of sparkling wine yields about eight glasses. 希望每位客人每小时至少喝一杯酒, so multiply your guest count by the number of hours your get-together will run, 然后把这个数除以8. You can also use an online drink calculator, like this one from 避开.

多喝几瓶酒也无妨. Nothing stops a good time quicker than a wine shortage and if you have leftovers, 你可以喝.

第二步:准备简单的小口

Every good party needs food, but don’t feel the need to go overboard. The goal is to enjoy yourself and engage with your guests — not spend your entire soirée stuck in the kitchen — so keep it simple and choose small bites or appetizers that can be prepared quickly with little to no cooking time.

Luckily, sparkling wine is one of the easiest wines to pair food with. It truly goes well with almost anything, so you don’t need to stress over conflicting flavors. 奶酪和熟食从不失败, 但爆米花是另一种经济实惠的万无一失的选择, 又快又容易, 有趣的, 作为奖励, 以开瓶塞为主题. Serve with an array of seasonings so that party-goers can experiment with different pairings.

但如果你真的想有创意, international spices and salty foods go surprisingly well with sparkling wine, 包括鱼子酱, 芯片, and Asian and Moroccan flavors — so much so that 葡萄园Carneros even built some 美食美酒体验 在卡内罗斯酒庄提供. Feel free to get inspired to cook up something 有趣的 at home, 但如果你不喜欢摩洛哥菜, 叫你最喜欢的外卖就行了, 当地现货, 板,, and no one will know that their host wasn’t busy in the kitchen all day.

第三步:选择玻璃器皿

Some people think that you need a special shape of glass for each type of wine, but 葡萄园Carneros’ team doesn’t believe in taking things so seriously. While flutes or coupes (shallow bowls) are traditionally used for sparkling wine, 一个标准的酒杯就可以了. Or, mix and match your glassware to keep things light 和有趣的.

卡内罗斯酒庄出售葡萄酒 一套六 stemless, gold-embossed flutes in a mix of patterns that come with a bottle of Brut Rosé. 或者，你可以看看这个 四人一组 优雅的蚀刻笛子搭配你的香槟. You may also consider picking up some wine glass charms to help your guests keep track of their glasses. 这样可以节省你以后洗碗的时间.

4 .装饰

当涉及到dsamco时，你也可以保持简单. Fresh flowers and table confetti go a long way to making a party pop, 黄金也是如此, 银, 还有白色的装饰品和丝带. 为了一些独特的东西，一定会让你的客人高兴, freeze fresh cut roses or your favorite flower into an ice tray and then place these flower ice cubes in your chiller or ice bucket. 当你的朋友去续杯的时候, 迎接他们的将是这个美丽的, 意想不到的惊喜. 下面是你自己制作的方法 花冰块.

步骤5:让它具有互动性

Place tasting score cards by the wine (with pens) and encourage your guests to fill them out. 这些都是激发对话的好工具, 所以，尽情发挥创意吧，或者在网上找一些打印出来. 葡萄园Carneros提供方便的服务 香槟酒品尝卡 你可以在家打印. The tasting score cards will prompt your guests to sip thoughtfully — considering the colors, 香气, and flavors of each wine — and then discuss and debate their favorites with other party guests.

6. 准备上菜

The second-most important ingredient to your wine party, after the sparkling wine, is ice. 多买一些，这样你就不会有用光的风险. 热着喝气泡酒味道不好.

Make sure you have multiple 葡萄酒冷却器s or ice buckets on hand so that you can keep all of your wines cold at once. 看看这个时尚实用的 葡萄酒冷却器 来自Carneros酒庄, which keeps your bottle cold for up to nine hours (not that it’ll last that long) and makes a statement in your home. 多瓶, 一个大的镀锌浴缸可以工作, 但如果你想走最实惠的路线, 简单地使用厨房的水槽! Scrub it clean, fill it with ice, and slide the bottles in.

在你的客人到来之前，把你的酒放在冰上, 但是如果你迟到了或者忘了, there is an 容易 hack for chilling your wine in half the time. 在冰桶中加入几汤匙盐, 偶尔搅拌一下, and the bottle will be ready to pop in about 15 – 20 minutes.

等好了! Now that you have all the essential tips for throwing the perfect sparkling wine party, it’s time to pop those corks and share your sparkling party experience by tagging @domainecarneros. Of course, you don’t need a lot of guests to throw a sparkling wine party this season. In fact, a party of two sipping bubbly in front of the fire is perfectly acceptable in our book.