An Appetizer to Celebrate

The beginning of a very simply luxurious Thanksgiving has begun here on the blog, and of course it begins with an appetizer. But most importantly it is paired with the wine of choice making its way to more and more tables for celebratory occasions and even more to everyday occasions.

The front page of the “Off Duty” section in The Wall Street Journal this weekend discussed the merits of the sparkling wine. Not only champagne, but Prosecco, Cava, and rosé Champagne. Prosecco and Cava, more affordable and very often just as delicious as their more steeply priced cousin, have been my go-to as of lately, and my palette has not missed a note of quality.  Coined as the everyday luxury wine, sparkling wine is certainly the wine of choice for more occasions than you might expect, and with its new moniker, it is absolutely deserving of being included in this simply luxurious menu.

Case in point, the appetizer that I have chosen for this year’s simply luxurious Thanksgiving is paired with a bottle of Cava. From Spain, this particular sparkling wine is from Barcelona, but for only $13, I picked up the bottle seen here and it is bubbly, fruity and paired beautifully with the fig preserves and French brie.

But don’t hesitate to pair it with other items on the menu as well, must we forget the turkey. The rosé Champagne would work lovely with the main entrée.

For this year’s appetizer, I kept it simple, but delicious. Capable of being pulled together in minutes, simply find (or make) a fig preserve spread, decadent French brie or three cream cheese at your local fromage market and oat crackers. Pour the champagne and let the holiday celebrations begin.

Never think any celebration is too small. Yes, it is the time of year when people you haven’t seen in quite sometime come together, all the more reason to bring out the sparkling goodness, but perhaps even on an average Wednesday work night to celebrate the completion of a successful day at work. I’ll toast to that any day.

Stayed tuned the next few days on the blog when the rest of the menu will be revealed, course by course. Safe travels and happy holidays!