Fridays of Intestinal Fortitude: Champagne Wishes

Note: Fridays of Intestinal Fortitude is a weekly(ish) feature about food, food and more FOOD. No, I do not necessarily want to be a food blogger, but I do LOVE to talk about food prep, cooking food, eating food and making sweet love to food.

Okay, maybe not the "sweet love" part. After all, this is not meant to be an homage to 9 1/2 Weeks.

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Image Credit: Carmentipa

This post is non-sponsored. I could only wish that Veuve Clicquot would sponsor this post. Fervently wish.

Ah, New Year's Eve -- I really enjoy this holiday even though our past few years have been low-key, even downright boring. Usually, we pick up a pizza, some champagne, a few movies, then we snuggle in for the night. I buy some hats and noisemakers for the kids, but other than the champagne? Our New Year's Eve looks like most of our Fridays.

And I am fine with that. Or was fine with that. This year, we got invited to not one, but TWO bona fide, kid-friendly parties that are mere blocks from our house. Score! I snagged some cheap wine and some moderately priced champagne. I made some Mexicorn dip and threw some pre-made samosas in the oven. And then, we spent an evening relaxing with some equally low-key folks.

Speaking of champagne, one of my favorite parts of New Year's is the excuse to drink it. I love, love champagne - I enjoy the clean, crisp feel on my tongue with a slightly sour finish. YUM. Also, I appreciate how the French view champagne as just another wine, not something to be saved for special occasions. We should drink champagne every day, no? A lovely moment in my life was having a glass of Dom Perignon and it did not disappoint. A dream of mine is to just once have a glass of Crystal. My favorite champagne is Veuve Clicquot, but I do like Moët & Chandon's White Star -- both sell for about $40 a bottle. Since that has been out of my acceptable price range the past few years, I've hunted for a nice California brut and have discovered that a Rhoderer Estate Brut fits the bill.

However, we don't drink our champagne at the end of the night. We drink our champagne first thing, at the beginning of the evening. I do not want to swill and guzzle my champagne. Using one of my cherished hollow-stemmed glasses, I would rather slowly sip and fully savor my drink. Much the same attitude I should have toward life in general.

A perfect way to start the New Year.

Are you a champagne sort? How do you normally spend your New Year's?