Years ago I made myself a New Year’s resolution that I’ve actually kept — which puts it in a category of one. Before any fine dining experience, I open with a glass of Champagne or sparkling wine. Not during dinner, not after. Before. Just one glass, alone or with whoever I’m with, to mark the transition from the rest of the day into something worth paying attention to. It works every time. There is something about those bubbles that clears the palate, sharpens the senses, and signals to your brain that what’s coming next deserves your full presence. It has become a ritual I won’t give up, and over the years it has pushed me to actually learn what I’m drinking rather than just grabbing whatever’s on the list.
What follows are five bottles worth knowing — spanning from a California gem that will genuinely surprise you at its price to the splurge that earns every cent of its price tag. All of them show up on wine lists. All of them are available at a good wine shop or Total Wine. All of them are worth the glass.
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