Christmas and New Year’s Eve are the biggest holidays for wine sales in the U.S.

Christmas and New Year’s Eve are the biggest holidays for wine sales in the U.S., accounting for 69% more dollar sales than the average two-week period in 2016, ringing up more than $1 billion in sales in the two-week period alone.

U.S. WINE SALES BETWEEN CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR’S EVE GENERATE MORE THAN $1 BILLION IN SALES

When looking at specific wine categories, sparkling wine sees an explosion of sales between Christmas and New Year’s, with sales surging 272% during the two-week period. But it’s not just bubbly wine that benefits from consumer preferences: table wine sales jumped 47% during the two weeks between Christmas and New Year’s Eve last year, with red table wine outpacing white table wine.

While wine of all varieties may be the drink of choice for many, spirits also benefit from the holiday season, as sales reach nearly $964 million in a mere two weeks. Christmas and New Year’s Eve are also the most popular holidays for spirits, which experienced a 79% spike in dollar sales in 2016 compared with the average two-week period. But not all spirits sell equally: brown spirits in particular (e.g., cognac and whiskey) see a dramatic sales lift during the holiday season. Cognac sales rise 104% from Christmas to New Year’s and increase 36% leading up to and including the Thanksgiving holiday than the average two-week period. Whiskey sales get stronger, too, with a 27% increase during Thanksgiving and a 98% increase in sales between Christmas and New Year’s compared with an average two weeks in 2016.

While Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Thanksgiving top the list of most important holidays for wine and spirits, beer, flavored malt beverages (FMBs) and cider sales see greater upticks during holidays in the warmer months. In fact, when it comes to Christmas and New Year’s Eve, beer/FMB/ciders rank only fourth on the list of top-selling holidays, with sales lifts of just 8% over the average two-week period. That slight increase, however, still amounts to more than $1.5 billion in sales, which is more than total wine or spirit sales. Despite beer not being a Christmas favorite, cider beverages see a substantial spike during the holidays with 19% more dollars being sold than the average two weeks in 2016 during Christmas and New Years. Also bucking the trend is craft beers with their diversified flavors and styles trumping other beer segments with seasonal sales around the holidays.

When it comes to U.S. holidays, food and adult libations will always be important. But different libations line up with different holidays. That’s why it’s critical that retailers keep the right assortment of products on the shelf for customers year-round to ensure they can choose the best product for the right occasion.

 

Liz Palmer

www.liz-palmer.com

Source: Nielsen

Champagne Tips and Trends for the Holiday Season — Liz Palmer  

Whether you’re clinking glasses at a festive reception or toasting with family over turkey dinner, there’s nothing quite like a glass of Champagne at Christmas!

Glamorous, festive and celebratory – here are some champagne tips to get the party started.

1. Champagne only comes from the Champagne region which is north east of France, or approximately 150 kilometers from Paris.

2. Tasting

All five senses are approached when enjoying Champagne – colour, aroma, texture, flavour and sound.

When you are tasting and comparing several Champagnes, it is best to serve them in the same type of glass and at the same temperature.

When pouring, fill the glass two-thirds full — this allows space for the aromas to circulate. Once the Champagne has been poured, allow some time for it to open up, revealing its complexities and richness of its bouquet.

To prevent loss of bubbles, Champagne should be poured down the side, rather than straight into the glass.

Avoid wearing lipstick or perfume; they can mask the aromas.

Lastly, when is the best time of the date to taste Champagne?
11 am – yes in the morning.
This is when your senses are at their peak!

3. Flute, Coupe or Tulip?

Stemware is a personal preference.
The flute works better for young Champagnes served at the proper temperature. If you can, avoid the coupe; it might look sexy and sophisticated, but does nothing for the wine. If you are serving a “tête de cuvee” or super-premium Champagne, my suggestion is to use the tulip — they are tall and large enough to allow the aromas to develop while maintaining elegance and depth.

Note — the tulip is used by winemakers for their daily tasting, as well as ISOs.

4. Temperature

The ideal serving temperature is between 8° and 10° C.
Cuvees of high quality and good maturity will be more appreciated at 12° C.

The proper way to chill Champagne is to put the bottle in a bucket of ice water for about 30 minutes.

5. Pairing

Not all champagne tastes the same, and certain varieties will suit certain foods.
Lighter styles like brut will make a delicious pre-dinner aperitif, and pair beautifully with seafood. Or, try a serving a Blanc de Blancs champagne (100% chardonnay) with smoked salmon canapés.

If you’re looking for a Champagne for your Christmas dinner, then a rich, toasty vintage cuvée is the way to go; my second choice would be a rose Champagne they both pair remarkably well with holiday dishes from turkey to cranberry sauce to stuffing, so it can be enjoyed throughout the meal.

6. Holiday Trends

The sheer diversity of champagne that we have on the shelves has never been stronger.

What we should look out for this holiday season is rose and vintage Champagne.
Vintage champagne are not that much more expensive than non-vintage, but they are much smaller in their production and usually finer in quality.

The 2008 vintage which is increasingly on the shelves at the moment, was the best that they’ve had in decades so look for ’08 as a particularly special “Christmas surprise”.

Rose Champagnes sales have increased over the past few years and are still on the rise. Rose is one of the most versatile styles and pair well with Italian food, Asian cuisine like Thai, Chinese and Japanese, and barbecue.

 

Champagne Tips and Trends for the Holiday Season — Liz Palmer  

“Christmas Kiss” Champagne Cocktail created by Liz Palmer


“Christmas Kiss”

Ingredients

〜2 round ice cubes (made with Harrods Lemmon grass tea
and 3-4 pink peppercorns)
〜3 oz brut Champagne
〜½ tsp of confit de champagne a la rose
〜Fresh rosemary sprigs
〜Champagne coupe

Instructions

Place two ice cubes into a chilled Champagne coupe, add ½ tsp of confit de champagne a la rose, add 3 ozs of brut Champagne and garnish with a rosemary sprig.
Enjoy!

Note:
Pink peppercorns are not true peppercorns, they are ripe berries from the Brazilian pepper tree. Because they are the same shape and size as true peppercorns and are marketed under “pink peppercorn.”

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Press Release: Liz Palmer’s website ranks as one of the top Champagne sites


Toronto, November 29, 2017/PRNewswire/ — Industry professionals have ranked Liz Palmer’s website (www.liz-palmer.com) as one of the “Top Forty Champagne Websites” on the web. Chosen from thousands of top Champagne websites and blogs Feedspot used analytics, indexing and social metrics, with data being refreshed once a week.

The awards were announced Friday, November 24th. Websites and blogs were reviewed based on following criteria:

  • Google reputation and Google search ranking;
  • Influence and popularity on Facebook, twitter and other social media sites;
  • Quality and consistency of posts; and
  • Feedspot’s editorial team and expert review.

Liz Palmer states:

“This award offers evidence of my focus on delivering outstanding experiences for my readers and followers. I’m extremely pleased to receive this recognition and continue to work every day to make the online experience better.”

Anuj Agarwal, Founder of Feedspot states:

“I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution to this world. This is the most comprehensive list of Top 40 Champagne Blogs on the internet and I’m honored to have you as part of this!”

About Feedspot

Feedspot is an online RSS feed reader with straightforward implementation and design, and a number of ways to share content that shows up in your feeds. Tools for reorganizing feeds and lets you keep track what’s going on in your industry. Feedspot allows you to “pull” articles into a central place for your easy reading. Along with its desktop reader, there is also a mobile version that allows you to read articles on your smart phone.

About Liz Palmer

Liz Palmer is a well-respected wine journalist since 2004 and has an international reputation as a critic and judge. Liz has had the pleasure of interviewing and tasting with some of the industry’s leading winemakers, professors and personalities.

Liz Palmer’s articles have appeared in national and international magazines. She is one of four founding international hosts for #ChampagneDay 2011-2017; she has served as a judge for the 2013-2017 Global Traveler’s Wines on the Wing airline wine competition (New York); 2014-2017 Michelangelo International Wine Awards (South Africa) 2014-2017; and for the The Stevie Awards for Women in Business (New York) (2014-2017).

Her Memberships include: Wine Writers’ Circle of Canada, Circle of Wine Writers (UK), International Federation of Wine and Spirits Journalists and Writers (FIJEV); Wine Century Club (NYC), The Fine Wine Reserve, and Les Dames d’Escoffier (President – Toronto Chapter).

2017 Awards:
Liz Palmer’s first book, “The Ultimate Guide To Champagne” has received the National Award for the best French Wine Book at the Gourmand World Awards. Most recently at the 2017 Best Book Awards – USA, “The Ultimate Guide To Champagne” won three awards – overall “Winner” in the “Best Interior Design” category; “finalist” in the “Travel: Guides & Essays” category; and “Finalist” in the International” category.

On April 7th, 2017 she was awarded the title of “Dame Chevalier” of the Ordre de Coteaux de Champagne at an official ceremony in Paris.

Chef Interview:  Julien Asseo – Executive Chef Restaurant Guy Savoy Caesars Palace, Las Vegas

Chef Julien Asseo –
Executive Chef Restaurant Guy Savoy Caesars Palace, Las Vegas

Julien Asseo has achieved what most chefs can only dream of; throughout his career he has worked with renowned chefs Rick Moonen, Joel Robuchon, and Guy Savoy.

After a tour of the kitchen and Krug Chef’s Table (private dining), I chatted with Chef Asseo in the beautiful setting of his restaurant’s dining room.

Julien grew up in Libourne, France on his parents’ vineyard. He earned his bachelor’s degree in culinary arts at Lycée Hôtelier de Gascogne.  Shortly after, he moved to Paris to work at La Fontain de Mars as commis to eventually chef de partie. A number of years later he decided to move to Los Angeles and got a position as a sous chef at the Rivera. In 2009 he moved to Las Vegas to work under renowned chefs Rick Moonen and Joel Robuchon. Julien joined Restaurant Guy Savoy in 2011 as a sous chef, advancing to chef de cuisine, a number of years later, and is now hold the position as Executive Chef. He has never looked back.

Liz Palmer:     What influenced you to become a chef?

Julien Asseo: I loved to eat from a young age – I was always attracted to food.
Especially when my mom used to cook a big meal every day. I first realized when I was 15 years old; I followed my head and moved back to France (from California) and went to cooking school Lycée Hôtelier de Gascogne, Bordeaux. I never stopped my passion, right after I graduated I moved to Paris.

Liz Palmer:     Do you still have time to experiment?

Julien Asseo:  Yes, I’m currently working on a new idea that came from a childhood memory, sweet breads and milk skin (pairing these together).

I also love travelling and reading – I collect lots of books to learn and discover new things.

Liz Palmer:     What are the current restaurant trends in Las Vegas?

Julien Asseo: The big movement now is simplicity – going back to roots, like
heirloom vegetables. I also strive for the best food possible – the best ingredients.
I try to stay local – at least 90% of the vegetables are local.  The meat comes from Texas, the fish from the Atlantic.

You have to respect food especially the farmer and never underestimate a vegetable.

For me it’s more of a personal touch and being more honest in my cooking.

Liz Palmer:     Who have been your mentors?

Julien Asseo: It’s hard to say.  I worked for Rick Moonen and Joel Robuchon and learned a lot.  I last trained under Guy Savoy who most inspired me on my career. He’s a very good chef, in every aspect from pleasing guests, being the best host, to cooking.  I learned a lot from him on fine dining.

Liz Palmer:     Champagne and food Pairing – what are your favorites?

Julien Asseo: Champagne brut is best to drink with caviar from Iran (they are make the best pairing).  Also, crab, and other sea food that have briny flavors like oysters. Rose Champagne is best to drink when you eat octopus, meat and fish dishes, seafood that is robust and foods that have earthy flavors (meats and fish from the earth and sea).

Liz Palmer:     What’s next for you?

Julien Asseo: I’m going to work hard and get that third star (Michelin).  Michelin stopped coming in 2009 when we had two stars.  We hope they are coming back after nine years.

I would like to eventually go back to California and open a restaurant, in the countryside – close to the ocean and mountains with great farm great ingredients.  It will be under my name – it’s my dream.

Liz Palmer

Restaurant Guy Savoy
Caesars
3570 Las Vegas Boulevard S,
Las Vegas, NV

https://www.caesars.com

Krug Chef’s Table
Restaurant Guy Savoy Caesars Palace, Las Vegas

Guy Savoy, Las Vegas, Liz Palmer