Making Wine Memorable (With Velveeta)

A trip around the sun can bring about so many changes, and on this particular New Year’s Day I was hell-bent on starting my next rotation with vitality and flair. So, I bought a bottle of Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne, White Burgundy and, on Sunday morning, marched down to the snowy banks of Vancouver’s English Bay with my BFF, jumped into the startling cold Pacific Ocean and washed 2016 away. Bright eyed and bushy tailed, we booked it back home—and into the warm, welcoming arms of this magnificent bottle of Chardonnay. At $200 it’s an admitted splurge, but here are some tips to make the moment immortal:

research: Regardless of budget, one good way to properly appreciate a special bottle of wine is to know a bit about what you’re drinking. In my case, the appellation of Corton-Charlemagne in France’s Burgundy region is recognized as the pinnacle of Chardonnay. The Bonneau du Martray vineyards date back 250-plus years and are the largest Grand Cru vineyards on the most prime real estate in Burgundy. This 2013 vintage was viciously attacked by hailstorms, decimating a large percentage of the grapes. But, with the little crop left, magic was made. And I had one of the few bottles produced that year.

write it down: Pull out that Moleskine and jot down your experience. What do you smell? What does it look like? What was the cork like? Wine Folly has a colourful wine aroma wheel to help identify what you smell. You don’t have to get too technical, but the next time you open your journal and see your notes you’ll be transported back to this savoury moment of sipping. Here’s my entry:

Spicy oranges and white peaches; wet, stony minerality; creamy hazelnuts. Round and silky body, with a long and powerful finish. The fruit is delicately and masterfully balanced with the oak. Formidable, and incredibly elegant.

make it fun: Having just come back from a trip through Tennessee and Texas, I’d been hoarding some not-for-sale-in-Canada Velveeta Mac n’ Cheese. This is exactly what we paired with our White Burgundy. Cringe if you may, it’s moments like these that stand out.

You may have been taught to not play with your food, but I implore you to make 2017 the year you explore how much fun and adventure wine can be. There are moments to be serious, and then there are moments to jump into freezing oceans with your bestie and warm up with expensive Chardonnay and Velveeta. Choose your own adventure, and make it count. Happy New Years! —Laura Starr