A Smart Champagne Choice At Wit & Wisdom
Photo Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotels Limited
We’re right in the middle of the bubbly season, the period from Thanksgiving to Valentine’s Day when people feel free to uncork a bottle of champagne, prosecco or any other sparkling wine. Of course, opening a bottle is an occasion in itself, capable of making any old day feel special. But sharing a crisp glass of cava with friends and loved ones at this time of year is nearly magical. Here are four chic hotels that really know how to create an effervescent experience:
The St. Regis Deer Valley, Photo Courtesy of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.
The St. Regis Deer Valley
Come mid-January, you may spot an icy mirage next to the Park City resort. It’s actually a fantastical ice sculpture on the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star hotel’s “ski beach.” After your last run, glide on over to the sculpture for some fabulous fizz from Ruinart, the oldest champagne house in France. Artisans from Ice Castles, LLC will create icicles — 3,200 of them — to fashion an ice sculpture inspired by natural forms like waterfalls and ice caves. While you admire the show of cool craftsmanship, we suggest trying a glass of Ruinart blanc de blancs, a chardonnay-based wine with unparalleled freshness. Other choices include the subtle Dom Ruinart rosé and a vintage blanc de blancs. A day on the slopes at Deer Valley is among the best ski experiences in the American West, so why not chase it with the crème de la crème of champagnes?
The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician
While a stay at this Scottsdale Five-Star beauty is blissful 24 hours a day, it gets even better during the complimentary Hour of Joy from 4 to 5 p.m. This January, resident master sommelier Greg Tresner uncorks a world-class selection of bubbly in the lobby lounge. Find a fireside seat overlooking Camelback Mountain and then choose among international selections like Santa Margherita prosecco, Roederer Estate brut from California and champagnes by Perrier-Jouët, Taittinger and Moët et Chandon. Specialty wines include Schramsberg’s brut rosé and blanc de blancs, as well as a sweeter Italian import called brachetto that tastes of tangy cranberries and raspberries. Pair your bubbly with nibbles like pear and brie bruschetta with a basil, black pepper and port reduction; prosciutto-wrapped grissini with a cup of truffle fondue; or smoked salmon bruschetta. After looking at the tasty lineup, we’re starting to understand why it’s called the Hour of Joy.
Capella Washington D.C.’s Rye Bar, Photo Courtesy of Capella Hotels and Resorts
Capella Washington D.C. Georgetown
This chic new property in the nation’s capital is creating quite a stir with amenities like personal assistants and the modern steakhouse fare at The Grill Room. But the prime place to be is the intimate Rye Bar. Things will get even more fascinating on Fridays thanks to its Taittinger Champagne happy hours from 5 to 7 p.m. Start with a glass of Taittinger Brut la Francaise, then get ready to see the ancient art of sabrage — Napoleon’s favorite way to open a bottle — at 6 p.m.
Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore
For an unparalleled wine bar experience in New York City, savvy vino lovers head to Corkbuzz Wine Studio, where every champagne is 50 percent off right before midnight. Wit & Wisdom, Michael Mina’s Four-Star tavern at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, was inspired to do the same. During sommelier Julie Dalton’s bipartisan Champagne Campaign, sip any champagne for half off from 10 p.m. to midnight. We endorse ordering one of Mina’s classic lobster corn dogs or maybe the crab cake, with a bottle of Chartogne Taillet, Pierre Peters blanc de blancs or the bold Jean Lallement Brut Reserve.