Good Morning!

I was ask what I drank for New Years eve, how much I drank and if I had a hangover. I thought that was a fun email to get, let’s start with the hangover, nope, not this year! Over the past 10-15 years, I have spent New Years eve in some pretty cool places and had some great times and sometimes what I drank might surprise you.

Most of my adult life, I have thrown a party on NYE, or should I say my gang of friends would start at my house and about 10:30 we would head out to a local club or someplace having a bigger bash and we would ring in the new year. All parties at my place back in Indianapolis, I severed 3 kinds of drinks, wine, beer and my famous friendship sangria (it is really a grown up version of Hairy Buffalo, if you don’t know what Hairy Buffalo is…its served at a party in college. You bring out a huge trash can and every one brings a different booze over and someone adds a slight bit of fruit juice. It is high alcohol, tastes like jet fuel and the hangover the next day is brutal). The adult version of “friendship sangria” is more refined, just vodka and some great juices and lots of fruit floating around, it packs a punch with out throwing you on the floor instantly. And you serve this punch in a real glass not the red solo cup!

Last year we went to Austin, Texas for NYE, had dinner at Ruth’s Chris steakhouse, drank bottles of fantastic wine and we were all in a food coma by midnight. The previous year, we headed to Key West and watched a drag queen named Sushi drop in a high heel from the top of the building at midnight, we did manage to make it on CNN too. 4 years ago, I was in San Francisco and we were in gowns and drinking champagne and listening to big band music. Several years back from that we were in Fort Lauderdale, Florida playing pool in a dive bar.

As you can see, I have brought the new year in, in many places and many ways. Some years I have had beer from a keg or a can, some years had $300 bottles of wine, some years jello shots and this year I was in San Antonio, Texas watching fireworks drinking 1998 Comtes de Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs. It was just myself and a friend, no crazy hats, not silly noise makers just watching the excitement shoot into the air. It was a glorious visual display. I understand the drought in Texas this summer kept everyone from being about to celebrate July 4th, so they made up for the lost display of lights. It really was spectacular. The champagne we were drinking was perfect, tight little bubbles, very tight surface tension and a very foamy, mousse kinda froth on the top of the wine.

I had 3 glasses of wine and really loved the great light show. It was sort of low key compared to past year’s festivities, but I felt like last year was such a whirlwind, I wanted to the night to slow down and just enjoy the last few hours before 2011 had “passed”. Then I would start cranking forward for 2012.

It was fun and the mood fit the past year perfectly. So there you have it….Champagne, 3 glasses and no hangover…awesome start to 2012.

Let me know what you had for NYE, I’d love to hear about what you enjoyed in your glass and we can compare tasting notes!

Much LOVE and wine,

Tammi