Wines to Drink as the World Ends
Lately there’s been an awful lot of news stories suggesting that not only is the year rapidly coming to a close, but the world itself is about to end.
According to some reports, the Mayan calendar stops in 2012, and that means the Earth and all its inhabitants are done for. Obviously.
Yes the doomsday scenarios are a bit of a buzz kill, but the silver lining to this macabre story is we can now turn to our wine bucket lists, and start pouring with reckless abandon. If the count down is on, then corkscrew, don’t fail us now.
Of course, we have a bit more faith that the world will keep turning, but it’s a fun to mull over what we’d like to be swilling as we slide into our eternal resting place.
Yes, these pricey, legendary bottles are luxurious, ostentatious and maybe even ridiculous, but should the sky start falling, these are the wines we’re reaching for.
Sassicaia – Italy, $225 – The only wine in Italy to have its own DOC. A blend of Cab Sauv and Cab Franc, this wine is the original Super Tuscan.
Ornellaia – Italy, $185 – A Bordeaux Blend that only dates back to 1985, this has become one of the most identifiable Super Tuscans on the market.
Château d’Yquem – France, $650 – A First Growth of Bordeaux, this is one of the leading white wine vineyards in France. Everyone from George Washington to author Marcel Proust has paid homage to its sweet nectar.
Château Petrus – France, $2,900 – One of the most expensive wines in Bordeaux, this Merlot can catch thousands of dollars at auction. Its fame and price have experienced a meteoric rise in the last few decades as midway through the 20th century Petrus was a relative unknown on the global wine stage.
Weingut Hermann Dönnhoff Riesling – Germany $50 – Likely one of lesser known wineries listed here, Dönnhoff has been celebrated by critics around the globe, and been named winery of the year. The bulk of production is riesling, and the best part is, it’s fairly affordable.
Penfolds Grange – Australia, $585 – The leading shiraz from Australia, this stately wine began as an experiment in 1951. Today Penfolds holds “clinics” around the world, where proud owners can have experts check the health of their bottles, and even give them a top-up, if the angel’s have taken too big a share.
Dominus Estate – California, $160 – A Napa winery owned by Petrus boss Christian Moueix, this Bordeaux blend is a darling amongst critics and still priced decently enough for us mere mortals to enjoy on occasion.
Roederer Cristal Champagne – France, $300 – A blend of Pinot Noir and Champagne, this was actually designed for the Russian Tsar Alexander II in the early 1900’s — not modern day hip hop artists.