US Airways - December 2013 - (Page 19)

explore Wine & Dine Taste, Savor, Enjoy Holiday Fizz From bargain to luxe, there's enough sparkle to go around. by Nick Passmore ★ illustration by traci Daberko Now, be honest, do you really need a partridge in a pear tree? And where are you going to put those seven swimming swans? Of course, the 12 gifts my true love gave to me are pretty and whimsical. But wouldn't you prefer 12 bottles of Champagne and other wines-a-sparkling to celebrate the holidays? I certainly would. Anyway, swans can be awfully bad tempered. My favorite sparkling wines fall into three categories. The best, and by far the most expensive, are the tête de cuvée (top edition) Champagnes. These don't necessarily come from the big-name houses that most of us are familiar with. Champagne is sold more like spirits than other wines, with the large producers lavishing money on elaborate marketing and advertising campaigns. Unfortunately the product doesn't always live up to the hype, and some of my favorite Champagnes are made by smaller, lesser-known producers. The two other types of fizz I enjoy come from the lower end of the price scale. The first are California sparklers, many from the American outposts of famous Champagne houses. The second type is Crémant d'Alsace - sparkling wines made by the traditional Champagne method in the Alsace region of France. So forget about those 12 noisy drummers drumming. Turn the page for 12 festive recom- mendations to get your holidays sparkling. Nick Passmore is a contributing editor who writes from New York City. For more on Nick's takes, visit nickonwine.com. ➺ Nick's sparkly recommendations usairwaysmag.com DECEmbEr 2013 19 http://www.nickonwine.com http://www.usairwaysmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - December 2013

Table of Contents
CEO Letter
From the Editor
Did You Know?
Making It Happen
Hot Spots: Vacation Memories
Hub Crawl: Miami International Airport
Wine & Dine: Holiday Fizz
Diversions: Going Whole Hog
Diversions: Time Travel
Style Spotlight: Holiday Bling
Adventure: North Carolina's High Country
Adventure: Arizona Story
Adventure: Sled Dog Racing
Gear Up: Stocking Stuffers
Great Escapes: Charleston Place Hotel
Great Escapes: Hotel Palomar in Washington, DC
Travel Feature: Costa Rica
US Airways: Tower Talk
Celebrate Tucson, AZ
Health Matters: Miami Foot and Ankle Surgery
Charlotte, USA
Must Read: I Got Schooled
Puzzles
Readers Resource Index
Your US Airways Guide
Video Entertainment
Audio Entertainment
U.S. and Caribbean Service Map
International Service Map
Airport Terminal Maps
US Airways Fleet/Customs & Immigration
Passenger Info/Contact US Airways
US Airways MarketPlace®
Window or Aisle?

US Airways - December 2013