Marlene Lund Larsen

Deutz is a house I often return to when recommending champagne with high quality for the price. Classic Brut is elegant, precise, and incredibly easy to drink, with plenty of finesse and beautiful complexity. A champagne that never becomes heavy, but instead impresses with its refined craftsmanship. And although champagne can be enjoyed all year round, it just tastes a little better in sunshine and good company! :-)

Summer is just around the corner, the days are getting longer, and this is exactly where Miraval Rosé comes into its own. An elegant Provence rosé with freshness, finesse, and notes of bright berries and white flowers. Light, lively, and balanced with a subtle complexity that makes it much more than a patio wine. Created for sunny afternoons, light dishes, and long summer evenings.

Once the snow is gone, there is spring in the air, and then it seems only natural to pour a little spring into the glass. I immediately think of Sancerre, here from a single vineyard, from Domaine Vacheron, offering the full aromatic palette Sauvignon Blanc has to offer. The estate always achieves a finesse in the aromas that many others cannot. None of the aromas are overplayed, none understated – only elegance all the way!

Von Winning stands out from the crowd, as he primarily uses large oak barrels for wine aging. Riesling is a grape with high acidity, so most houses resort to stainless steel tanks to preserve it. The grapes here come from the Pechstein vineyard, which has a soil with a high mineral content that retains a certain acidity despite the barrel aging, providing a good counterpoint to this otherwise "golden" taste and fullness.

Which wine pairs best with Christmas dinner? Where ‘it all began’ is in Valpolicella in Italy, more specifically - Amarone. A wine many people turn to, and for good reason. The fruit from the dried grapes is excellent with roast duck, in harmony with the slightly high alcohol, which pairs eminently well with the rich sauce. Give it an upgrade this year, and enjoy the complexity in the finish from Giuseppe Quintarelli’s.

Christmas is approaching, so it’s time to secure the right wines in good time! Jerome Bressy is based in the municipality of Rasteau, located in the southern Rhône. A classic GSM blend, 'spruced up' with two grape varieties that are not permitted here, which is why Rasteau does not appear on the label. The palate offers generous fruit, with an unexpectedly harmonious acidity and soft tannins that tie everything together. Perfect with Christmas Eve dinner!

The other day I tasted and served this wine at the inn, 2019 Chateau Figeac. Despite the wine's youth, it is incredibly harmonious and beautifully balanced in deep fruit, fine acidity and tannins, which make it not feel like the heaviest of its kind. Hand-harvested grapes testify to a winery that cares about its craftsmanship, which can especially be tasted. Can be drunk now, but also has enormous aging potential!

They say Christmas lasts right up until Easter, so in my view New Year lasts all through January too. So why not hold your own New Year reception here in the middle of the month? Champagne is not just for grand celebrations, especially not this crisp classic from Pol Roger. It's good with oysters too, just saying ;-)