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How to Host an Easy & Elegant Holiday Party

Holiday season is in full swing, and throwing a Christmas party can be a great way to celebrate with family and friends. The challenge is how to get everyone together when time is so stretched, and how to throw a party that is stress-free but still feels special. An open house may be the way to go. Not a sit-down dinner that requires heavy planning, but rather more casual affair, when people come and go as they please, enjoying self serve bar and an array of small bites. Enter the open house party we threw with Prosecco Superiore, just in time for holiday party season, and follow these 5 tips to host your own Christmas party

Prosecco Superiore is the expression of the best quality of Prosecco, crafted with detail and using only the best grapes from the Conegliano Valdobbiadene region (Treviso province of Veneto), known as the birthplace of Prosecco. Grapes for this premium Prosecco are grown exclusively on the steep hillside vineyards, worked only by hand. The high altitude, unique microclimate and the soils, all make for ideal conditions to produce superior wine. In 2009 Prosecco Superiore was awarded DOCG (controlled and guaranteed origin denomination) appellation, placing it among the truly great wines of Italy.

1. Start your party off with a glass of Brut Prosecco

A drier style of Prosecco has a very delicate and clean mouthfeel and is great served by itself as an aperitif. Serve it in regular white wine or tulip-shaped glasses instead of narrow flutes to be able fully appreciate and savor its essential flavors and aromas. Chill it in ice water for 30 minutes or 3 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

Le Rughe Rivaj Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut
Le Rughe Rivaj Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut

Prosecco sweetness levels – Prosecco is available as Brut, Extra Dry and Dry, in order of driest to sweetest. So, if you prefer your Prosecco in a drier style, look for the word ‘Brut’ on the label, which allows up to 12 g of residual sugar per litre. ‘Extra Dry’ means it has 12-17 g/l, and ‘Dry’ can have 17-32 g

Le Rughe Rivaj Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut is an excellent aperitif. It smells like a spring garden with citrus trees in bloom, white pear blossoms, and patches of wildflowers under your feet. And it tastes like sugar-dusted crescent cookies melting in your mouth in a flow of tiny beads of bubbles. 

2. Keep the food simple and casual

 A buffet table is a great option for open-house parties. Choose appetizers that can be served at room temperature, and make everything ahead of time, so you can actually enjoy the party with your guests. Think about flavors that complement each other and make sure you have something from all the food groups.

Prosecco Superiore is incredibly versatile. Thanks to its sweetness level variations it pairs with a wide range of food. A great idea is to create wine pairing cards to provide suggestions on wines to complement each appetizer. 

Endive leaves stuffed with goat cheese and candied walnuts. Brut Prosecco is wonderful with light veggie appetizers.
Brut Prosecco is wonderful with light veggie appetizers, like endive leaves stuffed with goat cheese and candied walnuts.

This sweet and savory persimmon crostinis are delicious with Extra Brut Prosecco
This sweet and savory persimmon crostinis are delicious with Extra Brut Prosecco

Cream cheese and anchovy bites and Prosciutto wrapped asparagus.
We love how vibrant acidity of Brut Prosecco cuts through the fattiness of Prosciutto

Easy menu ideas:

Endive leaves stuffed with goat cheese and candied walnuts: fill each endive leaf with a spoon of goat cheese, candied walnuts, and pomegranate seeds, and top it with a drizzle of honey. Garnish with mint.

Persimmon ricotta crostinis: toast baguette or ciabatta slices with a bit of olive oil and spread a dollop of whipped ricotta and goat cheese on top. Top with sliced persimmon, drizzle with honey and sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts.

Cream cheese and anchovy bites: mix together cream cheese, onion powder, and minced fresh chives, spread it over the whole grain crackers. Season with black pepper and garnish with an anchovy on top. 

Prosciutto wrapped asparagus: wrap a slice of prosciutto around each asparagus spear on an angle, place on a baking tray and bake for 5-8 minutes until prosciutto is crispy. I love how vibrant acidity of Brut Prosecco cuts through the fattiness of Prosciutto.

Orange ginger Sablé cookies: these amazing cookies are made of just four ingredients (flour, butter, sugar, salt), can be made ahead, in infinite variations. Find the Recipe here. 

Other simple bites to pair with Prosecco are simple cheese plate, sushi, mini quiches and frittatas, buttered popcorn, almonds, macarons, and panettone.  

3. Set up a Self Serve Prosecco Station 

Refreshing, versatile, and with only moderate alcohol Prosecco Superiore is perfect for any social gathering. Set up a self serve Prosecco station to give your guests easy access to the wine.

Adami Bosco di Gica Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut
Adami Bosco di Gica Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut

Recommended Wines:

Adami Bosco di Gica Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut – a delicate and creamy mousse releasing scents of yellow apple, peach and blooming flowers. Crisp, fresh and fruity with the savory mouthfeel, it is particularly good with fish or vegetable hors-d’oeuvres.

Drusian Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Spumante Extra Dry  – drinking this is like biting Granny Smith apple with green orange zest core. Bright and vibrant it makes you feel like Christmas is around and gets you dancing like a kid.

There are three different styles of Prosecco: spumante (sparkling), frizzante (fizzy), and tranquillo (still)

2castelli Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Spumante Extra Dry
2castelli Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Spumante Extra Dry

2castelli Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Spumante Extra Dry – radiant and exotic it makes you want to buy last minute flight and get away for a beach vacation. A fruit cascade of honeydew, vanilla, and coconut, instantly melting in your mouth like cotton candy.

Mas De Fer Rive di Soligo Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Dry
Mas De Fer Rive di Soligo Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Dry

Mas De Fer Rive di Soligo Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Dry – this wine tastes like..“It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.” Maud Hart Lovelace. 

Rive refers to wine from steepest hills in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene area, where the grapes are grown in one of 43 villages, each displaying qualities that are unique to their small production area. Rive grapes are harvested by hand and the vintage is listed on the label. 

Canevel Valdobbuadene Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze DOCG Dry
Canevel Valdobbuadene Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze DOCG Dry

Canevel Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze DOCG Dry – floral and stone fruit aromas are a perfect complement to its soft and creamy texture, while subtle hints of apple and pear round out the exquisite palate. While this Prosecco is excellent when served as an aperitif, it paires really well with short pastries and fruit tarts. 

Cartizze is the cru of DOCG: a small area of 100 hectares of vineyard in the steep hills of Valdobbiadene that’s commonly considered to be the finest Prosecco terroir in the world.
 

4. Decorate your table

Pick two-three holiday colors and make accents. Get some greenery in a local supermarket, a pine tree branches or any other evergreens and place them on your table runner; or turn them into Christmas decorations with a little wire and ribbon. Add some sparkle with glass ornaments, placing them into footed bowls or just scattering around the table. Color can also come in the form of food: bowls of clementines or persimmons; some pomegranates on the table, or a pile of walnuts; a few small containers filled with cranberries. Taper candles and votives will create festive glow around decoration pieces and food items. 

5. Make it Fun

Keep your guests engaged and encourage mingling by planning an activity. Set up a holiday card-making station. Prepare cookies and let your guests get creative with icing, sprinkles, and edible toppings. Keep them entertained with Christmas ornament making.

I hope with this guide you feel more confident about throwing your own open-house Christmas party and inspired to drink more Prosecco Superiore – perfect for spreading your Christmas cheer. Learn more about Prosecco Superiore.

This post was sponsored by Prosecco Superiore DOCG, the perfect pairing for our open-house Christmas party. 

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