WASHINGTON — “Hooray for Hollywood!”
Yes, this Sunday night belongs to Tinseltown and the 89th annual Academy Awards, when members of the film industry gather to honor their own on an evening filled with glamour, excitement and surprises.
And while you may not have a front-row seat in the famed Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a seat on your couch with a glass (or two) of wine in your hand while watching all of the festivities in style.
While your favorite picks may win or lose this Sunday, here are several wines that are definitely a class act all their own.
For the third year in a row, winners on Oscar night will toast their success (and runners-up will drown their sorrows) with Non-Vintage Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée Brut Champagne. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is partnering with the famous French Champagne house for the next three years to celebrate in style — even the bottle is all dressed up for the red carpet, resplendent in a bright red robe encircled by a ribbon of gold film. This lovely Cuvée features fragrant scents of green apple and buttered toast on the nose and flavors of baked apple, ripe pear, roasted hazelnuts and candied ginger in the mouth. The structure is full-bodied and the finish, featuring notes of toasted almonds, is round and full. $50 for a traditional bottle and $110 for the glamour-themed magnum.
Seven-time Oscar nominee and two-time Oscar winner John Lasetter knows a thing or two about hoisting the golden statue, and evidently also a thing or two about wine. He and his wife own Lasseter Family Winery in Glen Ellen, California, where he produces the 2014 Lassetter Family Vineyards Voilà, a lovely white wine blend of Semillon and sauvignon blanc. Century-old Semillon vines from the fabled Monte Rosso Vineyard are blended with Sauvignon fruit from the Leveroni Vineyard. The resulting wine displays aromas of citrus blossom, lime, honeydew melon, blackcurrant and a hint of chalk dust. Juicy clean and fresh with pithy acidity and mineral character balanced by rich fruit flavors of figs, passion fruit and green melon. The palate is bright, elegant and well balanced with a creamy texture and a long finish with hints of vanilla and spice. $46
If you want to pretend that you’re sitting in the director’s chair, get ready to yell “cut” with the 2013 Coppola Director’s Cut Zinfandel. Made with fruit grown entirely in the Dry Creek Valley appellation in Sonoma, California, this Zin has a lush full body and a velvety palate. Scents of blackberries, cherries, cloves, black pepper and oak are followed by flavors of black currants and raspberries that are enlivened with intriguing notes of bramble, anise and spices. The wine picks up some spice and pepper qualities on the sturdy finish thanks to its time in French and American oak. $20
If you’re a fan of the Foreign Language film category, and if you’re pick the film “Tanna” from Australia, then you may want to open a bottle of Australian wine to settle in for “the envelope please.” The 2015 Henry’s Drive Pillar Box Reserve is a blend of some of the best shiraz lots in Padthaway, South Australia. The wine delivers instant gratification in the mouth with flavors of dark cherry, black plum, blackberry jam and subtle notes of black licorice. The opulent finish has just enough black pepper on the end to remind the palate of its pedigree. $20
