DIEBOLT’ S MAGICAL CHAMPAGNE

BY NICOLAS HARARY

The holidays make for a crazy time in any household. When you’ re in the restaurant business, that craziness is amplified ten-fold. There is more to do in a day then there are hours. One Christmas, when my son, Nicholas, asked me to come into his class to help build ginger bread houses, I smiled and said, ‘ Sure thing.’ Internally, though, I groaned, thinking of everything I had to do that day. It’ s not as though once I was in the classroom I could forget about the restaurant. The texts were coming a mile a minute:

BZZZZ… “ The meat delivery is late!”

BZZZZ… “ How many pounds of lobster do we need for the off-site party?”

BZZZZ… “ Hey, we sold out of Chateauneuf, RU sure there is no more?”

For every moment I spent in that classroom, my blood pressure felt like it doubled, and the sweat freely ran down the back of my neck.

Then, I looked down at Nicholas, who was building his ginger bread house with a big smile. He looked up at me and said, “ Dad, I’ m really glad you’ re here!” Suddenly, turning off the phone was never so easy. Thankfully, I have these wonderful kids to help me realize what’ s important in life and what is truly worth celebrating.

Since the day we opened the doors of Restaurant Nicholas, Diebolt-Vallois has been our house champagne— poured for just about any celebration. Melissa and I First enjoyed this wine in Paris at many of the Michelin two- and three-star restaurants that buy most of the wine Diebolt produces.

We loved its elegant aromatics, pristine fruit, and a crisp, mineral Finish that just screams for food. So, we asked Jacques Diebolt to bottle a special cuvée for the restaurant, one that would always display the characteristics that we fell in love with. He happily agreed, and continues to do so to this day.

Editors of the wine guide Les Meilleurs Vins de France agreed, writingin a recent edition that, “Jacques Diebolt, now with the help of his children, createselegant, vigorous wines…gracious, verylong lived (think of the legendaryCramant 1953) model champagnes,especially for the Fleur de Passion,vinified in barrel without malolacticfermentation. An estate which sets thestandard for ‘ Blanc de Blancs.’ Always ontop.”

So, regardless of your celebration, be it grand or every day, I can’ t think of a better wine to make it truly special. It’ s $37.50 a bottle, and worth every penny.

Restaurant Nicholas 160 Rt. 35, Red Bank / 732.345.9977 restaurantnicholas.com nicholaswines.com