By Erin Henderson

Founder and Chief Sommelier at The Wine Sisters

The other day I was shopping for Champagne for the sparkling wine class I teach at Wine School.

I went to a few stores in search of a specific Champers, and, coming up bupkis, I decided any Champagne would work.

There weren’t any. No Champagne at any store.

The friendly worker at one LCBO told me the whole chain had been out since the New Year’s Eve rush.

Wow. The supply chain crisis has now become very, very serious, I thought. Somebody has to do something. (This writing is happening about four weeks before this issue is released so hopefully someone has.)

Anyway, the punchline is I went to my own cellar and magnanimously proffered up a bottle of my own champs for the class.

Which brings me to the whole point of this month’s article (it takes me a while to warm up, but I get there eventually): having a well-stocked bar is not only prudent, but these days, proving to be essential.

I’ve long championed keeping a cache of house wine. This just makes sense for days when it’s too cold/too rainy/too warm/you don’t feel like going to the store. A house wine is exactly what it suggests: a few bottles (I suggest a case) of easy to drink, fairly inexpensive, and food friendly wines that will suit most occasions. Read on for my current under $20 faves.

Additionally, you will want to take a critical look at your bar stock. We’re only a few weeks away from opening balconies for the season and the winds of change are upon us. Use these dwindling days of winter to take inventory: dump out the dregs, organize what’s still good and buy fresh bottles so you are ready to roll when friends stop by to clink glasses.

Of course, you will want the Big Five:
vodka, gin, tequila, whisky, rum.

But after that, I find it easier to focus on a few cocktail recipes and stock my bar accordingly. (Plus, nothing is sexier than a qualified adult casually whipping up a {drink name here} from memory, while simultaneously holding relaxed conversation. See: Stanly Tucci’s Instagram). For me, that means loading up on sherry, as I am loving the unexpected plot twist of a good sherry cocktail. I’ve got a few recipes listed below for your drinking pleasure.

Chapoutier “Belleruche” Côtes du Rhône,
France $17.55 LCBO #245340

This is a fun and fresh sipper that breaks out of the Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc rut. Hailing from the warm southern Rhône Valley, Chapoutier takes advantage of local grapes Grenache Blanc, Rousanne, Viognier, Clairette and Bourboulenc for a white wine that’s silky in texture, with compelling notes of peach stone fruit, white floral and subtle anise. Round on the palate with a terrific zippy acidity pair this in the cool early days of spring with a classic fondue, and as the weather warms, break out the fresh oysters and poached shrimp.

Chapoutier “Les Vignes de Bila-Haut” Côtes du Roussillon-Villages,
France $15.95 Vintages #168716

A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan, the local grapes of the Roussillon, this is incredible value. Juicy and ripe with loads of black fruit mingling with savoury black olive and lavender herb, this is a very satisfying wine. The kind of wine you pour to get cozy in a woolly cardigan and watch the early fading light of a crisp spring evening. Pair this with smoky charcuterie like Landjaeger sausage or Italian bresaola for an easy-going cocktail hour, and then bring it to the dinner table to pair with shepherd’s pie (either traditional lamb or vegan lentil).

Make-Ahead Pitcher Martinis

I am a huge fan of big-batch cocktails. I’m not sure if this is a shameful confession or clever life hack for the busy and overbooked, but whereas some friends cook for the week on Sunday, I pre-batch my drinks. At the end of a long day, why mess around with mixing and measuring, when I can simply walk in the door, take a pitcher out of the fridge and pour a ready-made, ice-cold tipple? Now that I think on it, I believe I’m an absolute genius.

The Coronation Cocktail No. 1

If mixing six drinks at once is a bridge too far, you can simply go with the demur one-portion elixir. The Coronation No 1 is an oft forgotten classic tipple that allegedly dates back to 1900’s London, when it’s said it was created for the newly minted King Edward VII. It has certainly been on heavy rotation at my apéros as of late for its alluring mix of nutty fino sherry and floral dry vermouth.

Verbena Spritz

Here’s a festive spring forward drink I found and adapted from the BBC a while ago. And if anyone knows their sherry, it’s the Brits. Lemon verbena is a concentrated herb that smells of, well… lemon. It’s very easy to find at well stocked nurseries, so pick some up when you get your spring flowers. But if you can’t find it, decent replacements are lemon grass, lemon thyme, or even fresh bay leaf. You might just have to play with portions to get the right intensity.