Libations for Locals: A Toast to 2016!
Here’s to Champagne and sparkling wine! Why reserve such a sumptuous sipper only for special occasions like New Year’s Eve? Here are a few spots where you can enjoy the best bubblies all month long.
Aprés Lounge
Touted as New Orleans’ first “ultra Champagne and sparkling wine lounge,” Aprés Lounge offers a wide selection of superior bubbles in an elegant yet relaxing atmosphere. Celebrate any day of the week, while sipping chilled sparkling wine or Champagne and nibbling on fine chocolates or other confections available at Aprés Lounge. Located in the Warehouse District, just a hop from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, Aprés Lounge is situated in the ideal place to host private parties and events on a whim. 608 Fulton St., (504) 610-2480, apresnola.com
Cure
Situated on the ever-burgeoning Freret Street corridor, Cure is often hailed by many as the area’s kick start to a new community. When the bar opened almost seven years ago, it was the first new business to take a chance in the Hurricane Katrina-ravaged area. It has been a bastion to the neighborhood, and the Crescent City’s evolving cocktail culture, ever since. While the biggest draw to Cure would undoubtedly be its incredible craft cocktails concocted with painstaking precision, Cure also sports a decent selection of bubbly from Montmarte’s Ugni Blanc to Ruinart’s Brut Rose Champagne. 4905 Freret St., (504) 302-2357, curenola.com
Bacchanal Wine
Easily a Bywater favorite, Bacchanal is a wine shop gone wild — offering not only a huge selection of wine, sparkling wine and Champagne, but also live music and exquisite cuisine to boot. Kick back on the expansive patio; toast to another gorgeous New Orleans sunset; and enjoy the music of local performers like The Courtyard Kings, The Roamin’ Jasmine and Helen Gillet. Nothing could be finer than a casual, outdoor evening filled with sparkling wine and food from Chef Joaquin Rodas who’s plating up dishes like grilled calamari, confit chicken and roasted fingerling potatoes. 600 Poland Ave., (504) 948-9111, bacchanalwine.com
Polo Club Lounge at Windsor Court Hotel
Like everything else at Windsor Court Hotel, the Polo Club Lounge is a bar that oozes elegance and class from its dark, rich woods and fine furnishings to classic cocktails and live jazz. Though not commonly touted as such, the Polo Club Lounge also offers a stellar wine list with over 600 different labels, which includes a rather extensive collection of sparkling wines and Champagnes. Settle into an overstuffed wingback chair; sip your favorite bubbly from a glistening flute; and enjoy the music of stellar local performers like New Orleans “songbird” Robin Barnes, pianist John Royan and the dulcet tones of Anaïs St. John. 300 Gravier St., (504) 823-6000, windsorcourthotel.com/polo-club-lounge
The Delachaise
Lit by sparkling white lights and sitting on its own little island on St. Charles Avenue, The Delachaise has long been a local favorite for late-night vino and a tasty bite to eat. Step inside what appears to be a streetcar simulation for a casual, comfortable atmosphere surrounded by tall windows affording a great view of the avenue. With a few good sparklers behind the stick, from a Cuvee Princess Limoux to a Mandois Brut NV, you can sip your way to smiles — all while munching on Moules et Frites or fried frog legs and watching the actual streetcars rumble by. 3442 St. Charles Ave., (504) 895-0858, thedelachaise.com