A Toast to Graduates (Pop the Champagne)
Written By: Romany Reagan on Wed, May 28th 2008
Ahh... June. Summer time. Birds are chirping, mowers are humming, skirts are shrinking and everywhere college kids are graduating. Yeah, June is good. On sunny, lazy days like these I get all nostalgic thinking about my own graduation day. My mom and I had a champagne brunch in the morning of her signature Eggs Golden Rod (see my Easter article Egg for the recipe!) with glasses of Veuve Clicquot. Truly a magical combination, I highly recommend it. My two favorite champagnes are Moët and Chandon "White Star" and Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label. According to Moët and Chandon's Chef de Cave, "White Star is the symbol of sharing pleasure" - - which is a very bold, yet very true statement that actually applies to all champagne. It could be due to cultural engraining that when something good happens bubbly must be popped - - however champagne also gives you a more giggly buzz, as apposed to say, a smash-the-jukebox buzz, and is therefore more appropriate for times of celebration. I do remember an occurrence of distinctly BAD timing for ordering champagne, over a certain conversation that was anything but celebratory. Side Note To Boys: Do not be ironic with your beverages. However, I digress.
If champagne is for celebration, graduation day is certainly a call for that. Plus, being a red girl myself, white wine heralds summer for me as hot days are really the only times I drink it. After a long afternoon baking in sun, grads in black robes, parents in suits, a crispy cold glass of bubbly is exactly what you'll need. A lot of vineyards offer personalized labels for their bottles, usually used for weddings and other large events. This is a good way to make the occasion even more special. If you can't find a vineyard that will custom label for you, or you have a favorite bubbly that you would prefer to pour, you can whip up your own label on Photoshop and stick it on! If you are having a more intimate party, you can spring for engraved glasses. For example, at http://www.engrave-a-remembrance.com/ you can get an engraved bottle of Veuve Clicquot and engraved champagne flutes for about $160.
If you're going out rather than hosting your own gala, make sure you find a place that has a garden patio, no sense wasting the good weather. (However, you might want to check that they have a veranda - - you don't want a duplicate of Baking Session #1.) The best place for this in San Diego is the balcony at La Valencia in La Jolla (http://www.lavalencia.com/) my mom and I had an unforgettable Mother's Day at that very spot and its visual and gastronomic pleasure is not to be rivaled. In NYC there are lots of little patios and squares to be had, but I have yet to find something that stuns me the way La Jolla's La Valencia does. There is actually one spot that fits the bill here, however it's not a restaurant, it's a patch of grass - - specifically the patch of grass off Turtle Pond in Central Park. It is under a tree (prerequisite to avoid le Baking Session) with sweeping views across the pond to the dramatic stone of Belvedere Castle on the other side. Grab a blanket and an ice bucket and enjoy your bubbly there - - that's my NYC perfection. I'm not sure if you're actually allowed to do this, however pleasure-seeking is a higher law. To insure no pesky tickets mar your celebration day, you might want to pack Martinelli's.
Go forth and take on the world grads! I think all life decisions should be made over a glass of champagne. So sit back, soak up the sun and enjoy your day. Hey, your future's so bright you gotta wear shades. Cheers!
