Christmas Cookie Swap and a Cooper's Hawk Blanc de Blanc

 This month Culinary Cam is hosting the Wine Pairing Weekend as we explore American sparklers. Get ready for some real fun!

I really adore sparkling wines. My favorite is Cava, but I can be happy with a lot of different sparklers, especially Cooper's Hawk Blanc de Blanc. I served this with a holiday celebration, my annual cookie swap and it was a huge hit.

The term Blanc de Blanc is a French term meaning "white from white." This sparkler isn't made in the champagne style, which is why it is fruity and fresh. Notes of citrus and green apple make this wine tingle the palate. The lingering notes of butter sit well with cookies, whose main ingredient is usually butter, flour, and sugar.

The wine is made in California with Chardonnay grapes. Keeping the production simple, this wine's single fermentation allows the wine to retain its fruitiness and freshness.

My cookie swap is an invitation to share a dozen cookies with every member of the party. It is important to get an RSVP so that the attendees know how many cookies to bake. Typically these are a potluck of cookies, but in the last few years, my guests have asked each other what is being made so there aren't any duplicates. That's not necessary, but it does make things a bit nicer.

We start our party with the Blanc de Blanc and some appetizers. We play a couple of fun games, put our on Christmas holiday apparel, and have dinner, which is soup and bread. We end up with a dessert, then bring our cookies into the dining room and distribute them to one another after describing the cookies inside the containers. My guests like to make gorgeous containers, which is part of the fun!

The cookies I made this year were shortbread pressed cookies.

The #WinePW crew has some great things to share with you, so read on and check out their posts on more American sparkling wines.

• A Russian River Valley Pét-Nat with Veggie Tempura from Culinary Cam
• All American Sparklers from Michigan's Leelanau Peninsula from Grape Experiences
• Cheers, It is Christmastime in Michigan by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Christmas Cookie Swap and a Cooper’s Hawk Blanc de Blanc by Our Good Life
• Sparkling Picpoul with Fettucine by Cooking Chat
• Sparkling Surprises from Sonoma’s SEPPI, Paso’s Halter Ranch, WA Gorge + Festive Finger Foods by Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley
• The Bubbles of Bel Lago by The Quirky Cork
• Troon wine: Farm-fresh flavor in every glass by My Full Wine Glass