About Cold Duck

The Holidays are quickly approaching as we speak.traced to the common practice in Bavaria of
For many people, myself included, memories ofmixing cold, sparkling Burgundy with bottles of
Thanksgivings, Christmases, and New Years Evespreviously opened Champagne. This mixture was
past cross their minds. Some of those memoriesknows as kalte ende (cold end). This custom kept
are of a certain sparkling wine, called Cold Duck.the opened bottles of champagne from being
As the old familiar songs play in the background,wasted, and it also provided people with a tasty
the winter chill whips though us and nearby homesbeverage at the same time. Over time, the name
are illuminated in their bright, colorful holiday glory,became transliteraeed to kalte ente, which
some of us will look back fondly on this beverage,translates to cold duck. In 1937, the owner of the
remembering it from many special occasions suchPontchartrain Wine Cellars in Detroit, Harold
as birthdays, Christmas and New Years Eve. YouBorgman, invented his own beverage based on
may even remember with nostalgia, thethis Bavarian custom.
commercials from the 1970's, of a happy coupleCold duck experienced a sizable surge of
toasting the holidays with a glass of Cold Duck,popularity in the early 1970s, being a very popular
with a cheerful Christmas carol playing in thewine for parties and gatherings. With it's soft
background.concord grape base, Cold Duck is mixed with a
You might think that Cold Duck sounds more likecombination of sweet red and white wines. The
a dinner recipe than a beverage. Or, you mayoriginal American Cold Duck combined one part of
cringe at the thought of a bottle of Cold Duck ,a California red wine with two parts of a New
since it is one of the cheapest wines on theYork sparkling wine. This exact recipe varies
market, at only a few dollars per bottle. Coldtoday. One of the best known brands of Cold
Duck doesn't carry the same sophistication asDuck is André, from the E&J Gallo Winery,
some of the other sparkling wines on the market,which uses Concord grapes for their recipe. In
such as Dom Perignon or other champagnes. But1971, only four short years after André
Cold Duck was at one time one of the best sellingCold Duck was introduced to the public, the E&J
and most popular sparkling wines in the UnitedGallo Winery was selling two million cases of the
States. Cold Duck is still readily available at yourwine every year. Like many white wines and
local grocery store for only a few dollars a bottle.sparkling wines, and unlike most red wines, Cold
Compare that to the hefty price of a bottle ofduck is best served chilled. It goes great with
Dom Perignon champagne, which can be well overparty hors d'ouvres, like cheese and crackers or
$100 a bottle.olives in a pastry crust.
Cold Duck originated in Germany, where it can be