My first Mardi Gras was the year before the pandemic and it was glorious. I ran around in a skin-tight silver getup, marveling at the city's collective, seething heartbeat. I slow-ran into some strange silver bear's arms, discovered the fortuitous moments of bumping into friends in the middle of morning revelry, espresso martini in hand, and the beauty of a Popeye's chicken thigh and a slice of Rouse's king cake at 2 p.m. before calling it a day. Wowee.

And because, here in this strange and wonderful city, we mark our calendars by the wedge of winter between Twelfth Night and Ash Wednesday, I'm marveling at what has come to be in these six years since, both beautiful and devastating, for all of us. It can seem frivolous to don sequins and beads in these times, and this is the incongruousness of human experience, taking tragedy in one hand, comedy in the other, and feeling the complexity of the Venn slice between.

I am grateful to live in a place that so thoroughly celebrates creation, that carves out a month-plus each year to revel in what can be made as a community. This will be my daughter's fourth Mardi Gras, and it's magnificent to watch her integrate this fantastical phenomenon into her reality, knowing each year, there is dedicated time to lose oneself in the wild beauty of our collective heartbeat.

Anyway, here's some Mardi Gras wine + a lagniappe bottle or two because it's a marathon. Love y'all a lot. Be safe out there. —Leslie

Cantina di Carpi "NotteBianca" Brut, Emilia-Romagna, Italy NV

If and when you need a mid-afternoon bubble, this would be the one. Made of mostly pignoletto grapes and named for the "white night" tradition of Lanciano, Italy, where revelers stay up all night to take in art and culture, NotteBianca is fresh, bright, fuzzy, and meant for splashing into mimosas or slugging into a go-cup.

Brand "Electric Chardonnay Acid Test" Pfalz, Germany 2022

The Brand Brothers exist in a little corner of Pfalz where they experiment with classic German grapes in wilder manifestations. This natural-leaning chardonnay will challenge anyone's understanding of what they believe chardonnay to be, providing a new lens through which to see what can often be a boring or impressionable grape. Electric, as advertised, this bottle is popping with energy and fruit, amped up by a teensy bit of riesling for extra pizazz.

Viña Maitia "Aupa" Pipeño Tinto, Maule Valley, Chile 2024

Made by a French man in Chile, Aupa is a staple of our South American section for its perfectly agreeable blend of país and carignan. Lift the bottle up to the light to catch a prism of raspberry-blush crystals, and stick it right into the fridge for a cool evening parade companion.

Azimut "Rosat" Cava Brut Nature, Catalunya, Spain 2022

There's a lot of meh, big-box cava out there, but for our shelves, we have sought out Spanish sparkling that defies this reputation. Azimut is made in a champagne method with garnaxta, monastrell, and xarel-lo, and is lovely breakfast wine should you want to pop a bottle alongside pancakes before a parade.

Anne Amie "Müller-Thurgau" Willamette Valley, Oregon 2024

Made in the Willamette Valley, Anne Amie Müller-Thurgau is relatively old-vine for the region, planted in 1979. The grape is a cross between riesling and Madeleine Royale, popular in Germany, but very at home in Oregon where the gentle climate allows this wine to come into its full, aromatic range: orange blossom, fresh white flowers, and clarified pear juice. Let us dream of the jasmine season to come.

Cantina Furlani "Maddie" Schiava, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy 2024

Who knew a wine made of schiava would become one of our most popular bottles? It helps that Cantina Furlani’s midnight purple label and clear glass underscore the fuchsia cranberry juice inside—you can’t pass by the Italian shelf without at least considering its zippy package, but it turns out schiava is an unexpectedly wonderful grape for all New Orleans seasons. An Alpine grape with structure, herbal spice, and fresh spring fruit, schiava does well with neutral ground barbecue and black-pepper dredged chicken wings.

Au Bon Climat "Hildegard" Santa Maria Valley, California 2022

When considering what kind of fancy wine would be fit for Mardi Gras, we immediately thought of Burgundy and then side-stepped to the domestic white section where Au Bon Climat’s wines live. Inspired by Burgundian winemaking, this iconic central coast California producer crafts white wines that are rich, textural, and aromatic. Named for Charlemagne’s wife, the Hildegard cuvée is blend of pinot gris, pinot blanc, and aligoté, supposedly the main white grape varieties planted during the king’s reign. Aged in new oak, it’s got all the oomph one might expect of California, and we insist you pair it with the best fried chicken you can find. Also, it has a crown on the label, which we thought very apropos.