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Wines for the Holidays

The holiday season has arrived!  Here in New York City, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree was lit last week and holiday festivities are officially underway. The distinct magic and excitement of the season is in the air.  Beautiful lights, decorations and joyful music can be enjoyed at every turn and there’s reason for celebration.

For wine lovers everywhere, the holiday season is filled with ample opportunities to uncork and savor our favorite fine wines. As we oenophiles plan our holiday parties and celebrations, there’s nothing more gratifying than choosing the wines that we will share with our family and friends.  It’s time to break out the very best, but with so many amazing wines to choose from, where does one begin?

Below you will find a guide to our favorite wines for the holidays, from what to pour at your holiday party to the perfect wine gifts to give.  Cheers and Happy Holidays from The Wine Cellarage!

Holiday Party Wines

When choosing what to pour at your holiday soirée, the key is to select wines that offer the attractive combination of quality and value. The options below encompass the various wine styles: Sparkling, Rosé, White and Red.  By presenting a fair assortment of three different wine styles to choose from, you’ll have no problem pleasing the varied palates of your guests. Our recommendations for holiday parties are budget friendly wines (no more than $20 per bottle) that we absolutely love to drink.

NV Lamberti Prosecco Extra Dry ($16) Aromatic with citrus and floral notes, the palate is bright with generous bubbles, crisp green apple and pear flavors and a clean, refreshing finish.  Fun and easy to drink, this is just the wine to serve with passed hors d’oeurves, salads and lighter fare.

One of the Veneto region’s most innovative wineries, The House of Lamberti is located on the shores of Lake Garda in northern Italy. The estate crafts beautiful wines representative of regional classics, revamping the traditional styles to adapt modern consumer needs.  The grapes for this delightful Prosecco are sourced from the very best hillside vineyards within the Veneto’s Treviso commune.

2010 Mulderbosch Vineyards Rosé Stellenbosch ($12) Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, this delicious, refreshing rosé showcases complex aromas and flavors of rose petals, lime zest and wild strawberry.  A ruby inflected cranberry-color, this deeper hued rosé will look gorgeous and festive on your holiday table.

Located in the Stellenbosch Hills area, Mulderbosch Vineyards is one of South Africa’s top producers with an impressive portfolio including renowned white wines made from Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay, as well as a Shiraz, Rosé and Dessert wine.  Mulderbosch’s distinctive labels were inspired by a Cuban cigar band and designed by former cellar master Mike Dobrovic.

2010 Jean-Luc Colombo Cotes du Rhone Les Abeilles Blanc ($12) In addition to his celebrated Syrahs, Jean-Luc Colombo produces outstanding white wines from both the Northern and Southern Rhône. The 2010 Jean-Luc Colombo Côtes du Rhône Les Abeilles Blanc is a blend of regional varietals – Clairette, Grenache, Viognier and Roussanne. Appropriately, “Les Abeilles” translates to “the bees” and the wine offers a rich bouquet redolent of a honeybee’s journey through a field of wild flowers. Pleasantly refreshing, fruity, floral and round, “Les Abeilles” is a perfect crowd-pleasing quaff at a pocket-pleasing price point.

2010 Domaine des Vieux Pruniers Sancerre Blanc ($20) This is a quintessential Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc – clean and pure, showing aromas of citrus fruit and blossoms, zesty lime and orange flavors and brisk minerality that lingers on the palate.  This is a great value from the typically higher priced Sancerre appellation.

Domaine des Vieux-Pruniers is located in the village of Bué, a few short miles from Sancerre.  Here the grapes grow on incredibly steep, hillside vineyards renowned for their limestone-rich soils.  Made from start to finish by Christian Thirot-Fournier and his wife, the family team does everything from growing the grapes to bottling the wine.

2010 The Pinot Project Pinot Noir California ($14) Hand-crafted from the finest California Pinot grapes, The Pinot Project deals out sumptuous black cherry flavors, accentuated with exotic spice notes.  This is a classic California Pinot, incredibly friendly and satisfyingly delicious.

The mission of this praiseworthy project, initiated by New York based importer and distributor Michael Skurnik Wines, is to offer quality Pinot Noir at an affordable price.  We can’t thank Skurnik enough for this outstanding effort.  Launched with the 2009 vintage, the Pinot Project is hugely popular with “in-the-know” wine lovers seeking an excellent every day wine.

2009 Villa Ponciago Fleurie la Reserve ($20) Elegant floral aromas of violets and peonies develop into pronounced notes of ripe cherry and blueberry.  Greeting the palate with expressive, fresh flavors, the wine’s structure and balance dance harmoniously, highlighted by dazzling mineral elements and a remarkably long finish.  The Fleurie’s brilliant garnet-violet color adds to its appeal.

Villa Ponciago is located in the Fleurie appellation of Beaujolais, which is one of the most renowned of the region’s 10 crus. Made from 100% Gamay, the grapes are grown on slopes in pink granite crystalline rock soils typical of the Fleurie appellation. The stony, well-drained slopes are ideal for growing low-yielding, high quality Gamay.

Holiday Dinner Wines

If you’re hosting a holiday dinner this year, we recommend turning to Italian wines for some of the most perfect pairings.  In keeping with the Italian theme, we’ll start with wine pairings for an Italian Christmas Eve tradition, the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

While there are many variations of the Seven Fishes that you may opt to prepare, you can simplify your wine choices by pouring just one or two wines with this lovely dinner.  Although it is not an Italian wine, Champagne is always a winner (especially for this special occasion) and an ideal pairing for seafood.  The following wines will work wonderfully with your Seven Fishes:

NV Pierre Peters Brut Cuvee Reserve ($46) The NV Pierre Péters Brut Cuvée Reserve is a blend of almost 15 years of harvests, made exclusively from Grand Cru Chardonnay. The wine displays fine foam and a vivacious thread of bubbles. At first, fruit and floral notes mingle on the nose, giving way to fresh bread and hazelnut aromas. Elegant citrus and pear flavors dance on the palate along with qualities of cream and mineral. This Champagne is incredibly smooth and fresh with a magnificently long finish.

2009 Broglia Gavi di Gavi La Meirana Piemonte ($22) This Northern Italian beauty offers citrus and floral notes with bright, cleansing acidity and a lengthy, refreshing finish.  The Broglia Gavi makes a fantastic pairing for seafood dishes.

2010 Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio DOC ($27) Livio Felluga is a name synonymous with excellence in northern Italian wine. The renowned estate enjoys a lustrous winemaking legacy that reaches back over five generations. Livio Felluga’s Pinot Grigio shows great elegance and purity with floral notes, stone fruit, citrus, pear and crisp minerality. This Pinot Grigio showcases the Estate’s superior quality standards and careful winemaking technique.

Cooking a roast for your holiday dinner?  Whether it be a holiday Beef Brisket or an elegant Standing Rib Roast, Italy is the way to go for spectacular holiday wine pairings.  A rich, fragrant and spicy Barolo will make a marvelous companion for your Beef Brisket.  We suggest any of the following Barolos from the superlative 2004 vintage for dazzling results:

2004 Alfredo Prunotto Barolo Bussia ($70, Wine Advocate: 92 pts) “This expansive, refined Barolo reveals an attractive array of ripe dark fruit, sweet toasted oak, spices, tar and licorice. The tannins are broad, yet silky and the wine appears to have more than enough plumpness to provide balance. The 2004 is one of the finest recent vintages of this wine…” – Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate

2004 Aldo Conterno Barolo Romirasco, 1.5 Litre ($290, Wine Advocate: 95pts) A large format bottle is a great way to go for holiday dinners.  They insure that there’s plenty of wine to go around without opening multiple bottles and the presentation is nothing short of impressive.

“There is no need to taste the 2004 Barolo Romirasco, the nose alone is enough to understand that this is magnificent wine. Aromas of tar, roses, menthol, scorched earth and smoke lead to a core of dark red fruit than unfolds onto the palate with uncommon grace and elegance. As it sits in the glass the wine gradually puts on weight, filling out its considerably structured frame with notable class. The last Romirasco was made in 1993…” – Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate

2004 Aldo Conterno Barolo ($75, Wine Advocate: 91 pts) “Aldo Conterno’s 2004 Barolo is simply beautiful. A medium red, it presents a feminine expression of Nebbiolo in its perfumed, spiced red raspberries and cherries. This is a soft, accessible Barolo ideal for near and mid-term drinking that fully captures the essence of this great vintage…” – Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate

For your Standing Rib Roast, consider a full-bodied Italian or Italian-styled Cabernet Sauvignon.  Either of the following will work equally well for a pork roast and are sure to elevate your holiday dinner to spectacular new levels:

2003 Castello di Monsanto Nemo Cabernet Sauvignon ($52, Wine Advocate: 94 pts) “The 2003 Nemo (Cabernet Sauvignon) is a plump, engaging wine loaded with ripe dark fruit. It shows awesome richness and an elegant, refined personality, even if what comes through is more vineyard character than varietal expression. With air and food this wine could be enjoyed today…This is a stunning wine, not to mention one of the top wines from Tuscany in 2003…” – Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate

2008 Antica Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ($55, Wine Advocate: 90 pts) Antica is located in Napa Valley and produced by Tuscany’s esteemed Antinori family.  (Earlier this fall, I had the pleasure of tasting this stellar Cabernet during a lunch with Alessia Antinori.  I was immediately taken with the wine’s elegant style and structure, and couldn’t resist adding the 2008 Antica Cabernet to Wine Cellarage’s portfolio.)

“The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon is a European take on Napa fruit with lots of terroir, earth, spice, black cherry, black currant, cedar, licorice and foresty notes. Medium-bodied and elegant with sweet tannins and excellent fruit, it should drink nicely for up to a decade.” – Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

Wine Gifts

The sky’s the limit when it comes to wine gift options from our expansive portfolio.  When faced with so many possibilities, gift-giving can become a bit overwhelming, which is why we’ve chosen five of our favorite wine gifts from each of four top regions:  Napa Valley, Burgundy, Bordeaux and Champagne.  Whether you’re shopping for a connoisseur of Napa Valley Cabernet or a Burgundy-lover, our Holiday Wine Gift Guide includes highly rated wines from renowned producers that are sure to delight and impress everyone on your list.  Here’s a peek at our favorite wines to give this holiday season:

2008 Blackbird Vineyards Arise Proprietary Red Wine, Oak Knoll, Napa Valley ($54, Wine Advocate: 91pts) Located in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley, Blackbird Vineyards bares a strong resemblance to Bordeaux’s Pomerol region.  With its cool climate and gravelly soils, Oak Knoll has proven to be an exceptional location for Merlot production.  Led by the expertise of winemaker Aaron Pott, one of Napa’s finest, Blackbird Vineyards produces truly special Bordeaux-style red wines.

2009 Domaine Jean Marc et Hugues Pavelot Savigny-les-Beaune la Dominode ($58, Burghound: 92-94 pts) “This is perhaps the ripest wine in the range with a liqueur-like nose of black cherry, earth and underbrush hints that introduce rich, serious and concentrated flavors that possess an abundance of mid-palate extract as it almost completely buffers the otherwise very firm tannic spine, all wrapped in a palate staining finish. This stunning effort should reward at least a dozen years in the cellar and drink well for another decade thereafter.” – Allen Meadows, Burghound

2009 Chateau Petit Val Saint Emilion Grand Cru ($40) A stunning Right Bank Bordeaux from an outstanding recent vintage.  (A blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc & 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.)  Black fruit aromas are accented by notes of tobacco and cocoa. Full-bodied with harmonious tannins and a lingering finish.  This wine is opulent and delicious; a real value.

2004 Pierre Peters Brut Cuvee Speciale les Chetillons Champagne ($99, Wine Advocate: 96 pts) Pierre Péters is a small family-run estate located in the center of the Côte des Blancs region, in the Grand Cru village of Le Mesnil sur Oger. The Péters family has been growing Chardonnay and producing Blanc de Blancs Champagne since 1919, releasing their first vintage under the family name in 1944.

“The 2004 Brut Millesime Cuvee Speciale Les Chetillons is stratospheric. This is a cool, inward Chetillons endowed with breathtaking finesse. The 2004 is noticeably more vibrant and focused than the decidedly exuberant 2002. Ripe pears, almonds and jasmine are some of the notes that flesh out in this pure, energetic wine…” – Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate

If you’re pressed for time, or unsure of your gift recipient’s specific wine taste, our gift cards and e-gift cards provide the perfect solution.  Wine Cellarage gift cards take the guesswork out of gift giving by allowing your recipients to choose for themselves.  We’ll include your personalized message on one of our festive note cards, which make a beautiful presentation, and we’ll mail the gift card right to your recipient’s door.  Our Wine Cellarage e-gift cards make excellent last minute gifts and can be emailed to your recipients anytime, from anywhere, providing the ultimate convenience in gift-giving!

Our wine gift options don’t end here…you may opt to choose from our selection of two- and four-bottle gift sets packaged in collectible gift boxes.  If you want to give a gift that keeps on giving throughout the year, The Wine Cellarage Wine Club is ideal! Featuring wines from classic regions and varietals, as well as those from emerging regions and lesser known varietals, our wine club is the ultimate wine gift for enthusiasts and connoisseur’s alike. Each delivery includes 6 wines (3 red & 3 white) as well as wine descriptions for your reference.

In addition to complimentary gift consultations, we offer free gift wrapping services and Free Manhattan Delivery for all orders over $100.  We are happy to do the heavy lifting so that you can kick back and enjoy the holiday season!

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