I'm Dreaming of a Wine Christmas...
Well, it's that time of year again, and the holiday season is the PERFECT excuse to open up some fantastic bottles of wine. This year, I've picked out some of my favorites I've had this year that are sure to make a great impression on your family and friends.
Maximus Red Feasting Wine from Bennett Lane
This is one of my absolute favorites year after year for holiday celebrations. There's a reason they call it "feasting wine" - it's incredibly food friendly with a great balance of dark fruit and acidity, and a really nice tannic structure. The blend changes slightly each year (a reason I LOVE trying every vintage) but I recently opened the 2015 blend which is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Syrah and 7% Merlot. Get a few of these for your celllar as they also have great ageing potential.
2020 Undisclosed Vineyard Chardonnay from Merriam Vineyards
Every family has a Chardonnay-obsessed family member, am I right? For my family, it's my mom! I love Chardonnay for its extremely versatile capabilities - you could have two bottles from the same vineyard that have completely different characteristics depending on terroir and production method. This one from Merriam Vineyards has lovely stone fruit notes of pear and apricot, with light white florals and a hint of dairy.
2022 New Wave, Nouveau Mourvèdre from Tank Winery
Want the wine you serve to be the talk of the town? Try this Nouveau Mourvèdre from Tank Winery, which was produced with a Carbonic Maceration style that is used to produce Beaujolais Nouveau in France, but using Mourvèdre instead of Gamay. It's young and fresh with exploding notes of cranberries and blueberry cobbler, and is practically BEGGING to be paired with your holiday feast. Your family will remember this one, trust me.
2019 Cotes du Crow's Red Blend from Morgan Winery
I know I've posted about this blend on my blog before, but it is such a phenomenal bottle for a fantastic price, and would be a great wine to open up for the holiday season. This is a Rhone-style blend made up of 62% Grenache, 29% Syrah, 5% Tempranillo and 2% Cinsault, from the Monterey area of California. Punchy notes of strawberry, raspberry and cherry cola are complimented by savory herbs and soft tannins. It would literally pair well with any kind of food, making it a total winner for the holidays.
Whether you try one of these recommendations or go with something else, I hope you all have a safe, happy and healthy holiday filled with loved ones and fantastic wine.