WINE IS A CENTERPIECE OF THE HOLIDAYS, FROM OPULENT reds that elevate a traditional holiday dinner to sparkling wines that add a touch of excitement to festive appetizers.
Thinking of host gifts, client gifts, and all sorts of wine pairings can create overwhelm, especially when looking for innovative, extra-special, or curated presents. We’ve compiled some terrific options to serve and gift during the holiday season to inspire and simplify your choices.
SPARKLING WINE
Nothing says “celebrate” quite like bubbly, making sparkling wine an iconic symbol of the holidays. Its versatility is unmatched—it’s a New Year’s Eve requisite, can be part of a sparkling cocktail, is a perfect sip with appetizers, and no one scoffs at a gift of Champagne. Here are a few options to make your guests and gift recipients effervescent.
2012 JCB Collection Gala Gold Brut Champagne
The entire line of JCB Collection Champagne is made for gifting and drinking. The eye-catching and extravagant gold bottle of Gala Gold makes a glamorous impression, and the luscious white flower, almond, and slight gingerbread flavors perfectly complement the season.
2016 Artesa Sparkling Brut Barrica Reserve
This sparkling wine comes from Los Carneros, the coolest appellation in Napa Valley, which is renowned for its sparkling wine production. It’s produced using méthode champenoise with 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay grapes.
Roederer Collection 245 Champagne NV
Aged for nearly four years, this multi-vintage Champagne has a refined, chalky texture with fine, crisp bubbles. The blend is 41% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, and 24% Meunier.
Brion Wise Champagne Cuvée Ronda, Blanc de Blancs, Extra Brut, Grand Cru
Sonoma winery Brion Wise used pure Chardonnay fruit grown in Champagne, France. It was crafted using the méthode champenoise to make this mouthwatering blanc de blancs exuding apple, vanilla, and citrus notes.
2016 Parés Baltà Cava Brut Blanca Cusine – Cava de Guarda
Superior Gran Reserva
This Cava was made from 83% Xarel·lo, 10% Pinot Noir, and 7% Chardonnay fruit grown organically and biodynamically in Penedès, Spain. It has an intense aroma of dried fruits, toasted notes, and subtle hints of fruit compote.
ROSÉ
Rosé is a summer staple, but it pairs so well with cranberry sauce, grilled poultry, and fruit desserts that it’s also a natural for the holidays. Here are two excellent Rosé options to grace your glass.
2023 Domaines Ott, Château de Selle, Côtes de Provence Rosé
Château de Selle is on limestone hillsides in the inland Côtes de Provence appellation. The elegant peach hue sets the Provencal scene, and the nose opens with a hint of exotic fruits. It is followed by jasmine and white-fleshed fruit notes wrapped in a delicate minerality.
2023 Shannon Family of Wines, Mother Vine Rosé
This elegant Cinsault-based wine has a great story. Pioneers brought “The Mother” vine of Cinsault from Croatia in 1870, and it survived for 150 years before getting its own bottling. Cold fermentation brings white flowers, rhubarb, guava, and raspberry notes to the fore, and the gorgeous bottle presentation makes this a lovely host gift.
WHITES
Chardonnay is a classic pairing for holiday meals, but adding a twist on the classics can please the palate and also be a welcome conversation starter.
2021 Keller Estate Chardonnay La Cruz Vineyard
The gorgeous pineapple on the nose is complemented by flinty limestone notes and the signature minerality from Keller’s Petaluma Gap ranch. This wine pairs beautifully with decadent cheeses.
2021 Mascarin Dalya Estate Chardonnay
Made of 100% Chardonnay grown in the cool-climate boutique Dalya Estate Vineyard in the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast, this Chardonnay will be a crowd-pleaser for festive entertaining.
2023 Bouchaine Alsatian Blend
Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Blanc blend beautifully in this bright and delicious wine, perfect for traditional Thanksgiving fare like herb-roasted turkey and tangy cranberry sauce.
2019 Marques de Murrieta, Pazo de Barrantes Albariño
This Rias Baixas Albariño, while not a traditional holiday accompaniment, has an exquisite and expressive presentation of white stone fruits, hints of citric fruits, balsamic nuances, acacia blossoms, and bay, and the unique bottle shape makes it a standout gift.
2021 Château Mukhrani Goruli Mtsvane
Want to impress a wine connoisseur? This Georgian wine blends 85% Goruli Mtsvane and 15% Chinuri. Its pale straw color and a bouquet of white mulberry, pear, and green apple give an elegant presentation of yellow and white stone fruits and crispy minerality, not to mention the obscure wine cred you will enjoy.
REDS
Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic choice for hearty holiday meals, and no red wine is more versatile than Pinot Noir. Still, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Tempranillo, and Primitivo deserve a seat at the table and can add a certain je ne c’est quoi to your holiday celebrations.
2022 Krug Napa Valley Merlot
Napa Valley’s oldest winery, Charles Krug, has a legacy of crafting fine wines since 1861. Over 150 years later, the rich 2022 Napa Valley Merlot impresses with flavors of ripe blackberries, plum, and dark chocolate, perfect for holiday dining.
2022 Rutherford Hill AJT Cabernet Sauvignon
Aromas of cherry, dark chocolate, roasted oak, cedar, and chestnuts make this wine a great pairing with aged cheese, lamb, and game.
2019 Brassfield Petit Verdot
This wine is an excellent pairing for heartier dishes, bringing blackberry, cherry, sage, and lilac aromas that entice before savoring its velvety tannins and cherry cordial and cedar flavors. It is a Wine Enthusiast Cellar Selection.
2019 Varvaglione Papale Linea Oro Primitivo di Manduria
This wine will shake up the dinner table with a new combination of red wine flavors, just as Puglia’s Primitivo is shaking up the wine world. This complex red is one to watch and a perfect match for red meat and game.
2018 Abadía Retuerta Pago Negralada Tempranillo
Abadía Retuerta is in the Duero Valley, on the 12th-century Abbey of Santa María de Retuerta site near the Duero River. Hints of red and black fruits, bay leaves, and cloves make this Tempranillo a delicious choice for holiday dinners.
COLLECTIONS
Dry Creek Vineyard – The Maritime Collection
The 2022 Mariness, an elegant white blend, and 2021 Mariner, a rich Bordeaux-style red, are beautifully presented in a wooden box, making them perfect for impressive gift-giving. These wines capture the family’s passion for artful Bordeaux blending and represent the finest of Dry Creek Valley winemaking.
2022 Pedroncelli Courage Zinfandel and 2021 Wisdom Cabernet Sauvignon
Who wouldn’t want a little courage and wisdom for the holidays? A century ago, the Pedroncelli family pioneered Sonoma County winemaking with courage and wisdom, and the family continues to hold to its vision with wines that reflect its historic terroir.
Lokoya Napa Valley Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
These are highly sought-after, collector-level wines. Lokoya’s mountain Cabernet Sauvignons, sourced from high-elevation vineyards on Mount Veeder, Howell Mountain, Spring, and Diamond Mountain, showcase the distinct characteristics of their respective terroirs.
Black Kite Cellars
A cult favorite for its premium, distinctive, small-lot Pinot Noir, Black Kite Cellars also has a philanthropic line, Africa Quest. The three-bottle Africa Quest Holiday Collection (Rhino, Elephant, and Lion) is an ideal charitable wine gift, with 100 percent of profits going to the Kenya Rhino Rangeland Expansion project.
Appassionata Pinot Noirs
Inspired by the three movements of Beethoven’s “Appassionata” Piano Sonata, there are three Appassionata Pinot Noirs, released at different tempos: Allegro, Andante, and Fortissimo—a perfect gift for Pinot Noir and music aficionados.