HOLIDAY WINE & DINE
Jennifer Mejia
The holidays officially begin this Thursday. It’s my favorite time of year. I may have mentioned that once or twice. I get to see family and friends who I don’t see as much as I’d like throughout the year. I miss them. And there is no better feeling than going home. Another reason for my love of this season is all of the food, wine, and seasonal cocktails (egg nog, pumpkin, mulled spices,…) Whether you’re entertaining at home or you’re a guest of family or friends, it’s always a good idea to serve a fabulous bottle of wine (or two)! There’s just one problem for many of us. What wine should we bring or serve? When we walk into a wine shop, or even worse, search the internet, the choices are endless and overwhelming. And I am laughing at myself as I type because I’m recalling the many times I’ve tried to ascertain within 5 seconds if I can actually trust the person working in the wine shop. Do they really know their stuff, are they guessing, or are they just promoting what some wine rep incentivized them to do?
Today is your lucky day! Because it was mine a week or so ago when I had the good fortune to sit down with Holly Shaw, DWS (Diploma Wine & Spirits). That’s the highest degree with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), the world’s leading educational provider for the wine trade. So in layman’s terms, Holly is as good as it gets when it comes to wine experts. I was exhausted and stressed just listening as she described the rigorous coursework and exams. And you thought drinking wine was all fun and games? Well, it’s definitely a lot of fun for her, as this career path began with her love of wine and a highly sophisticated palette (which can’t really be taught). Many winemakers rely on Holly for her opinion and expertise. This is a great passion for her, and she’s so good at it that she never returned to the Wall Street career she left to raise her three children. Instead, she’s begun a new journey using her knowledge to help others truly enjoy their wine experience. She loves to conduct high quality and fun wine tasting events, both private and corporate. (My friend, Christine, hired her for a corporate event and was tickled pink with her recommendations!) She also teaches Level 2 and 3 for the WSET. And as I mentioned, she consults for wine stores and winemakers. To round it all out, Holly writes a blog called “Wine Not Whine”, which pairs parenting and wine! It contains a wealth of knowledge, so definitely click on over to browse when you have time.
NOW! Down to business. To quote Rihanna, “This is what you came for!” You have lots of entertaining to do and a few parties to attend, and you need good wine. You need to know how to pair it. And you don’t always want to spend a fortune. So Holly has been kind enough to give us a crash course, along with several recommendations of exact wines to purchase, for your enjoyment this holiday season and beyond! Don’t skip out early because she is even giving us permission to buy wine from Costco. And while Holly is sharing recommendations on pairings, she advises that the “old rules” of pairing red wines with red meat and white wines with white meat or fish, are not hard and fast rules. Appreciation, personal preference, and enjoyment are equally important! Keep reading for the full scoop, and to make shopping easier when you’re out shopping or surfing the web, I’ve added Holly’s recommendations to a printable cheat sheet. Just click on the button to open and print. You’re welcome!
So…Let’s go! First up: Sparkling! Because a little bubbly always helps to kick off a celebration. Sparkling wine can be made by different methods in different regions, with different grapes and rules. This is why price, taste, and quality vary. Bubbles are good for any occasion but especially perfect for celebrations (IMO). It’s helpful to understand the difference between sparkling wine and Champagne. Sparkling wine is a carbonated wine. How bubbles get there depends on the style used to make it. Sparkling wine can only be called Champagne if it comes from the region of Champagne in NE France, just outside Paris. And Champagne can only be made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes using a process called “Méthode Champenoise,” traditional method that causes a secondary fermentation to happen in the bottle, meaning C02 is captured in the bottle, giving the wine its sparkle. Franciacorta, Cap Classique Cava, and Cremant are also sparkling wines that are made solely using this method. For you Prosecco lovers out there, the reason it comes with a more accessible price point is that it’s typically made in a stainless steel tank with the bubbles pumped in (although there are some producers who use the traditional method).
Sparkling Pairs With: salt, richness and cream, grease, butter and deep-fried foods, fish, sushi, oysters, Asian dishes, chicken, pesto, hummus, and Middle Eastern food. Avoid dishes that are too sweet, broccoli, and rich red meats.
Sparkling Recommendations (USA):
R. Stuart Bubbly ($28.00)
Chandon Blanc de Blanc ($35)
Roederer Estate Brut ($28.00)
Schramsberg Brut Blanc de blanc ($41.00)
Soter Vineyards Mineral Springs Brut Rosé ($65.00)
Domaine Carneros Blanc de Noir ($39.00)
Argyle Wine ($28.00 and up)
Sokol Blosser ($28.00)
Recommendations Outside the USA:
For value look for the following sparkling wines: Franciacorta (Italy), Cremant de Bourgogne or Alsace (France), and Cava (Spain). Holly’s recent favorite for the price is Cave L’Aurance Cremant de Bourgogne ($12.99-19.99), featured above.
Champagne Recommendations: Nicolas Feuillatte Brut, Bollinger, Billecart-Salmon, Dom Perignon, Krug, LaurentPerrier, Louis Roederer Pol Roger, and Ruinart.
Favorite Rosé Sparkling: Ruinart Rosé, Chandon Rosé, Billecart-Salmon Rosé, Krug Rosé, and Veuve Clicquot.
SAUVIGNON BLANC
Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp white wine that’s versatile with foods and affordable. It delivers flavors ranging from tropical fruit, green apple, and citrus flavors. It can be paired with food or just enjoyed by itself.
In France, Sauvignon Blanc can be labeled: Sancerre, St Brix, Pouilly-Fume, Sauvignon de Touraine, and Entre-deux-mers. Outside France, a few of Holly’s favorites are found in New Zealand, Chile, Alto Adige (Italy), and California.
Sauvignon Blanc Pairing Notes: versatile with most ingredients, soups, salad, grilled dishes, vinaigrette, oysters, cheeses (especially goat). Avoid red meat dishes, savory and rich dishes.
Sauvignon Blanc Recommendations:
Peter Dipoli Alto Adige "Volgar", Italy 2016 ($18)
Pouilly-Fume "Les Cris" 2016 ($25)
Miracle Stellenbosch 2018 ($10)
Gerard Boulay Sancerre Chavignol 2017 ($25)
Oyster Bay New Zealand 2018 ($11)
Chateau Ste Michelle Sauvignon Blanc 2018 ($10)
CHARDONNAY
Louis Jadot Macon-Villages Chardonnay 2018
Chardonnay is a crisp white wine that can range in taste and flavors depending on region, oak usage, and a little thing called MLF (Malolactic fermentation). Flavors range from citrus, grapefruit, passion fruit to floral, cream, vanilla, and butterscotch.
Chardonnay Pairs With: dishes with rich texture, shellfish, lobster, mussels, dishes with butter and cream, mushroom dishes. Avoid overtly oaked examples for Thanksgiving/turkey.
Chardonnay Recommendations:
Louis Jadot Macon-Villages Chardonnay 2018 ($12)
Joseph Drouhin Laforet Chardonnay 2017 ($16)
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay 2017 ‘Hemel-en-arde’ ($26)
Kumeu River esate Chardonnay 2017 ($30)
Ceritas Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2017 (Splurge at $50)
Kistler Sonoma Coast 2017 (Splurge at $70)
RIESLING
Riesling is known as the greatest wine in the world and has a very devoted following, albeit limited. Riesling can be a hard sell in terms of likability, but there is a reason it is considered one of the best. It is the world’s most versatile wine, and it comes as sparkling, dry, sweet, and luscious. The bigger issue is figuring out the label. The main wines come from Germany and France (Alsace). Alsace Riesling is typically, but not always, bone dry. They are typically bright and refreshing.
Riesling Pairs With: salmon, poultry, salty foods, sweet foods, aromatic dishes, sushi, cold cut sandwiches, sweet foods (Thai), lobser, crab, shellfish, egg dishes. Avoid dishes that are too rich and dominant, as well as red meat dishes.
Riesling Recommendations:
Trimbach (France)
Dr. Konstantin Frank (NY)
A to Z (Oregon)
Eroica (Washington State)
Annie’s Lane (Australia)
Joh. Jos. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr
Donhoff
Schloss Diel
Schloss Gobelsburg
Selbach-Oster
Kahurangi Estate (NZ)
High Eden Riesling (Australia)
OTHER WHITES
Italian White Wine
Holly feels white wine from Italy is so underrated. She feels any of the following are very good and worth a try: Verdicchio, Fiano, Etna Bianca, Soave, and Arneis.
Italian Recommendations (any vintage):
Pieropan Soave Classico ($15)
J. Hofstadter Gewurtztraminer Alto Adige, Italy
Tenuta Sarno Fiano di Avellino
Feudi di San Gregorio Greco di Tufo
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Bianco
Other Whites she loves: Godello, making a revival in NW Spain, is delicious. If you can find it, try it! Rueda (Verdejo grape) and Albarino from Spain are also great options.
Specific Other White Recommendation: Godell Casal Novo 2013 ($9) Spain
PINOT NOIR
So the funniest thing I learned while chatting with Holly is that I’ve been mispronouncing a region in Oregon that is known for its Pinot Noir. The region is the Willamette Valley. Want an easy way to remember how to pronounce it? “It’s Willamette, Damn It!” HAHAHAHA! Works though, right? Pinot Noir is a great red wine for the holidays. In my opinion, amazing pinots come from this region, and thankfully, Holly shared that many also come at a great value.
Pinot Noir Recommendations:
Ken Wright Cellars ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir ($22)
Purple Hands Winery ‘Lone Oak Ranch’ 2017 or 2018 ($25)
Cristom ‘Mt Jefferson Cuvee’ 2018 ($22)
Domaine Drouhin ‘Dundee Hills’ Pinot Noir, Oregon 2017 ($28)
Harper Voit ‘Strandline’ Pinot Noir 2017, Oregon ($44)
Littorai Pinot Noir “Sonoma Coast” 2017 ($50) (Biodynamic)
Williams Selyem 2017 ‘Sonoma’ ($39)
Hirsch Pinot Noir ‘Sonoma Coast’ 2017 ($50)
Verum Patagonia Pinot Noir ($18)
Joseph Drouhin ‘Laforet’ Bourgogne ($13)
Domaine Faiveley Mercurey Pinot Noir 2017 ($32)
OTHER REDS
Outside of Pinot Noir, reach for Syrah. This underrated grape is delicious and one of the best values out there. Gramercy Cellars out of Washington State makes yummy wine, as well as Euclid in Napa. And Syrah from Australia and France’s Rhône Valley are excellent values. Holly just picked up a Languedoc-Rhône blend called L’Hortus de Bergerie Pic Saint Loup, which is delicious…and also $15.00 USD!
Red Recommendations:
Euclid 2015 Euclid Sierra Foothills Syrah (any wine here) ($50) https://euclidwines.com/wine-shop/
Gramercy Cellars Syrah 2017 (range $35-80)
Guigal Côtes du Rhône 2017 ($12)
Produttori del Barbaresco Italy 2016 ($30)
HOLLY’S GUIDANCE ON COSTCO WINES — IT’S OK!
While Holly knows a lot about wine, she’s not stiff. She likes to have fun (evidence in photo above!) And she also understands that people want to enjoy wine without always draining their wallets. Holly’s position on Costco: Do not be afraid to buy wines from Costco. Due to the membership model, they are able to reduce prices on some really terrific wines. Distribution varies by state, but don't shy away from Kirkland Signature Wine. If you’re worried people will think less of you, pour the wine into a decanter and present it on the table that way! (That’s her trick)! Kirkland Signature Wines are made by well-known and well-respected wineries at a fraction of the price.
Recommendations for Costco Wines:
Kirkland Signature: Côtes-du-Rhône Villages 2018 ($9), Kirkland Toscana ($9), Kirkland Ti Point Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019 ($9), and Kirkland Signature Red Blend 2018.
One of Holly’s favorite wines, from one of the most respected families in the Rhône Valley, is currently being sold at Costco: Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2014 ($77).
Ok, folks, that’s it for today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by family and friends with endless amounts of delicious food AND tasty wine. Thank you, Holly, for sharing all of this with me and my followers.
xoxo,
Jennifer