With Christmas quickly approaching this week, there is still time to find that perfect wine for your Holiday gatherings and feast… or even a gift.
Traditionally, the two wines most selected for Christmas are Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, but the truth is, there are many types of wines that will be a good compliment to your Holiday. Much like Thanksgiving, Pinot Noir style wines appear to becoming a holiday staple with turkey. For those who want more spice or peppery flavor try a Rhône red.
The following wines come from a mix of our recommendations and us reaching out to several wineries located in Northern California to get their recommendations.
Here are ten wines at different price points for your Holiday enjoyment. Let us know what you think!
Peirano Estate Vineyards Chardonnay ($14)
Peirano Estates Vineyards recommends their Peirano Chardonnay with the Christmas brie or cheese platter. This wine is barrel aged and is actually pretty beautiful to look at in color. The aromas of fresh picked white peaches, ripe melon, and yellow apples with hints of light vanilla that entices that first sip. The mouth you will taste sweet apples, pears, peaches and sweet honeydew melons. Soft hints of butter and vanilla round out the wine to produce a very seductive, lingering finish.
Other recommendations at $14 a bottle:
- Peirano Sauvignon Blanc with a salad
- Peirano Tempranillo with pork
- Peirano Cabernet Sauvignon with Prime Rib.
- Peirano Viognier or Moscato pairs perfectly with a decadent, chocolate dessert.
For more information on Peirano Estate Vineyards, visit them at www.peirano.com. Their tasting room is located at 21831 N. Highway 99 (West Frontage Road), Acampo, CA 95220
Scotto Family Cellars – Old Vine Zinfandel ($19)
For you Lodi Zinfandel fans, this is a wine that we recently stumbled upon which is light, smooth and really easy to drink with a wide variety of food.
Depending on where you locate this wine at a store or online, it ranges anywhere from $12-19 a bottle and provides a nice bang for the buck–it even was a Gold Medal winner in the 2014 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. In the Ultimate Wine Challenge, it scored a 93-point rating.
The nose is fruity with lots of red and dark fruit such as plum, but in the mouth, it has lots of cherry and vanilla with some dark chocolate, none of which is overpowering, which provides a nice combo with subtle tannins.
This wine is very drinkable for any occasion because not one flavor is overpowering which means this will pair well with red meats and game–the spicier the dish, the better this wine will be.
For more information on Scott Family Cellars, visit them online at www.scottocellars.com.
Three Wine Company: Three Zinfandel Old Vines Contra Costa ($22)
Erin Cline was kind enough to provide us with a recommendation from their winery for Christmas dinner where she would recommend our 2013 “three” Zinfandel Old Vines Contra Costa County.
The wine is sourced from ancient vineyards in Oakley. This very versatile and affordable Zinfandel pairs well with a variety of foods: Prime Rib, Pork Loin, Lasagna. The wine is dark purple in color, with aromas of blackberries, cherries, and sweet herbs. Rich on the palate with blackberries, hints of cherry liqueur and notes of coffee.
You may visit the Three Wine Company at The Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg, CA located at 35265 Willow Avenue, Clarksburg, CA. You may also visit them online at www.threewinecompany.com
Bogle Vineyards – The Phantom ($20)
It’s hard to find a wine we do not like from Bogle. For Christmas, we stepped it up a notch with their wine “The Phantom”. This is an intense wine they you will love. Lots of red cherry fruit with some nice spice in the form of pepper. This wine also has lots of blackberry and boysenberry.
For those on a budget, Bogle also offers a very nice Chardonnay and their Essential Red for around $9–both are worthy of not only wine for Christmas dinner, but wine that you can give away as Christmas gifts that will sure please someone.
The Essential Red, a personal favorite, is a combination of Old Vine Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah that really fulfills expectations. Its probably the best value wine on the market.
For more information on Bogle Vineyards, visit them at www.boglewinery.com. To visit their tasting room, is located at 37783 Co Rd 144, Clarksburg, CA 95612
Rock Wall Wine Company – 2012 Sparkling Rockpile Zinfandel ($35)
Shauna Rosenblum, winemaker, says the wine that will make your holidays even more enjoyable than they already are would have to be the 2012 Sparkling Rockpile Zinfandel.
“It is an ultra premium Zinfandel that we barrel aged to perfection before refermenting and bottling it under pressure as an awesome Sparkling wine. It is super versatile and sure to please everyone in your family from the Chardonnay-only-drinker, to wine snob, to the brother-in-law who only drinks craft brews. They will all like this wine. And, it pairs beautifully with holiday fare. Turkey, duck, prime rib, ham, and even salmon have a fatty element that will pair brilliantly with the acidity and effervescence of the Sparkling Rockpile,” says Rosenblum.
For those who may prefer a Contra Costa grown grape out of Oakley, she recommends the 2012 Jesse’s Zinfandel ($30) which is about as tried and true as they come. 126- year-old Zin vines grown in sandy loam soil create what I call “essential Contra Costa terroir” which includes aromas and flavors of cocoa, black tea, pipe tobacco, cherry pie and pepper.
For more information on the Rock Wall Wine Company, visit them at www.rockwallwines.com. To visit their tasting room, they are located at 2301 Monarch Street, Suite 300, Alameda, CA 94501
Hannah Nicole Vineyards – 2012 Meritage ($38)
Debbie Francis, wine club manager, recommends the 2012 Meritage for Christmas. According to Francis, this wine is universal that pairs with many foods because of it’s unique blends that adds to it’s complex structure.
The Meritage starts with a very strong earth based Cabernet Sauvignon, with a touch of Petite Verdot added for a heavy, creamy mouth feel, followed with 5% cabernet franc that enhances the complexity and 5% merlot that rounds out the fruit and softens the tannis. This is Hannah Nicole Vineyards & Winery’s flag ship wine year after year.
For those in East Contra Costa, they are located in Brentwood at 6700 Balfour Road and are open 7-days a week between 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm. You may visit them online at www.hnvwines.com
McGrail Vineyards – 2012 Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve ($42)
This is a fun wine that is bold and will not disappoint this holiday season–even taking a Gold Medal in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine competition. Wine Enthusiast scored this wine 90-points.
This wine has lots of dark cherry and blackberry flavor with a hint of vanilla. Lots of dark fruit with some dark chocolate which provides that rich flavor. A solid amount of spices that really rounds off the wine with a nice finish.
According to McGrail Vineyards, this wine will pair well with hamburgers or a nice glazed London broil.
For more information on McGrail Vineyards, visit them online: www.mcgrailvineyards.com or take the short trip over Vasco Road to see them in Livermore. They are located at 5600 Greenville Road, Livermore, CA.
Duckhorn Vineyards – Paraduxx Proprietary Napa Valley Red Wine ($48)
Belinda Weber of the Duckhorn Wine Company suggest trying the Paraduxx Proprietary Napa Valley Red Wine which pairs well with a nice leg of lamb for the holidays. Weber even provided a recipe.
This wine is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Zinfandel and 3% Petit Verdot where the nose offers enticing layers of spicy brambleberry, as well as hints of ripe blackberry and oak-inspired vanilla cream. Ripe red-fruited raspberry notes dominate the palate of this lovely blend, underscored by deeper layers of blueberry and spice. Beautifully balanced tannins carry the flavors through to a long, satisfying finish.
Duckhorn Vineyards is located at 1000 Lodi Lane in St. Helena, CA. They are open daily and for reservations,you may call (888) 354-8885 or email [email protected]. You may also visit them online at www.duckhorn.com
Mitchell Katz Winery – 2012 Crackerbox Sangiovese ($50).
Elysse Reynolds, General Manager, recommends their 2012 Crackerbox Sangiovese which just got back from sweeping the competition at the State Fair and winning Best Sangiovese in California–scoring 95 points!
From Livermore, the 2012 vintage of Crackerbox is one of black licorice, red cherries, and cocoa covered caramels. A full round body with velvety tannins, give way to graceful nuances of clove, macerated sweet mint, and dusty blueberries. With decanting and a bit of time, one is rewarded with dried raspberries, fresh pine needles, and a hint of wet gravel. This is a wine that endlessly complex and intriguing as it pulls you back for another sip to discover layer upon layer of elegance.
This wine revels more depth when paired with food as well – everything from a simple fennel sausage pizzas to roast duck finished with toasted walnuts and a cherry demi glace. (Zachary Thomsen 7.5.15)
Mitchell Katz Winery is open 7-days a week (12-5pm) at 2481 Buena Vista Ave, Livermore CA. You may visit them online at www.mitchellkatzwinery.com
Beringer – 2012 Beringer Private Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($165)
If you wish to splurge this Christmas holiday, a great choice would be the 2012 Beringer Private Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The folks at Beringer selected this as one of their favorites for the Holiday season and we know why as Robert Parker scored this a 96-point wine.
Each week, East County Today will be doing a weekly write up on wine, wineries or folks within the wine industry. If you would like us to write about your winery or wine, contact ECT via email at [email protected]
