For many of us, there are a lot of Christmas parties to get to: Family gatherings, office parties, neighborhood get-togethers, store & restaurant celebrations—and whatever festive congregations are happening most holiday parties will offer more wines, beers, and spirits than at any other time of the year.
I know that sometimes there’s a desire to ‘quickly’ get into party mode i.e., get buzzed. But at these holiday parties, we can take things slow. The better mode is one of appreciating relationships along with enjoying good foods and nice wine.
The best advice is to start any party with a substantial glass of water, wait a few minutes then munch on some appetizers and enjoy a glass of sparkling white wine. Most bubbly around town is generally low in alcohol and high on festivity; and when taking pleasure in the finger foods, the alcohol you are taking in is absorbed more slowly by the body.
All right!—enough of the lecture, let’s find some fun wine for Christmastime! Predictably—I’ll be doing my New Years’ column on bubbly—but that’s not stopping me from enjoying some good stuff this coming week as well.
For the Twelve Days of Christmas, the everyday sparkling quaffer would be our old standby: Jaume Serra Cristolino Brut Rosé which is selling for just over $5 a bottle at Pavillons/Vons if you purchase 6 bottles of wine or spirits. Beautiful scents of raspberry and cherry on the nose with fresh, clean strawberry and cherry flavors in the mouth and a consistent bead of bubbles. The finish is clean and crisp and invites another sip. Why not purchase 6 bottles of this stuff to last through the holidays.
If you wish to treat the host of the party you’re attending—and I recommend treating your own household to a bottle as well, the “wine insiders” pick for this season is NV (non-vintage) Scharffenberger Brut Excellence Mendocino Sparkling at around $20. The skivvy on it reads: “Still one of the best deals in American bubbles, this shows a bit more Chardonnay fruit: fresh cream, flinty mineral, puff pastry and ripe pear matched by pecan and clover honey. Polished and opulent.”
I’m agreeing with everyone on this—it’s what I call a sexy sparkler. Great looking French-style golden foil green bottle, cool name from Mendocino wine country and it’s as delicious as they say. The recipient of this bottle will be amazed at your wine acumen. You’ll definitely own “cool status”. Found at Bristol Farms in Palm Desert.
It’s not only a “smart buy” but the Kendal Jackson 2010 Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay is a delicious wine with a rich layering of flavors from grapes grown in California’s cool coastal vineyards. Ripe red apple and pear from Sonoma combine with luscious citrus notes from Monterey and rich tropical flavors from Santa Barbara. Barrel fermented and aged in French and American oak barrels.
Although this is Kendal Jackson’s “low-end wine”—and not a wine that I generally look for, you can see by the profile, it’s a well-crafted wine. Kendall-Jackson winemaster, Randy Ullom, is extremely talented and his integrity in producing a very good wine at this price level is admirable. You can find it on sale for around $8 to $11 at most supermarkets. It goes well with grilled chicken, pasta and rich seafood—and perfect with a tuna avocado sandwich!
On the premium side of things—a great wine gift for a true Chardonnay lover, seek out Chalk Hill Estate Russian River Valley Chardonnay. The 2008 Estate Chardonnay has aromas that are concentrated and complex featuring caramel, toasted hazelnut, apricot, pear and lemon oil. The rich palate of tropical fruit is balanced by a distinct minerality typical of Chardonnay wines from the Estate. This wine can be enjoyed alone or alongside a wide variety of dishes including crab, scallops, fish and roasted chicken. It is the perfect accompaniment to the holiday’s rich butter or cream sauces. It sells at most supermarkets and wine shops at around $45.
A nice casual wine gift for your party acquaintances, where one doesn’t really know the type of wine they drink is always a Pinot Noir—the allure of which we wrote a couple of weeks ago. See coachellavalleyweekly.com/archives for previous articles.
A good choice Pinot Noir to have at a party—one that everyone likes is the 2011 Seaglass Pinot Noir that sells for around $10 a bottle. Wine Snooth writes: “Smokey and cola-laden aromas of dark candied cherries greet the nose topped with spicy sandalwood notes. This is rather vibrant on entry with soft tannins and pure red cherry and cranberry fruit that’s topped with gentle green spice notes and a loose gauze of oak spice. Uncomplicated and fresh, this is attractive for its vibrant cherry and cranberry fruit and juicy texture. “
If you go premium, a great gift and treat for that California Pinot lover is the $50 Twomey 2008 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley. A vino lover notes: “ Intense and a bit meaty on the nose with a fruity and slightly jammy blend of vanilla, strawberry cream and black cherry cola aromas, wrapped with notes of alderwood and candied violets. Zesty with bright acidity and a really well integrated, smooth texture in the mouth. This is light- to medium-bodied because of the brightness of the acidity, even though the fruit is explosively rich and perhaps a touch sticky on the palate. Red plums and candied cherry come together on the palate along with hints of vanilla and cranberry/rhubarb compote. This finishes with just as much energy and brightness as it displays on the palate. This is damn fun to drink and delicious.”
Well then let’s have fun! Merry Christmas!
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