Page 25 - Fall/Winter Taste Magazine

WineScene
By Andy Abramson
Wines for the Holidays
Nothing is ever more delightful for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s day than a bottle of bubbly. While often sparkling wines are thought of only as Champagne, more and more wine retailers are stocking bub- blies from other regions. Cava’s from Spain, Cremant’s from Alsace, the Loire and Limoux in France, delightfully refreshing Italian Prosecco, and
newcomers from the UK are now found around the area. Of course, nothing beats a grower Champagne, so ask your favorite retailer for advice as new producers, previously only on the lists of restaurants, are making their way to you too now.
A Note of Advice-The holiday time is meant to be festive, joyous, and fun. Drinking and driving are not a good combination. Please use the leading ride-sharing services, Uber and Lyft, or designate a driver who isn’t drinking. We at Taste Dining
& Travel and WineScene enjoy your readership, so stay safe and avoid what comes from drinking and driving, as they simply don’t mix.
Andy Abramson is editor of WineScene.com and Winesiders.co two online wine dis- covery sites. He is also the USA Ambassador for the Grenache Association and a frequent visitor to wine regions around the world. He also has made wine under the Comunicano Wine Company brand in Santa Barbara with Doug Margerum of the Margerum Wine Company.
W
swing and the joys of a deep cellar not
being something everyone can pull bottles from, it means head to your favorite wine shop or even Costco for wines that will make for more merry times.
Given the pandemic, many wines previously sold only to restau-
rants are now finding their way to
shops around the area. Smart buying
means an almost daily check-in with
your favorite merchant to be able to
acquire and enjoy artisan-made wines versus the more mass-produced varieties of bubbly, reds, whites, and rosés to complement your favorite holiday dish.
Let’s start with Thanksgiving and the savory dishes that tend to be served. Turkey always leads the list, complete with stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, candied walnuts, cranberry sauce, and green beans. For starters, look no further than a young Alsatian Gewurztraminer from France’s Northeastern wine-growing region. The most widely available and always consistent comes from Trimbach. A sec- ond wine that is also nicely aligned with the turkey day would be a cool and crisp Sancerre from France’s Loire Valley. Look for wines by Hippolyte Reverdy or Lucien Crochet. Not to be outdone by the more northern regions, an unoaked Chablis, or a Macon-Village, both of which are made from Chardonnay, also pairs up nicely, as the lack of oak and the absence of butter taste gives the wines a nice counterpoint to the rich and savory flavors of the bird.
Going with red wines means looking for something lighter, vs. the big, over-oaked reds from Bordeaux or Napa Valley. Look for wines made from either Pinot Noir or Gamay. Both are Burgundian grapes, and lots of joy can be found having a lovely Beaujolais Village, Morgon, Moulin A Vent, or Fleurie, served with a bit of chill on them. The same rings true for Pinot Noirs from Santa Barbara or Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Finding the higher-grower and producer-made Beaujolais is a far cry from the usual over-promoted Nouveau Beaujolais that are more hype than substance, so trust your favorite merchant for advice.
Moving on to Christmas and Hanukkah, the dishes tend to be richer and more diverse as families gather for fun and festive feasting (with proper precautions this year). Whether it’s a Christmas ham or a Hanukkah chicken or roast, these are the times for more rustic reds and bold whites. Rhone red blends made from Grenache, Syrah, or Mourvedre are safe bets for both types of gatherings. Whites from the Rhone, made from Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne, will delight the group, providing something different from over-oaked and buttered Chardonnay. Safe bets are always the wines of Guigal but don’t pass up wines from the rising Ventoux producers like Pesquie and Fondreche.
ith the holiday season in full
Taste Dining & Travel • Fall/Winter • More online at www.tasteweb.net
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