Drink Up!
This time of year, I like to anticipate the coming weeks while looking back on the past months with gratitude. Firstly, allow me to express my appreciation to you for reading these articles. Many have reached out or stopped in with kind remarks and thoughtful questions; I am truly humbled by your continued interest and support. Secondly, thank you to my wife and editor, Gwen. Trust me, without her, these articles would not read as well as they do. And thirdly, I’d like to thank those in the wine world – those who enjoy wine, those who sell wine, and, of course, those who make wine.
December is the month of Top 10 lists: top news and sports stories, top movies, top music, etc. I’ve prepared my Top 10 list of new-to-me wines in 2025. Rather than waiting until the end of the month, I thought it might help to have this list earlier to assist with wine gifting and event planning.
10. Altos de Luzon Montrell (Jumilla, Spain) – 100% Organic Montrell. Jumilla is located in the Mercia wine region, often called the soul of Spain. This dark ruby red wine features aromas and flavors of black currant, purple plum, dark chocolate, toasted almonds, and hints of smoke and flint with a splash of cranberry on the finish. It is a complex wine with very smooth tannins: perfect for red wine lovers.
9. Cheneau Macon-Verze Le Grand Cheneau (Macon, Burgundy, France) – 100% Chardonnay. Arguably the most contentious wine of recent years has been Chardonnay. Some love the buttery, oaky flavors present in California’s approach to the varietal. However, this Chardonnay comes from the birthplace of the varietal: Burgundy, France. Fermented in temperature-controlled steel to enhance the pure character of a Chardonnay without the oak effect, this wine will remind you why the varietal is a classic.
8. Method Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, California USA) – 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Malbec, 6% Petit Verdot. This wine earned Wine Enthusiast magazine’s #1 wine under $20 for 2025. Winemaker Trevor Sheehan and Master Sommelier Ian Cauble collaborated to produce a classic Napa Cab at an amazing price. This wine offers luxurious aromas and flavors of blackberry, black plum, vanilla, and dried thyme.
7. Gratsi Rosé (Limoux, France) – This is the first boxed wine to make my Top 10 list, and it deserves to be here. A pale pink rosé with bright aromas of ripe strawberries and mixed berry fruit, this wine is crisp and refreshing with a long, fruity finish. To make this wine, Malbec from the cool-climate Limoux region is blended with Gamay and Merlot from the Tolosan area, west of Toulouse. The result is a lovely freshness and round, fruit-forward character. Exceptionally versatile, this wine is perfect on its own or paired with fish, white meats, and pizza.
6. Cappella Sant’Andrea Vernaccia di San Gimignano (San Gimignano, Tuscany, Italy) – 100% Vernaccia di San Gimgnano. I am a big fan of this varietal, and this is my favorite yet. This organic, hand-harvested dry white wine is delightful. The family-owned winery selected the finest grapes from its 50-year old vines for this complex, mineral-driven wine. It features the fruit flavors of yellow apples and lemon peel with notes of Mediterranean herbs and almond. Try this with cheese platters, fettuccini Alfredo, saffron risotto, or seafood.
5. Las Jaras Glou Glou Red Blend (Mendocino, California) – 56% Zinfandel, 33% Carignan, 6% Sangiovese, and 5% Valdiguié. Glou Glou is the first natural wine to make my Top 10 list. Glou Glou, like all natural wines, is made from organically farmed grapes with no chemical pesticides or herbicides, native fermentation, and minimal human intervention. This vintage is mostly Zinfandel, a wine grape that in my humble opinion should be up there with Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir in everyone’s wine repertoire. Glou Glou is a food wine that stands up to tomato sauce dishes, burgers, or steak. I suggest you serve this wine slightly chilled. You’ll get the aroma and flavor of black plums, pomegranate and red raspberries with notes of cocoa powder and baking spices. If you have not tried a natural wine yet, I highly recommend you make this your first!
4. Secreto Vinho Verde Alvarinho Reserva (Vinho Verde, Portugal) – 100% Alvarinho. You may know of Albariño wine from Galicia Spain. Alvarinho is the name for this varietal grown throughout the Vinho Verde region of northern Portugal. Since 1988, Quinta do Regueiro has been using traditional methods to produce some of the most prized Alvarinhos in Portugal. This wine is the perfect balance of crisp tree fruit, minerality resulting from the granite soil of the region, a zippy citrus acidity, a touch of salinity and a unique richness achieved from partial skin maceration. This delicious white wine pairs well with appetizers, vegetables, cheese platters, white meats, and seafood.
3. Cantine Povero Batù Barbaresco DOCG (Barbaresco, Piemonte, Italy) – 100% Nebbiolo. Barbaresco is the least well-known of the fine wines from the Piedmont region of northern Italy, but worth getting to know. Nebbiolo is the premiere red grape of the region and is the same grape used in Barolo. The original vines of Cantina Povero were planted in 1837. This dry, well-structured wine is aged in oak barrels for 24 months and has earned high praise from many critics. The aroma is violet, rose petals, tobacco leaf, and forest floor. The palate is ripe red fruit with very soft tannins. Pair this Barbaresco with mushroom dishes such as porcini mushroom tagliatelle, charcuterie platters or game meats.
2. Domaine Chevot Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Beaune (Hautes-Cote de Beaune, Bourgogne, France) – 100% Pinot Noir. This organic Pinot Noir comes from the southern tip of Burgundy’s famed Cotes-de-Beaune, the appellation known for its ancient Kimmeridgian rock and soil that give Burgundy’s Pinot Noir the characteristics that define elegance in wine. The wine is aged for 18 months in neutral oak and stainless steel and has the aroma and flavor of black cherry and strawberry complemented by blackberry, plum, forest floor, and mulling spices with a mineral backbone. This is a classic wine for any occasion and makes an impressive gift.
Finally, my number one wine pick for 2025:
1. Michel Redde et Fils La Moynereie Pouilly Fume (Pouilly-Fume, Loire Valley, France) – 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Michel Redde et Fils is a celebrated family-owned winery, nestled in the Pouilly-Fumé appellation of France’s Loire Valley. Gwen and I had the pleasure of visiting this beautiful region earlier this year. Michel’s grandsons, Sébastien and Romain Redde, continue the family’s commitment to producing exceptional Sauvignon Blanc wines that capture the diversity and brilliance of the region’s terroir. It is the unique limestone soil from the Jurassic period that gives the Sauvignon Blanc from Pouilly-Fumé its outstanding complexity and unparalleled minerality. You will experience green apple, white peach, elderflower, and notes of citrus acidity balanced with layers of flint stone and a touch of smoke.
There you have it, my top wines of 2025. I hope you consider some of these as you complete your holiday shopping or fill your wine rack for the holidays. You won’t be disappointed. As always, contact me at dsetley@passionvines.com or visit the store with questions or comments. Until next time, happy wining!
David Setley is enjoying his retirement from higher education as a wine educator and certified sommelier at Passion Vines in Somers Point, New Jersey.
