Drink Up!
David Setley
I love those J-I-N-G-L-E bells! Ah, December…when jingle bells aren’t the only bells ringing. Ding-dong! You answer your door to find unexpected guests on your doorstep saying, “Surprise! Happy holidays!”
Sound familiar? But what do you do? A bottle of wine on hand as a quick gift or a means of entertaining unanticipated company would surely keep things festive. This week, allow me to offer suggestions for maintaining an emergency holiday stash of wines from around the world.
To add to your holiday décor and/or provide a last-minute gift or refreshment, Germany offers two wines in bottles shaped like Christmas trees. Decorated with beautiful holiday images, the two wines are classic Rheinhessen varietals. The white is a Riesling, and the red is a Dornfelder. Both wines are semi-sweet and perfect as a welcome wine or as a gift.
Have you ever heard of Glühwein? Well, neither had I until a few years ago when my wife’s family introduced me to this German holiday tradition. Gwen grew up in southern New Mexico, not far from the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range and White Sands National Park. This area is also home to Holloman Air Force Base, which hosted the German Air Force Tactical Training Center, where many German pilots were trained. My wife’s family was introduced to Glühwein by German clients of her dad’s veterinary practice. Glühwein is traditionally served warm at Christmas markets in Germany and Austria. It is a spiced/mulled wine made by heating red wine with cinnamon, cloves, star anise, orange, sugar and sometimes vanilla. The name translates to “glow wine” because of how it makes you feel after drinking it outside in the cold. The Nürnberger Christkindles Markt-Glühwein is an authentic wine from Germany and is a unique way to greet guests. When warmed, it also makes your house smell amazing!
Another holiday tradition is the annual Italian Christmas red and Christmas white wine. The red is a Sangiovese from Puglia and the white is a Pinot Grigio from Venezia, both decorated with a lovely holiday theme. Both are very reasonably priced and are quite nice wines, perfect for serving your surprise guests or giving as a last-minute gift. I have enjoyed and gifted these wines for decades.
Also from Italy, the Allumea collection of wines are perfect emergency stash wines. The two reds are Allumea Rosso, a 100% Montepulciano from Terre di Chieti in Tuscany, and the Allumea Nero D’Avola, a Merlot from Sicily. The white wine is the Allumea Grillo-Chardonnay from Sicily. All three are good quality, delicious, dry Italian wines with a price-to-quality value ratio that is hard to believe. Allumea wines are made from 100% organic grapes and packaged beautifully. We sell them all year long, but they are crowd-pleasers that make them a no-brainer for the emergency stash list.
One final Italian recommendation is the Brilla! wine collection. These wines include a Moscato d’Asti, a Prosecco Brut, a Prosecco Rosé, a Pinot Noir, a Pinot Grigio, and a Pinot Grigio Rose. These wines are beautiful, inside and out. Each wine is a good example of their Italian varietals. They are packaged in beautiful art glasswork that will make a wonderful addition to your holiday table or that of the fortunate person you gift this wine to.
Avaline Wines is a company owned by Cameron Diaz and Katherine Power. However, this is not just another celebrity brand. Avaline is a leader in what has become known as “clean wines.” Their mission speaks to a commitment to purity, transparency, and sustainability, utilizing only organic grapes, no unnecessary additives and no added sugar. The Avaline collection includes a white blend from Spain, a red blend and a Pinot Noir from France, a Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington State, and sparkling wine from near Barcelona, Spain. If you, your guests, or your gift recipient prefer organic products and/or are concerned about added sugar, these wines are for you. We sampled all of the Avaline wines at an event a few months ago. They were a hit! Now is a great time for you to give them a try, as the interest in these wines continues to grow.
My last recommendation is a California wine that will delight your guests: the OZV Zinfandel and/or the Old Soul Petite Sirah. In my humble opinion, these two varietals are the best that California produces, and these two reasonably priced wines are great examples of each. The Old Soul Petite Sirah has a deep purple hue and flavors of rich, dark fruit and hints of cocoa powder and espresso beans. The OZV Zinfandel has flavors and aromas of blackberry and cherry, accented by notes of vanilla bean and cinnamon. Both of these crowd-pleasers are rich and full-bodied with a long, luxurious finish. You will impress your guests with these wines and enjoy the low price.
Hopefully, a holiday disaster of being caught unprepared has been averted! Make the holiday season an opportunity to explore some of these recommendations with your family and friends. As always, contact me with any questions at dsetley@passionvines.com. Until next time, happy holidays and 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.
