Drink Up!
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 as 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.
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.
For me, warm, mulled, spiced wines are synonymous with the holidays. The Glutz Family Winery’s Vin Glögg is a great, ready-to-serve option, delicious warm or cold. The Glutz Family has created this traditional winter spiced wine by blending the natural oils of citrus fruits, nuts, clove, cardamom, nutmeg, and cinnamon to a wonderful Paso Robles red wine blend. If you want a little more spice, feel free to add a cinnamon stick or some cloves. Want more fruitiness? Add a slice or two of orange or a few cranberries. If you want to “kick it up a notch,” a splash of your favorite brandy or cognac will do the trick. Have this available when the doorbell rings, or give it as a gift.
Also from Italy, the Allumea collection of wines makes for 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 blend of Nero D’Avola and 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 Rosé. These wines are beautiful, inside and out. Each wine is a good example of their Italian varietals and 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.
Gratsi Wines may be your next best friend when it comes to unexpected get togethers this holiday season. You may have read my praises of these boxed wines in prior articles. Yes, I said boxed! In fact, I included the Grasi Rosé in my top 10 wines of 2025 article earlier this month. Each box contains three liters of wine, which is the same as four standard 750 ml bottles. They fit conveniently in your refrigerator or pantry and provide you with plenty of wine when unexpected visitors ring. What makes this wine great is the wine itself. Gratsi comes in a classic Provence-style Rosé, a Red Blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Syrah, and Nero d’Avola, and a White Blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, all produced from grapes grown in southern France. These wines are all natural; there is no sugar, artificial sweeteners, artificial concentrates or artificial colors added. Everyone I have recommended this wine to has come back for more again and again. Plus, once opened, this wine will remain fresh for up to 30 days. Do yourself a favor this holiday and keep a couple boxes ready to go.
I have one final recommendation for those of you with friends or family who, for one reason or another, have opted not to drink alcoholic beverages. Keep a bottle or two of alcohol-removed wine on the ready. Just as with beer, nonalcoholic wine has improved significantly in recent years. Leitz Winery from Germany produces a wine called Ein Zwei Zero in Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and a delightful Sparkling Riesling. Or for more red nonalcoholic options, the Misty Cliffs from South Africa has an impressive Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend and Lautus Winery, also from South Africa, has a lovely Red Blend. Be the perfect host this season and be prepared to have something for everyone.
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.
