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Fabulous Holiday Wine Picks at EVERY Price Point

The travel plans are made, the gifts are bought and, if you’re hosting your family’s holiday dinner, your menu is probably all set. But what about…the wine? If you haven’t given your holiday wines a thought yet, never fear! Whether money is no object or you’re hosting on a budget, The Glamorous Gourmet’s got you covered with fabulous holiday wine selections at EVERY price point.

Sparkling Wine

Benvolio Prosecco DOC, Friuli, Italy, NV ($15): We were dazzled by this fabulous bubbly made from 100% estate grown Glera. Since the wine’s secondary fermentation takes place in steel tanks via the Charmat method (for more deets, please click here), this delightful sparkler has an extremely reasonable price tag! This wine is vibrant, fruity and fresh with notes of citrus, apple, peach and white flowers with enough backbone to stand up to hors d’oeuvres AND the holiday meal itself!

Schramsberg Mirabelle Brut Rosé, North Coast, CA, NV ($25): This wine hails from the Davies family, California’s first family of sparkling wine! Their Mirabelle sparkler is a multi-vintage, brut sparkling wine made in the same method as Champagne, aka methode champenoise or methode traditionelle. A blend of 61% Pinot Noir and 39% Chardonnay, we love this wine for its sheer value as well as its crisp, food-friendly acidity and depth of flavor, featuring enticing notes of toasted brioche slathered with strawberry butter – yes, it’s THAT good!

Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve, Reims, France, NV ($65): This classic Champagne is truly the wine insider’s favorite! A blend of equal parts Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier this delightful sparkler contains 40% reserve wine, a much higher proportion than most Champagne houses, which imparts a sexy voluptuousness to the wine. The result is a Champagne with a deep, golden hue and enticing aromas of freshly baked brioche, citrus and peach. On the palate, flavors of pastry, citrus, red cherries, vanilla and a hint of praline delight all the way through its long, lingering finish.

White Wines

Charles Smith’s Kung Fu Girl Riesling, Columbia Valley, Washington, 2014 ($12): While this delightful Riesling from rock-band-manager-cum-winemaker Charles Smith is inspired by his love of the 2003 film, Kill Bill, it is still perfect for your holiday feast! Crafted from 100% Riesling, the grapes for this wine hail from the Evergreen vineyard in the Ancient Lakes AVA in Washington’s Columbia Valley. The wine has lovely aromas of crushed minerals, white peach, lime leaves and Linden tree that echo on the palate as well as through the long, fresh finish.

Patient Cottat Sancerre Anciennes Vignes, Loire, France, 2015 ($20): The Fournier family has been making wine in the Loire Valley’s Sancerre region for many generations. This classic incarnation of Sancerre, which is always 100% Sauvignon Blanc, is crafted from 35 year old vines planted on the region’s legendary limestone soils. It’s fermented entirely in stainless steel, with no malolactic fermentation or oak, resulting in a wine with delightful aromas and flavors of citrus, white flowers, minerals, passion fruit and a vibrant acidity and that is sure to keep your palate refreshed during any marathon holiday meal!

Cuvaison Kite Tail Chardonnay, Carneros, CA, 2014 ($45): Established in 1969, Cuvaison winery is dedicated to the production of vineyard-driven wines that showcase their cool-climate estate in California’s Napa Valley. Crafted by winemaker Steve Rogstad, this special, single-vineyard Chardonnay is both graceful and powerful exhibiting aromas of orange blossom, citrus and spice followed by an opulent mouthfeel and flavors of honeyed citrus, spiced pear, vanilla and juicy persimmon. If you enjoy a rich, full-bodied Chardonnay with some oak treatment – this is the white wine for you!

Red Wines

King Estate Acrobat Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2014 ($18): Founded in 1991, King Estate remains a family owned and operated winery with a focus on organic winemaking. Grown responsibly in the hills and valleys of Western Oregon, the winery focuses on versatile Pinot Gris and Pinot Noirs that pair wonderfully with a variety of foods. Pinot Noir is one of the most versatile red wines on the planet with its fruity, cherry perfume, medium body and supple tannins that make it imminently likeable. This wine exhibits aromas of bright red cherries and Oregon earth while on the palate, a food friendly acidity and balanced tannins accompany lush red fruit.

Cerulli Spinozzi Torre Migliori Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Abruzzo, Italy, 2014 ($22): The Cerulli Spinozzi family in Italy’s Abruzzi region, specializes in working with the region’s native red grape, Montepulciano. Cultivated predominantly in central and southern Italy, this grape is known for producing deeply colored, food-friendly red wines with ripe tannins. This delightful selection is 100% Montepulciano with a beautifully intense, ruby red color with violet hues. Fragrant aromas of ripe cherry, blackberry, and violet accompany flavors of juicy black fruit and spice with supple tannins and a delicious acidity.

Round Pond Estate Kith & Kin Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA, 2013 ($35): Established by Bob and Jan MacDonnell in the 1980’s, this family-owned and run winery consists of over 400 acres in Napa’s acclaimed Rutherford region. While the family are farmers first and sell off most of their grapes to well-known Napa wineries, in 2002 they decided to make their own wines, starting with their “Kith and Kin” line, named after the Old English expression for “Friends and Family.” The 2014 Kith & Kin Cabernet is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (82%), Petit Verdot (13%), Petite Sirah (3%) and Malbec (2%) with delicious notes of candied cherries, cassis, strawberries, toasted nuts and tobacco followed by a harmonious mingling of smooth tannins and a lingering finish.

Cheers,

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