Wine for All Holidays
by Leslie-Ann Sheppard
owner of The Cellar on Surfside Road.
The clocks were turned back one hour. Northeast winds blew most of the leaves off the trees and even the stubborn scrub oaks. The island’s palette lost its subtle reddish foliage and surrendered to earthy brown. The mailbox suddenly featured, among the usual bills, invitations to upcoming holiday events. Just like that, the holiday season arrived.
The six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve are a busy time of year. We islanders sort of “get through” the weeks before Thanksgiving, when we visit our favorite seasonal businesses before they close, and look forward to the few sunny days in between the blustery, rainy, ferries-cancelled days. Then the holiday season hits, and the days and weeks seem to pass very quickly once again. We thought we had all the time in the world to plan Thanksgiving dinner, holiday gifts, and Christmas or Hannakah suppers. And then it’s all here, ready or not.
To simplify the holiday season and allow the focus to be on the pleasures of spending time with those we love, I turn to wine. Wine enhances a meal, encourages us to slow down and enjoy the flavors, goes perfectly with cheeses and other cocktail party foods, and also makes a great gift. And, wine comes in many flavors, originates from many different places, and is available in a wide range of prices. So, it is the perfect holiday solution to the question of ‘what to buy’ this year.
Buying wine for the holiday season can be divided into three categories: buying for entertaining guests, buying wine to contribute to a dinner party, and buying wine to present as a gift.
If you are hosting a dinner or cocktail party, this mission requires providing a larger quantity of wine to ensure that you are able to offer guests a wine that will suit the occasion, menu, and their palate preference. You may want to have both white and red options on hand, and consider sparkling and dessert wines. And, since quantity is in order, you will want to find wines that are not only crowd pleasing and delicious, but also acceptable to your budget.
When planning for a crowd, you’ll want to consider how much your guests will drink, which can sometimes present a challenge. Length of time of the event will be a determining factor for the estimate of how much is enough wine. And then, how well you know your guests and their usual rate of consumption? Estimating one bottle of wine per person for a four to five hour gathering is not too much; it assumes that a person will drink a glass of wine each hour. From there, you can figure more or less, depending on all of the variables.
Once you’ve determined the quantity of wine needed, the next most important question is, of course, what kind of wine to buy. The budget will dictate what types of wine to get, but you can start with general categories. Sparkling wine is festive and a wonderful aperitif. Then, as a rule, serve lighter wines before heavy ones; white preceeds red, and lighter whites before full bodied whites, and so on. For traditional Thanksgiving dinner, Chardonnay is a traditional choice for the white, its full-bodied profile standing up to the richness of roast turkey with all the fixings. Look for American Chardonnay from smaller producers, or White Burgundy from value areas like the Macon. For the reds, I recommend a fruity style that is light in tannin. Domestic Pinot Noir, Syrah or Zinfandel are good choices. Or you could look again to France for regional reds—wines simply labeled ‘Bourgogne’ or ‘Cotes du Rhone’ can be good value and quite tasty. Vintage is important here, as is producer. Try to get a recommendation from a knowledgeable source. For other holiday dinner menus, stick to general rules of pairing- the wine should compliment the foods like a condiment; it should not overpower nor underwhelm the main course.
Consider yourself lucky if you do not have to do the cooking for the big holiday meal this year but instead are an invited guest. Also consider that this warrants bringing a better than average bottle of wine for the host. It may be time to splurge a little to bring a special bottle of wine. Much like putting more effort into holiday attire, dressing the table with a centerpiece and cloth napkins, stepping up the wine to a ‘special occasion’ level is an excellent way to participate in the overall excitement of the holiday spirit.
One great option for a host gift wine is Champagne. You simply cannot go wrong bringing a bottle of the best bubbly on Earth (meaning bottles that come from the region of Champagne), whether it is a non-vintage bottling or a Tête de Cuvée. The signature ‘POP’ just evokes celebration. The acidity and sparkle of Champagne also prime the palate, and pair very well with cheese, shellfish, and caviar, if any of those foods will be on the table. Rose Champagne is even a tiny step more celebratory than blanc.
Another good choice for bringing to a holiday gathering is a good quality bottle of Bordeaux. On the western side of France, Bordeaux historically produces dry reds that are easy to pair with lots of different foods. The wines are almost always blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, in varying percentages based on where the vineyards lie and which grapes thrive in those locations. Generally speaking, Bordeaux tends to be more structured than California Cabernet; the fruit is more restrained; they’re not as ‘gushy’ or rich as their American cousins. These features often make oenophiles think of Bordeaux for special occasion meals. If you’re in the mood to splurge, look for classified Chateaux from strong vintages—in recent years, 2000, 2003, and 2005, though perhaps a bit young, are remarkable. But these wines also age very well, so if you can find older vintages, they might be worth considering.
Finally, our last category: buying wine for holiday gifts. Perhaps not everyone on your gift-giving list has an appreciation for wine, and this should be taken into consideration. But also keep in mind that a person need not be a connoisseur to be the happy recipient of a bottle of wine. How do you choose a great bottle for a gift? The most important rule is to focus on the recipient of the wine, and to keep it personal. Know your budget, and then try to choose a bottle that will reflect careful thought.
Choosing a personal favorite bottle of yours is a great choice for gift giving. Not only do you know the wine well enough to describe its flavors, but you probably also know something about the producer. Sharing your experiences and information about the wine adds to the gift giving. If there is a story behind the wine- whether the region means something to you, or the vintage is special, or the name of the wine has some significant meaning to you- it translates into a more thoughtful gift.
As a woman who has taken the last almost three years off from drinking wine due to childbearing, to say that I’m looking forward to this holiday season is a bit of an understatement. Cheers to all during this festive time of year!
