For traditional holiday dining, there are really only four kinds of wine you need to serve. This revelation came to me after years of writing stories about must-have holiday wines that ran the gamut of grape varietals until the whole list became so convoluted, I couldn’t see the wine for the labels. This year, I’m keeping it simple and zeroing in on two white wines and two red wines to create a core group that works every time. All you really need are these four holiday wines.
Bubbly
Nothing screams celebrate like Champagne, cremánt, prosecco or new world sparkling. If you like fruit, stick with younger vintages or Non Vintage. Go with aged Champagnes if you like that yeasty, oxidized taste. Brut is the safest choice, being most popular, but don’t be afraid to try Blanc de Noir or Blanc de Blanc, which are all-pinot noir and all-chardonnay, respectively. In addition to seafood and soft cheeses, try your sparkling white wine with potatoes for an amazing combination.
Chardonnay
Possibly the best white wine a roast turkey could meet. The chardonnay should be medium bodied with a fruity style, and lightly oaked. You don’t want to beat up the bird or the gravy with too much oak or butteriness. Look for a white wine with tropical fruit and spice notes to pair with sweet potatoes and stuffing with raisins, and be sure to save some chardonnay for pumpkin pie. New world chardonnays or French chablis usually offer the most value.
A spicier, more exotic white wine variation would be a gewürtztraminer or torrontés to goose any fruits in the side dishes.
Pinot Noir
Hands down the best red wine for a turkey dinner. With its spicy, warm red fruit and food-friendly acidity, no red wine is more versatile than pinot noir for crossing over a range of meat colors, as well as matching almost any side dishes. Choose a lighter, racy pinot noir from Burgundy, Oregon or BC, or a fruity, oak-driven one from the Russian River, Leyda Valley or New Zealand. But don’t expect as much from a cheapo pinot as one you’d pay $20 for. This is one red wine that’s worth the extra bucks.
As an alternate, a more affordable, medium-body red wine is gamey noir. Gamey has much the same flavor profile as pinot noir, but with a touch more earth and smoke. Prices for BC, Beaujolais, Loire, Niagara, and Willamette gamey noirs are bound to be cheaper than pinot noir just about anywhere.
Personally, I like to have glasses of chardonnay and pinot noir side-by-side at the table; sipped alternately, they broaden my perspective of the meal.
Dessert Wine
Almost any ruby Port, tawny Port, ice wine, eiswein, or Sauterne are sweet enough to pair with pumpkin or pecan pie, or chocolate torte. For more affordable options, consider late harvest zinfandels or the off-dry aforementioned gewürtztraminer or torrontés. And just like having a red wine with a beige dessert, don’t hesitate to pair white wine with chocolate; it’s a whole different taste realm you have to experience.
Best of all, none of these holiday wines require decanting. Although a tannin-heavy pinot noir might need it, breathing in the glass usually opens them up easily enough.
No matter what holiday wines you purchase, the point is not to get too wrapped up in choosing them. After all, it’s only wine, and you can’t hug your kids with empty bottles.
The day I tasted Bill Wertzberger’s breakout red wine, the velvety 2005 Monson Vineyard Merlot, I knew he was on his way to becoming one of Sonoma County’s next big garagistes.
This year he will have personally farmed almost half of the grapes he uses for winemaking. Some of the fruit is grown at his house in Cloverdale, and some comes from obscure vineyards he has rescued from oblivion, such as six acres of chassales from Eastside Road and a half acre of French colombard from Chalk Hill.
He might even play his guitar to the vines, since he claims to know what they like hearing.
Wertzberger style is to use oak judiciously and let the grapes speak for themselves. Although he makes cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir, and zinfandel, his heart lies with Rhones.
“Syrah and grenache can make either big and bold or delicate, elegant wines. They can cover so much more territory than cabernet, merlot or pinot noir.”
Wertzberger also sources from the Gibson Ranch at McDowell, which he says has the oldest block of syrah vines in North America, planted in 1947. His grenache and petite sirah are planted there too, but his favorite McDowell vineyard is the “Y” block syrah, grafted from the original old vines.
After Wertzberger and his wife Robin moved from San Francisco in 2001, he started working in tasting rooms like McDowell while making wine at home. Eventually, he progressed into the cellar at Asti Winery where he learned the big-time production ropes. By taking a job at F. Teldeschi Winery in 2005, he stepped up his game significantly. Dan Teldeschi lets him make his wine there while managing his tasting room, and he sometimes helps Wertzberger at crush time!
Still, after six vintages, Wertzberger’s output is limited. He made 600 cases of wine 2010, which he sells through his email list, web site, and select wine stores. This year he plans to add carignane, valdigue and mourvedre to his repertoire. And yes, he still paints the pictures on his wine labels.
Last August, we visited Wertzberger at F. Teldeschi in Dry Creek Valley and he set us up with a case of wine from six vintages. Here are the notes from my faves:
2010 Chasselas, Raffaini Vineyard, Russian River Valley
I really like the way Wertzberger does his chasselas, as does anyone I’ve poured for. It’s much drier that what’s found in BC of this Swiss varietal. Lovely citrus and peach flavors, on a full round body, that finishes clean and dry. A refreshing and appealing white wine, perfect with fish, Asian or Mexican. 13% alc.
2009 Syrah, Dry Creek Valley
A jammy, full bodied red wine with forward fruit: fresh plums in the mouth, red raspberries and black cherry on the nose. Not as spicy as his other syrahs, it has some acidity, and hefty tannins, yet has a smooth mouthfeel. Approachable, drinkable, and amiable with grilled steak as well as salmon. 15.1% alc.
2006 Syrah, McDowell Valley
Super dark, almost opaque in color, with floral, wood and plum notes on the nose. In the mouth, it’s lush yet biting with deep purple and black fruit, lots of spice, and smoky notes. The dark finish is long, hot and dry. 14.3% alc.
2007 Oldest Vine Syrah, Gibson Ranch, McDowell Valley.
Dark, deep scarlet in color, it has an appealing fruity, floral, spicy bouquet accompanied by big tannins, soft texture and some heat on the palate. Finishes long, and plummy with hints of licorice. Great with barbeque. 15.1% 2007 Syrah, Y Block, McDowell Valley
Loads of Christmas spice aromas like, cinnamon and nutmeg. On the palate is a super spicy cherry cola/root beer effect. Dazzling acidity on a medium body made it pair magically with grilled salmon, steak and vegetables. Interesting and rather exciting. 15.% acl.
2009 Grenache, McDowell Valley
This wine is surprisingly well integrated for a young wine. A great mix of red and black fruit, earth and wood notes create an experience far superior to the sum of its parts. Drank on Canadian Thanksgiving with turkey, sweet potatoes, and beet salad, and it was like the wrapping of a package the way it pulled it all together.14.1% alc.
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Monson Vineyard, Alexander Valley
Big cedar, sweet oak, violets and black fruit on the nose. On the palate it’s lush and intense, with concentrated black cherry, spice, black pepper and pine. There’s a pleasant zap of acid on the finish that leaves a lip smacking, jammy juiciness. Fantastic with tomato-based pasta sauce as well as chocolate. 14.2% alc.
2009 Merlot, Mercedes Soto Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley
Very soft texture in the mouth. Almost no acidity, but a gigantic black berry jam effect, with notes of sweet oak and cocoa. On the finish there is a slight tingle of acid and a whiff of dry heat. It was great with roast chicken and asparagus, which nicely absorbed the finely grained tannins. 14.9% alc.
You can find Wertzberger Wine at Val de Cole, Cal-Divis, Vallejo Van-Ness Market, Bacchus Wine Bar, Za Pizza, Vin Debut, D & M, the Secret Wine Shop, Redwood Café in Cotati, Aqus in Petaluma, TipTop liquor in Healdsburg, Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa, the Hidden Vine and the Barrel Room in San Francisco, Valley Wine in Davis, DuVin in Alameda, and Woodacre Market in Marin. In Southern California, Wine and Liquor Depot in Van Nuys and LOU on Vine in Hollywood.
Just when I felt there was not one more Argentine Malbec to get excited about, along comes Trapiche to rock my cask.
It happened at a recent tasting at Joey Bentall with Trapiche’s charming winemaker/promoter Carla Castorina, in Vancouver on a five-city tour of Canada. With little foreknowledge about Trapiche, I read an informative article about the winery, written by BC wine expert John Schreiner, on the train downtown. When I arrived at the restaurant, who was sitting next to me but – you guessed it – John Schreiner.
Castorina explained how Trapiche set itself apart by being the first winery in Argentina to produce varietal wines; “Malbec,” as opposed to “red wine.” They were also the first to export wine in 1970’s after local consumption dropped due to Argentine lifestyle changes. Trapiche owns 1000 hectares, in 10 locations in Mendoza, many at elevations of 800-1000 meters, which represents 50% of their overall production. The other half of their grapes come from 200 individual growers. At this time Trapiche is among the top two producers in Argentina, after Catena and ahead of Trivento. It turns out that Canada is their #2 market after the USA.
Trapiche has a huge portfolio of wines with eight levels of quality. We tried wines from three levels: Broquel, Single Vineyard, and Reserve.
Broquel
The Broquel 2010 Torrontes is blended with 5% sauvignon blanc to give it some zing. The nose is big and effusive with floral and citrus notes, and in the mouth it’s brisk and elegant with notes of lemon and orange. It has soft acidity, but there’s a thin streak of minerality to liven the palate. Finishes clean and fresh. Super well balanced for Asian or Mexican food, we tasted it with Joey’s Killer Ahi Tuna Tacos with toasted sesame, ginger coleslaw and wasabi aioli and it was perfect. At least $18.99 at private stores.
The Broquel 2008 Malbec is one of the best sellers in the portfolio. It has a gigantic floral perfume, with concentrated spicy black fruit on the palate. Very well integrated and balanced with good complexity and easy tannins. Plus, it has a note of olives that mirrored the Mediterranean olives on Joey’s Italian Flatbread with crushed tomatoes and peppered salami. Yum. $21.99 at Everything Wine.
The Broquel 2009 Cabernet Franc has some beautiful tobacco leaf aromas on the nose, and in the mouth there are notes of red and green peppers among the red fruits. Elegant structure, smooth tannins and a long, lush finish, it was similarly delicious with the flatbread. An attractive wine for a decent price. $18.99 at private stores.
Broquel 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon has a shy nose but a smooth mouth, is elegant and full bodied with notes of black berry and plum and a bit of minerality on the finish. Great with the pizza and olives as well as the ash goat cheese. $18.99 at private stores.
All of the Broquels would make great bottles for a dinner party, or a party of two.
Single Vineyards
After that we moved to the single vineyard wines grown in 6-9 hectare plots by private growers of which there are over 30,000 in Argentina. These wines are third from the top level of the Trapiche range and reflect the individual terroir and microclimates of the Mendoza region.
Trapiche Malbec 2008 Viña Cristine y Bibiano Coletto, grown by the Coletto sisters, has big black pepper on the nose, massive black and purple fruit, plus earth and flint on the palate, and a long fruity finish. The tannins are supple, the texture rich and it has some acidity on the finish. Very impressive.
Trapiche Malbec 2008 Viña Frederic Villafiore is quite densely structured and rich with layers of caramel and chocolate, sweet black fruit, and a hint of minerality on the finish. A very appealing wine, the mouthfeel is silky and soft, and perfect with cheese.
Trapiche Malbec 2008 Viña Jorge Mirella has more spice and minerality than the others, and although it is well-balanced, there is a note of oak exposed. Chewy and powerful, it wouldn’t fail to impress alongside any red meat, cheese or Italian food.
The Single Vineyard Malbecs run $44.99 at LDB and around $40 in California and each would be an awesome gift wine for someone special.
Reserves
Trapiche’s biggest seller is the Reserve Malbec 2009, which features black fruit – both cherry and berry – that is juicy and concentrated. Being jammy and and fruit forward, the Reserve is an excellent party wine. $14.99 at LDB
Spending time with Castorina – talking about how the pasta and gelato is better in Buenos Aires than Italy, and about the diverse natural landscape in the winemaking regions – made me wish I could travel to Argentina tomorrow, as Schreiner did in 2008. When I finally make it to Mendoza, I’ll have someone to visit.
For traditional holiday dining, there are really only four kinds of wine you need to serve. This revelation came to me after years of writing stories about must-have holiday wines that ran the gamut of grape varietals until the whole list became so convoluted, I couldn’t see the wine for the labels. This year, I’m keeping it simple and zeroing in on two white wines and two red wines to create a core group that works every time. All you really need are these four holiday wines.
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