The Wine Observer

Winter Wines For Comfort and Celebration

A refreshing break from the routine.

By Paul Karpecki, OD, FAAO

When we think of winter holiday wines, we often then of the big wines — the big reds, Champagne or sparkling wines — to celebrate the holidays and to share with family and friends. Here are some guidelines to selecting and enjoying the wines of the season.

Big Reds

Big red wines are ideal on cold evenings and with winter’s comfort food. Warm roasts, pastas and chili are just some of the typical foods that seem to taste best during the colder winter season. Likewise the wines that go best. They include comfort wines such as syrah and cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, pinot noir and red zinfandel. They also include “big” wines such as top Bordeaux from France, Barolo and Barbaresco from Italy and Rioja or Priorat from Spain.

For white wine lovers, the heavier whites seem to satisfy. These include chardonnay, viognier, certain rieslings, gewurztraminer and semillon. These are our comfort wines — big and bold and best in the winter.

Sparkling Wines and Champagne

No wines are more synonymous with a celebration than Champagne and sparkling wines. With holiday celebrations such as the New Year’s Eve on the horizon, sparkling wines are ideal for the winter season. Champagne is a sparkling wine but not all sparkling wines are Champagne; they can only be called Champagne if the wine is from the Champagne region of France.

If the sparkling wine is from California it would simply be called a sparkling wine. In fact, sparkling wines have many names depending on where they originate. A sparkling wine from Spain is called cava, from Italy it’s called prosecco, and from other regions of France it may be called a crémant. The grapes used in Champagne and most sparkling wines are either pinot noir, chardonnay or pinot meunier.

Whatever region of origin you choose, look for tiny bubbles. These are a sign of quality and that the wine was probably made from the traditional method, or méthode Champenoise (double fermentation). If the bubbles are large and stick to the edge of the glass (as opposed to quality sparkling wine where the bubbles are tiny and rise straight up), it’s probably a cheap wine in which carbonation was added at the end as it is in soda.

Sharing the Best

Starting with big reds, some of the very best to serve your family or close friends include Bordeaux wines of the first-growth variety. These designate wines that were classified and ranked as the superior wines in 1855. They include Chateau Latour, Lafite, Margaux, Haut-Brion and Mouton Rothschild (the last being the only one added later). Other great left bank Bordeaux include Chateau Palmer and Lynch-Bages. On the right bank are Bordeaux primarily from the merlot grape and include Chateau Petrus, Le Pin or Chateau Ausone.

Bordeaux wines are a blend of five grapes, typically including cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec, cabernet franc and petit verdot. Combining these grapes in the way the wine-maker feels is best creates some of the best wines, but it’s actually the terroir, which refers to the location of the grapes — the soil, the climate, the proximity to the Garonne River, everything unique to that area — that makes the wines bold and impressive. These are some of the greatest wines of all time and date back to the 1800s —a lot of years of practice.

Wines from Burgundy benefit from even more practice. They have been made for more than 700 years and their makers pass down their knowledge from generation to generation. Expect to pay for that experience. Wines on the right bank and in Burgundy are some of the most expensive in the world. Great Burgundy (pinot noir) wines include the Grand Crus from regions along the Cote D’Or, such as Corton or Montrachet. If these are too expensive, consider wines from the Volnay or Pommard regions.

Great Wines Beyond France

From the US West Coast, consider sharing a Domaine Drouhin, Amity or Domaine Serene from Oregon. Among California wines, take a look at those from Ste. Rita Hills, Ste. Maria, Santa Barbara or the Central Coast, and Sonoma. They are making some of the best pinot noir wines in North America. Greats include Kosta Brown, Patz & Hall, Flowers, Seasmoke and Williams Selyem.

The great Italian wines worth serving at this festive time of year include Barolo and Babaresco wines. These are wines that can age 20 years or more, so having one is a unique event; only about 1% of all wines are worth aging, and even fewer can age to 20 years. Look for makers such as Gaja or Cannubi or Le Vigne and the super Tuscans from winemakers such as Antinori including Sasaccia, Solaia and Tignanello.

White Wine Selections

For white wine lovers, some of the best large chardonnays hail from the Burgundy region of France, including the Grand Crus wines in the Cote d’Or. However, they are costly and only make up 2% of all Burgundy wines. Some of the best examples come from Corton or Montrachet.

If you want to stay stateside and enjoy prices significantly lower than the white Burgundys, consider wines from Sonoma and other cooler climate regions. Keep in mind that overall wines from the Americas tend to have more fruit forward flavors compared to those of Europe. Some of my favorites include Kistler, Hanzell and Ferrari Carano reserve, Rombauer, Miner and Mer Soleil.

Best Bubbly Selections

Finally, what are the best sparkling wines for celebrating the holidays? I’d suggest sharing any of the great Champagnes, including Pol Roger, Krug, Moet & Chandon, Dom Perignon, Pommery, Heidsieck, Roederer Cristal, Perrier Jouet, Laurent-Perrier, Tattinger and Veuve Clicquot. From California consider J Vineyards & Winery, Roederer Estate and Gloria Ferrer.

That’s a pretty extensive (and expensive) list, but I often get questions about the greatest wines in the world at this time of year. These are definitely some of the greatest. Most, unfortunately, are very costly and are really meant for the most special occasions.

Make this holiday season one to remember. Enjoy time with family and friends and consider the many blessings in our lives. Cheers. OM