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Top Five Holiday Wine (and Champagne) Choices

Today, I thought it would be fun to talk about some of my favorite adult beverages to pair with a meal. I mentioned last week that I’m hosting Christmas for my in-laws at our new house this year. We just decided to switch it up last week. Since then, Aaron and I have been in a mad rush to get our formal dining room ready and plan our menu.

In my family, we always pair our Christmas dinner with some wine. Now, my in-laws don’t drink, but my my mother-in-law will have a small glass of whatever we are serving. So, I want to be prepared with some nice options. Today, I’m sharing five of my favorite holiday wines. They range in price from $8/bottle to less than $100/bottle.

Favorite Every Day Red

I thee red

Do you have guests to entertain and need a great every day red wine that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg? This is my go-to red. It’s called Dearly Beloved: I thee red. Trader Joe’s sells this for $7.99/bottle. It’s a blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Sirah sourced from vineyards in the Central Coast AVA of California. I’ve served this wine to friends when they have come over to hang out, and it’s a great wine. My husband is kind of a wine snob, and even he agrees, that this is a winner! It’s important to note that I’ve only managed to find this wine at Trader Joe’s. I haven’t found it anywhere else.

Best White Wine: Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc

image of Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley bottle

I am really a read wine type of girl. I have never really enjoyed the taste of white wines (yes – even during the summer) until this year. I was meeting a friend for dinner, and a glass of white wine was waiting for me when I arrived. I didn’t want to waste the glass, so I went ahead and drank it. I was pleasantly surprised. It was Cakebread Cellar’s Sauvignon Blanc. I liked it so much that I’ve bought several bottles of this sauvignon blanc over the last several months. It will run you about $30/bottle, but if you have white wine drinkers over for the holidays. It’s light and dry (so not sweet at all). To me, it tastes citrusy, and it does have notes of grapefruit and green apple. This one is always a win.

Best holiday wine: Fancy Red

CAYMUS CABERNET SAUVIGNON

If you want to serve a nice bottle of red wine with your Christmas dinner. I’m here for you too. If Aaron and I are celebrating something special – or if we are just in the mood for a good bottle of red wine, we turn to Caymus. Their cabernet sauvignon is one of my all-time favorite types of wine. Ever. It will run you about $80/bottle, so it’s a bit more pricey than some of the others on this list, but it’s worth a splurge. Vanilla, blackberry and jam are the undertones, and I think that perfectly describes the way this wine tastes.

Fancy Red Wine #2

Silver Oak Cabernet Alexander, 2015 750ml

My next bottle of holiday wine is another fantastic red. And one that I will probably add to my Christmas dinner this year. It’s Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon. The bottles range in price from $80/bottle and higher. Silver Oak was named one of California’s most eco-conscious wines because they value sustainability from the ground up: from how they grow their grapes to the buildings they are housed in. This wine is one of the best cabernets in the biz. Hands down, and you will hear people tell you this over and over.

Best Holiday Champagne

Bollinger Brut Special Cuvee 750ml

It’s no secret that I love a glass of champagne. Whether it’s to celebrate a big win – or to ring in a new year, champagne is the perfect way to celebrate. I love to celebrate with Vueve, but I have recently discovered Bollinger. The taste of Bollinger is a step above Vueve (and at a lower price point). Kind of. You can buy Vueve at Costco right now for less than $50/bottle. A bottle of Bollinger will run you about $55-$60. Bollinger is one of the more affordable champagnes at a great taste and mid-level price point. If you want a festive (and fancy) champagne to serve for the holidays, this is the one.

Holiday Wine Decanters

And, before I leave you bright and early this morning with thoughts of happy hour already on the brain, a wine decanter for your red wine will never hurt. I plan to pour my bottle in my decanter because 1. It looks nice and 2. it helps aerate your wine. Here are some options:

This one is less than $20:

And this one has a unique shape and is less than $40:

USBOQO HBS 1.2 Liters Lead-Free Premium Crystal Glass Red Wine Decanter, Clear

Happy Wednesday, Friends!

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