Guest Post: My Holiday Wine Shopping List

Shopping for holiday wine? We’ve got some winners for you!

Stave Wine Cellar Manager Jeff Birkemeier shares the wines that top his wishlist this holiday season, including his favorite Pinot Noir find of the year. These select six wines are also available at a 15% discount at Stave, now through Dec. 24!

MV Guillaume Sergernt “Les Prés Dieu”

Champagne – Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs – Premier Cru ($75)

• WHAT IT IS: A pure Chardonnay from two vineyards, one that faces north and one that faces south. The northern-facing vineyard, “Les Prés”, brings a lighter wine with more higher acidity; the southern-facing vineyard, Les Vignes Dieu, provides riper fruit.
• WHY IT’S GREAT: This is an Extra Brut Champagne, which is as dry as it gets. Often this style is overbearingly tart, but by blending vintages and vineyards, Guillaume Sergent has made an exceptionally friendly Extra Brut.
• WHAT IT PAIRS WELL WITH: Light, salty foods. Caviar, oysters, popcorn, potato chips.

2013 Weszeli

Grüner Veltliner – Purus – Kamptal, Austria ($40)

• WHAT IT IS: A classic expression of the grape Austria is best known for — Grüner Veltliner.
• WHY IT’S GREAT: The estate has the philosophy that organic viticulture is of the utmost importance in preserving authenticity in wine and biological diversity in the vineyard is the key to healthy, delicious grapes.
• WHAT IT PAIRS WELL WITH: Green foods. Broccoli, spinach, artichoke, asparagus, kale, lime, avocado, cilantro.

2015 Clos Cibonne “Cuvée Speciale des Vignettes”

Tibouren – Côtes de Provence Rosé ($38)

• WHAT IT IS: Tibouren is a rarely encountered grape that grows near the Mediterranean border of France and Italy.
• WHY IT’S GREAT: The really special thing about this wine is that it is aged under flor, like Sherry, albeit for a comparatively short while. Flor is a yeast that forms a film over the top of the wine while it is in cask. It protects the wine from oxygen, and it feeds on the wine, changing its character. The most striking evidence of flor in this wine is in the color, which is a pinkish/grayish hue that the French call the “eye of the partridge.” It also adds a great deal to the complexity on the nose.
• WHAT IT PAIRS WELL WITH: Bouillabaisse.

2015 A Tribute to Grace

Grenache – Santa Barbara County ($32)

• WHAT IT IS: Made by Angela Osborne, a New Zealander living in California, whose label is dedicated solely to Grenache. She is based in Santa Barbara and this blend of the vineyards is a great introduction to her work.
• WHY IT’S GREAT: This is a great alternative for a Pinot Noir lover — red-fruited, light-bodied, earthy, herbal and savory.
• WHAT IT PAIRS WELL WITH: Mushrooms, tomato, pork.

2015 Nicolas Jay

Pinot Noir – Willamette Valley ($66)

• WHAT IT IS: My favorite Pinot Noir find of the year came from the Willamette Valley. Jean-Nicolas Méo of Méo-Camuzet in Burgundy has created his first project outside of France.
• WHY IT’S GREAT: His winemaking philosophy centers around pure fruit character expressing the place of origin through the finished wine. It is not obscured by stem inclusion or a heavy hand with new oak.
• WHAT IT PAIRS WELL WITH: Salmon, Beets, Filet.

2013 Niepoort “Redoma”

Douro, Portugal ($44)

• WHAT IT IS: The Douro is better known for the Port it produces, but with the decline in dessert wine sales the producers in the area have begun to explore the potential of dry reds in the area. Port is generally made from a blend of many grapes and this is not different with the most prominent being Tinta Amarela and Touriga Franca.
• WHY IT’S GREAT: This is one of my many go-to wines for a Cabernet lover who wants to try something different. It is full-bodied and rich.
• WHAT IT PAIRS WELL WITH: Rich dishes. Cassoulet, braised beef, ribs, lamb.

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