Fueling Your Festivities:
A Sampling of Wines for Holiday Gatherings
By Bernard Ledermann
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Photo by Jim Bush.
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Unless you’re confined to a plastic bubble, you’ll soon be wrapped up in monotonous shopping and firing up the Hospitality Kitchen for a swarm of guests. There are friends of ours who can’t let the holidays pass without staging at least three “open house” events and as many formal sit-down dinners. It’s almost a “catch-up” season for those who haven’t entertained much during the year.
Our friend Sallie can be especially elaborate. As centerpiece for her holiday table last year she constructed a many-tiered confection billed a “Yuletide tree,” which actually appeared more like a miniature Hotel Del Coronado.
In fairness to our Superhostess friend, she instinctively knows about the areas in which to be splashy. What splashes from her wine bottles may at times seem understated, but is always appropriate to the occasion and its scramble of edibles; it tastes sophisticated, avoids snobbery, and leaves its purchaser a tidy bank balance.
As with more and more wine consumers, Sallie relies on an experienced wine merchant who has a broad, fresh inventory, who offers fair discounts for case-quantity purchases and, yes, (you’ll think you’ve slipped into a time warp) will even carry your bottled goods to the car. This season it IS possible to gratify a rout of yeomen in best cheer and not spare any quality.
A Splendid Sit-Down
You’re masterminding a classic dinner for eight to a dozen persons. For this one, your choice is to shun simpler dining, so you’ve constructed a rather elegant occasion with a distinctive menu. Leading off, a selection of three caviars including the pungent Japanese roe, tobiko. Pairing this “starter” with wine is a snap: was there ever a more harmonious drink than sparkling wine, be it French Champagne, or a lower-case-‘c’ domestic product? With the burlesque of the millennium long behind us, you’ll be gratified that champagne prices have stabilized. There are some solid values out there for a—pardon the oxymoron—moderate splurge.
Once seated, your guests will be served a premiere plate of bay scallops with shallots countered with a zesty Sauvignon Blanc. France, California, Australia, and New Zealand offer a variety of styles (related to levels of acidity and aromas) at reasonable prices.
When your roast leg of lamb entrée with a side of green beans almondine appears, please the company with a fitting supply of well-aerated (decanting is preferred) Cabernet Sauvignon, or Cabernet-based red. If there’s a collector—and cheerful giver—on the premises, there may be thoughts of a cellar raid to decant an aged Bordeaux from the Médoc region. Otherwise, drinkable Bordeaux of recent vintage, or Cabernet offerings from California, even Chile, will provide fine union with the roasted meat.
For a lighter (but still substantial) dessert course, you’ve decided on pears poached in red wine accompanied by a platter of cheeses, some blue-veined. Port—except domestic!—seems a natural. Another cellar incursion may uncover a vintage Port to arouse the diners, but there are just as many of non-vintage (NV) status, both ruby and tawny, for proper pleasure.
If it appears this writer has thrown himself a major cream-puff in the matter of wine picks, so he has. Classic dishes mean classic wine choices. It makes this job much easier.
| Look for the most bang-for-the-buck; try for the most suitable wines with the food offered (generally, fruit-directed items with moderate acidity work well) and don’t offer too many choices (limit the offerings to a red and white)—after all, it’s a party, not a wine-tasting. |
Should your entertainment style lean more to the informal, you can show your hospitable charms (and cement friendships) by inviting over sixteen or twenty friends for a varied spread of “stand-up” refreshment. Can there be a better way to cap an evening of caroling or doing something sporty out in the cold—either with boards or blades strapped to your feet—than the treat of good and plentiful food and drink? Your guests’ holiday feelings will surely be elevated, especially in the atmosphere of a decorated home with a flickering hearth nearby.
Ever the sedulous, by-the-book party planner, you carefully review your list, confirming that you have at the ready five pounds of peeled shrimp, sixty chicken wings (Buffalo style, of course), forty ounces of sliced cheeses, etc., etc. (More of everything if your outdoor sports took an X-Games approach.) Now, all that begs doing are beverage choices. Our friend Sallie likes to have a bowl of something mulled in stand-by, for those who’d care to go a wassailing, but no other spirituous drink. (Don’t forget the long drive home.) And with the ever-present “brew heads” a factor, there’ll be an assortment of two or three robust winter lagers and a pale ale available.
What about wine? Sallie’s several tips: look for the most bang-for-the-buck; try for the most suitable wines with the food offered (generally, straightforward, fruit-directed items with moderate acidity work well); buy enough (more about this directly); and don’t offer too many choices (limit the offerings to a red and white of dependable repute)—after all, it’s a party, not a wine-tasting.
How much to buy
I’ve settled on an unofficial formula for party-planning, and there’s seldom been any concern. Figure six generous pours—a shade over four ounces each—per standard 750ml bottle. A bartender will pour about an ounce less per glass, but what fun are they? Given that a wine drinker usually consumes about nine ounces in the first of a three-hour period and about six ounces for the balance of the night, you’re looking at a minimum of eight, 750ml bottles for a party of twelve wine lovers. Might as well buy four additional bottles, make up a case, and qualify for a discount. Sallie has even tried to serve high-quality magnum bottlings (the equivalent of two, 750 mls—usually meaning more savings), but in the absence of an experienced publican to help, the bulkier containers can be less than guest-friendly. How to split the wines, whites vs. reds, you should know best. It’s hoped you’ve observed your friends’ preferences over time.
About the concern on choices, we contend with our friend that a large gathering—where cordiality and food should have parity with the wine—is better served without the frustration of, “What do I try next?” Besides, you may find the hard-core “over-stayers” will start a late-night blending session, combining various bottle-ends into a version of Cold Duck. One shudders.
In recent years my wife and I have tried a strategy that seems popular with our friends. (It doesn’t hurt to be surrounded by a social bevy of wine geeks.) For each gathering, we try to pry ourselves out of well-known grapey grooves and head for the wine boonies, where the discoveries are plentiful and exciting, and there’s much palatability at moderate cost. (Caveat: don’t try a new product on guests without tasting it first.) Coastal Sicily, land-locked portions of Italy, and New Zealand are among locales yielding lines of exceptional “party-style” wines, which make worthy case purchases. Read on.
Great Party Choices
Of the nearly sixty wines sampled for this holiday issue, sixteen have made the value/price “cut.” At least ten have been served to our dinner guests, who have given unanimous approval. Be forewarned: the Brancott Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc disappeared quicker, so lay by a little extra.
Bottle price (BP) indicates regular, single-bottle cost before discount. Case price (CP) reflects a “normal” ten per cent discount on twelve bottles (may your wine merchant allow you to mix OR match). Remember, add local sales tax to the case price.
Effortless pick for Bernie’s Best (holiday) Buy is the line of first-rate California “budget” wines under the MONT•PELLIER VINEYARDS label. (BP-$7.99, all types/CP-$86.30) This Napa-based winery is one of several “projects” in the portfolio of well-known Forest Glen, but owns much of its own vineyard land and wants its own identity. Featured are Chardonnay (pleasantly balanced, just a trace of oak), Viognier (ripe, floral, plenty of juice), Pinot Noir (a step down from the ‘98; very light, quaffers only), Zinfandel (much varietal verity, rich and velvety), and Syrah (full, with more peppery oomph than any other $8.00 red). Perfect for large parties or as your everyday “house wine.”
A can’t-miss white, either for a formal or “hang-out” event, is the 1999 LOUIS LATOUR MONTAGNY ‘La Grand Roch’ Premiére Cru (BP-$13.99/CP-$151.10). One of Burgundy’s most respected firms, Latour controls a large lagoon of white wine production in its region, including this dazzling Chardonnay. It’s a lighter style, always fresh-tasting, never boring. Link it up with crab dip, smoked salmon, or mild cheeses and hear the gustatory praise.
If you thought Riesling would be snubbed, you haven’t been reading this column. It’s classic stuff and has that fruit forwardness popular at parties, plus succulent acidity to complement many food choices. Keep it in New York with the 1999 DR. KONSTANTIN FRANK semi-dry (New York) Riesling (BP-$10.99/CP-$118.10). Could be mistaken for a German late harvest; has marked spiced fruit aromas, soft apricot flavors, and a lingering off-dry finish. Works with finger foods, sauced seafood, baked chicken, and fresh fruit.
New Zealand’s South Island is called “the land under the long white cloud,” and the resulting cool temperatures evidently favor the growing of fine—if sometimes “grassy”—Sauvignon Blanc. BRANCOTT VINEYARDS exciting 2000 vintage (BP-$10.99/CP-$118.70) is a squeaky-clean white showing lemon grass aromatics and savory citrus fruit on the palate. What a find for shellfish, poultry, and most saucy seafood dishes.
You can always expect a roisterous holiday rendezvous when you roll out the bubbly. This time, we’ve strayed from the French and look to the U.S. West Coast (still, a French connection) and South East Australia for our fizz. Never disappointing is the ROEDERER ESTATE (Alexander Valley, California) brut (BP-$19.99/CP-$215.90). Lovers of French Champagne know Roederer as one of the exceptional family firms (ever taste Cristal?), whose attention to detail can be tasted in every bottling, whether from Reims, or Mendocino County, California. This NV brut, composed of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, offers rich toasty aromas, propelled to the top of your flute by an active mousse, followed by the vibrant flavors of grapefruit, apples and pears. A reviving drink with good balance of acidity and weight.
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Photo by Jim Bush.
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With each new year, the world’s red wines continue to improve exponentially. (Now pray that the U.S. dollar doesn’t decline against other currencies.) Be gleeful and consider some of your choices this season.
Many friends enjoy serving the Beaujolais Nouveau of the year for larger gatherings. Probably a festive choice, but remember these reds are light-weight—although fun—with just a hint of “spritz” that’s not to everyone’s liking. Instead, tick up the quality level to a Beaujolais-Villages offering, especially from a producer of Gérard Gelin’s stripe. His 2000 DOMAINE DES NUGUES (Noojh’), $10.99/CP-118.70 (Robert Kacher Imports) scintillates. Surprising depth and power for a Gamay-based wine with a classic nose of cherries and faded rose petals. Could become like a Pinot Noir with some aging, but enjoy it now.
From Chile, sure to please you, is the 1998 SANTA RITA ‘Medalla Real’ (royal medallion) Cabernet Sauvignon (BP-$13.99/CP-$151.10). An exceptional value which gives me a schnozzful of roasted coffee, then follows through with ripe plum and spice flavors. A solid choice for either a dinner party or a casual time.
Perhaps Sicily’s best export since Charles Atlas is the 1998 ABBAZIA SANT’ANASTASIA “Passomaggio” (see Santa Rita pricing), which has Indicazione Geografica Tipica (i.e., a style typical of its region, or IGT) status. Abbazia is an established Sicilian wine star and its vineyards dominate the island’s north coast where the Tyrrhenian Sea clatters against black cliffs carpeted with sea holly.
Italy’s Umbria region—long dominated by white Orvieto—in the country’s “green and magic center,” has turned the corner with its reds and is releasing some serious products. Among my favorite Umbrian producers is FALESCO (credit them with one of Italy’s top two Merlots), whose 1999 “Vitiano”—IGT—(BP-$9.99/CP-$107.90) has few rivals in its red category. About one-third each Cabernet, Merlot, and Sangiovese, this wine drinks expensively. You’ll enjoy the red berry and vanilla notes. Great with game, roasts, or most robust holiday fare.
| Figure six generous pours—a shade over four ounces each—per standard 750ml bottle. A bartender will pour about an ounce less per glass, but what fun are they? |
Still looking for a well-made California Cabernet under $15.00? It’s a chore, but the 1998 HESS SELECT (California) CABERNET ($13.99/151.10) tantalizes me completely. It doles out ripe, cherry-berry flavors with some vanilla notes; however it lacks some of the highly engaging cola flavors found in the ‘96. Oh, well. You’ll find the need to serve this one in large quantity.
Don’t put down your wine shopping list until you inquire about two glorious reds which you’ll want either for gift-giving now or cellaring in 2002. Move resolutely while supplies last and prices hold. There’s no better red out there than the 1999 Chateauneuf-du-Pape from DOMAINE DU VIEUX LAZARET at an attractive $16.99/bottle. Superior year, amazing price; flavor and potential unlimited. Finally, the 1997 CLOS DU VAL Napa Valley ($26.99, still within reason for CA) has all the fruit, flavor, and distinction which bode well for a great future.
May these holiday tips make you feel a little less like the manic rodent on his exercise wheel. Assess your guests carefully and look to a wine merchant who’ll help you shop wisely. Press on: ask friends over, serve them well, reap the praise.
A taster, retailer, and wine educator, Bernie Ledermann is just back from a ‘Pinot Noir adventure’ in the Pacific Northwest, including British Columbia. He hopes to share some of his notes from that trip with you soon.
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