THE goods Have a cup of cheer

Anne Amie Cuvée A Amrita ($15) Oregon

A lot of wine writers don’t like writing about holiday wine. They think it’s beneath them, too pedestrian for a writer who should be above all of that. That is just plain wrong-headed; the holidays are the best wine time of the year, when even people who don’t drink wine figure it’s OK to have a glass or two. And, perhaps, if they enjoy that glass or two, they’ll drink wine more often. Here are a few ideas for wine for this holiday season: Ridge Three Valleys ($20) is a spicy, almost sophisticated zinfandel from one of the best producers in California and is a great turkey wine. Rene Barbier Mediterranean Red ($5) is a simple but well-made Spanish wine that delivers more than $5 worth of value.

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Anne Amie Cuvée A Amrita ($15) is an Oregon blend with 10 grapes that delivers the quality I expect from Anne Amie, fresh and lively with a hint of sweetness, and is another turkey possibility. Domaine Guillaman ($10) is from the Gascon region of France, and resembles sauvignon blanc more than most of the other $10 Gascon wines that I enjoy, but it is still well worth drinking. I’ll have more on this next month, but if you want some bubbly for Thanksgiving, almost any Spanish cava will do. They’re inexpensive — between $7 and $15 — and are food-friendly and very easy to drink. Cristalino and Segura Viudas are longtime favorites, but this is a category where you can buy something you don’t know and will be fine.