Holiday Wine

TREAT YOURSELF! YOU DESERVE IT.

By MATT PALAFERRI

The holidays are for reminiscing. Family. Friends. Giving. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all have heard that toast before at the holiday table. Sometimes it’s ok to be a little selfish. Sometimes its ok to spend a little extra on yourself and if you want to share, well good on ya! I’m going to give a couple suggestions for the holidays that will make you smile and realize life’s too short to drink wines that don’t put a happy face on the mug the good lord gave you. You can find some luxurious wines that will cost a bit more than the average Tuesday night wine but won’t break the bank either.

Sinegal Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a true expression of a Napa Valley Cabernet. Many cabs you find these days don’t let the weather and the soil do their natural thing. What I mean by that, wines change from vintage to vintage depending on natural things like rain, temperature and so on. They shouldn’t taste the exact same every vintage. Thats what’s unique about wine, no two bottles are the exact same. The 2018 Sinegal was a superb vintage with a nose of blueberry pie, stewed blackberries, baking spices with notes of dark chocolate, black fruit and soft tannins. It is one of the best wines I’ve tasted this year, with a retail price of around $85.00 depending on where you buy it. This is a perfect wine for your prime rib roast and would even go really well with pork and other roasted and or grilled meats. If you are ever in Napa Valley, visit the winery, it’s beautiful and they treat you like family. I recently had dinner with David Sinegal, and the passion he has for his winery is second to none. They go above and beyond to over deliver on every wine they bottle. Give any of their wines a try! They won’t disappoint.

If you want a little bubbly in your holiday season, give champagne Lanson black label a go. This amazing champagne is from a selection of the finest Cru’s in Champagne. It’s aged for 4 years (more than many other champagnes on the market that cost twice as much) and the result of the finished product is something you will certainly be pleased with. When you open the bottle (twist the bottle not the cork when opening any sparkling wine) and pour it in a glass, you will first notice the brilliant clear color and the small fine bubbles making its way to the top of the glass. The nose has this toasted brûlée thing going on with lemon and lime zest freshness. It’s so nice on the palate that you will just want to sit and enjoy it and not be bothered. But if you do want to share it, grab some fantastic potato chips and top it with caviar and a tad of cre’me fraiche. Trust me on this one! You can find this wine at some grocery stores and most wine shops for around $50.00 retail. It’s well worth every penny. Whatever beverage you choose over the holidays, enjoy it. You deserve it. Drink what you like and like what you drink! Salute.