When it comes to choosing wines for the holidays, you’ll want to look for affordable wines that are approachable and versatile. Your best bet will be wines that are flavorful, and those that complement the variety of foods on the table rather than compete with it.
Here are Chloe’s top picks for wine to gift, bring to a dinner party, or enjoy yourself to celebrate the holidays. All of these wines are available on the retail shelves at Foxcroft Wine Co. Greenville.
Bubbles
Schramsberg Blanc De Blancs $45 (aromas of Meyer Lemon, Golden Apple, Vanilla Cookie with tasting notes of Granny Smith Apple, Candied Lemon and Baked Pineapple with a long clean finish)
Veuve Clicquot Brut $78 (Strong and Silky, with aromas of yellow and white fruits, Toasty Vanilla with tiny bubbles)
Schramsberg Brut Rose $44 (aromas of strawberry, watermelon, and raspberry with tasting notes of lush flavors of mango, mandarin orange, and peach. This wine finishes with a juicy center and bright acidity)
Easy Drinking Whites
Merlin Cherrier Sancerre $33 (Flinty, stony character on the palate with loads of juicy lemon flavor, a zippy acidic brightness with pleasant menierality)
Rutherford Round Pond Sauvignon Blanc $30 (Zesty Citrus with stone fruits and finishing with hints of exotic tropical fruits. This wine has a delightful citrus driven acidity)
Hendry UNOAKED Napa, California $30 (Aromas of crisp lemon cookies and nectarine. On the palate, light-bodied, layered, and soft-edged. Flavors include lime, baked golden and green apple, nectarine skin. Sweet fruit, pith and bright acid on the finish. )
Frank Family Chardonnay $38 (Very oak-y, creamy, full body complemented by fresh, persistent acidity. Layers of yellow apple, lemon curd, baked pear, and toasted brioche lead to a balanced and lasting finish of vanilla and baking spice.)
Full Bodied Reds
Kitsune Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon Blend $30 (The fruit comes from organically farmed vineyards of Carneros’ famous clay loam soils, sought-after for producing wines that display ripe flavors with Bordeaux-like elegance and finesse. Aged for two years in barrel, this has cassis, plum and currant aromas and flavors that wrap around a core of rich velvety fruit defined by ripe, fine tannins and wet earth minerality.)
Iron x Sand Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon $30 (The black fruit aroma is reserved on the nose of this bottling, allowing violet, stone, loam and a hint of herbs to come to the forefront. The dry palate is cohesive in flavors of black cherry, purple flowers and soil, with a hint of black olive. The subtleties will benefit from cellaring.)
Silver Ghost Cabernet Sauvignon $33 (Silver Ghost is a full-bodied and richly expressive Cabernet Sauvignon crafted from some of Napa Valley’s finest vineyards. Dark in color with a vibrant nose of blueberries, violets and crème de cassis the palate reveals lush red and blue fruits, mocha and dark spice. The luxurious texture and depth continue through the long finish.)
Justin Isosceles Cabernet Heavy Blend $80 (Paso Robles, Central Coast, CA- Justin’s flagship wine, this Bordeaux style blend displays fragrant aromas of cassis. Cherry, currant and a hint of plum evolve into layers of chocolate on the mid palate. A soft, seamless finish is balanced by flavors of spicy French oak.)
Black Slate Priorat Red Blend $33 (This generous red features a round, soft texture that carries ripe black fruit flavors, laced with licorice, toast and loamy earth notes. Offers well-integrated tannins and gentle acidity. Pretty floral and cinnamon details emerge on the finish.)
Light-Medium Bodied Reds
Elk Cove Pinot Noir (Oregon) $33 (Raspberry and dark cherry lead into woodsy aromas of mushroom, violet and thyme. Full and very fruit-forward, the wine finishes long with cardamom and warm baking spices.)
Hirsch Vineyards Bohan-Dillon Pinot Noir (California) $50 (Pale to medium ruby, the Bohan Dillon Pinot Noir is softly scented of underbrush, moss, crushed stone, woodsmoke and black tea leaves with nuances of amaro and a core of delicate red berries. The palate is light to medium-bodied with delicate intensity, finely woven soft, grainy tannins and juicy freshness, finishing long and nuanced.)
COS Frappato (Italian) $33 (Bright red. Floral red berries and aromatic herbs on the nose and in the mouth. Enters bright and juicy, then a little dilute in the middle, with a fresh floral red berry finish that is nicely persistent. A lovely easygoing red that strikes me as less concentrated and lighter-bodied than in the past.)
Vina Bujanda Rioja Reserva $22.99 (Intense attack with a big volume developing on the palate, showing a big freshness and elegance. Very long and elegant aftertaste. Elegant and complex with tobacco and wood notes. Recall blackberries, plums in liqueur, and sloes.)
Keep in mind, our friendly Foxcroft wine experts are always available to help you find exactly what you’re looking for, whether that’s a mixed case of the wines Chloe mentioned above, or something completely different that we customize to your tastes. We have thousands of bottles on our shelves that are sure to please every palate, and if we don’t already have it we can probably special order it for you.
Call or visit the store to hear about our mixed case deals for the holidays. We’ll be putting together some of our favorite holiday wines, and offering them at a discount, so you can pick easily pick one up and enjoy it from the comfort of your own home.
Happy Holidays from Chloe and all of us here at Foxcroft Wine Co.!
