The holidays are for family, friends, food and the clinking of glasses. What better way to cheer the holiday season and ring in the New Year than with a delicious wine, especially one you may have never tried before. We sampled the Top 10 Wines from Whole Foods Market and are sharing our tasting notes and ideas on what to serve with them, from Thanksgiving leftovers to New Year’s brunch. Some of these wines are only available at Whole Foods, so pick up a few bottles while you can. And don’t forget the cheese!
The Whites…
Domaine Bernard Et Christophe Richel Apremont
On a small, 18-acre vineyard in France’s northern Savoy region grows a little-known grape called jacquère. This white varietal is fresh and citrusy with bright floral notes, firm minerality, and long finish. It’s excellent paired with cheese (especially from the Savoy region), fondue, seafood, charcuterie, or ham.
Cave de Lugny Mâcon-Villages Chardonnay
The Macon-Villages appellation in southern Burgundy specializes in dry white wines made from the Chardonnay grape. This golden wine is clean and crisp with beautiful notes of apricot, peach and citrus. It’s a well-balanced wine that makes it exceptionally food-friendly. Try it with Camembert cheese, seafood and chicken dishes, mushroom-based dishes, shrimp and grits, scalloped potatoes.
Casas Del Bosque Sauvignon Blanc
We love this balanced, fruity Sauvignon Blanc from Chile! Its notes of fresh melon, pear and grapefruit are balanced with a clean, fresh acidity. You may even get a bit of jalapeño in there! Try it with any of your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers (great with turkey noodle soup!), or try it with oysters, clams, or a pear and arugula salad. We’ll be pairing it with our traditional Crab Cioppino on Christmas eve.
Madame Liberté Brut
Who doesn’t love a little bubbly?! This crisp and refreshing sparkling wine has bright notes of pear, green apple, stone fruit, and baked bread. Pair it with a beautiful cheese plate, serve it with salmon or shellfish such as crab, or pour it for your New Year’s Day brunch celebration. Available only at Whole Foods.
The Reds…
Squadra Rosso
Whole Foods Market winemaker Bobby Lachlan and Sicilian farmers worked together to make this delicious wine. In fact, “squadra” means “team” in Italian. Ripe blackberries, a bit of black pepper, and just the right amount of tannins make this medium-bodied wine perfect for hearty pasta dishes with heaps of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and roasted meats like lamb, pork and beef.
Michel Chapoutier Marius Red Blend
A big, bold red with notes of spicy dark fruits, pepper and coffee, and hints of vanilla. It’s a full-bodied grenache-syrah blend that has a long and lovely finish. It’s excellent with a nice sharp aged Cheddar and beefy homestyle dishes like chili, burgers, and brisket. Try it some cold winter night with a hearty meatloaf.
Joel Gott Grenache
This beautiful wine was made by 5th-generation winemaker Joel Gott who’s known for making wines with an artist’s eye for blending. This elegant California ganache is full of ripe berries, vanilla, and spice. The tannins are smooth, the finish long and sensuous. Great with wild meats such as venison, or lamb, duck, and goose. Also excellent paired with a scrumptious goat cheese. Give it as a gift this holiday season or serve it with a roast goose dinner.
Santa Julia Reserva Mountain Blend
This wine is made by the Zuccardi family in Argentina, a family known locally as winemaking nobility. This first vintage of their new blend has the beautiful flavors of dark red fruits, stewed berries (think cobbler!), plums and spice. It’s velvety smooth and the spice lingers pleasantly on the palate. Try it with a creamy Double Gloucester cheese or a scrumptious cut of meat like beef tenderloin.
Sea Pines Old Vine Petite Syrah
Gnarly 50-year-old vines brought forth the beautiful grapes of this Lodi, California wine and winemaker Chris Condos made the magic happen in the bottle (and Whole Foods bought every bottle just for you!). This wine is rich, ripe and full of forest berries like blackberry and huckleberries. It’s round and silky and has a long and lovely finish. Pair it with Stilton cheese, grilled and roasted meats like a nice roasted beef brisket, roasted veggies, and hearty mushroom dishes.
Bula Montsant
Montsant, a small Catalonian region located in northeastern Spain, is emerging from the shadows of its better known (and more expensive) next-door neighbor, Priorat. Like Priorat, Montsant has beautiful shape, structure and density, but with a much lower sticker price. This gorgeous wine is full of fruit like cherry and raspberry with notes of pepper and flowers. It’s subtly sweet with a round finish and robust tannins. This would be excellent served with paella, red meat or rich pasta dishes, or a roast pork tenderloin with a romesco sauce.
The Stash Pinot Noir
The strong, cool ocean winds of California’s Santa Rita Hills help create depth of flavor in their complex wine. Enjoy aromas from plum and ripe cherry to hibiscus and lavender. You’ll taste luscious stone fruits, white pepper, ripe berries, sassafras and cedar. It will fill your mouth with yumminess. Try it with an aged Cabot Cheddar, coq au vin, pork tenderloin, or Cornish game hens.
Editorial disclosure: Foodista received the above wines from Whole Foods for our honest review. No other payment was received.
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