If you’re looking to celebrate the holidays with the fruit of the vine, here’s a trio of wines that will put the “Merry” into “Merry Christmas” and the “Happy” into “Happy New Year.”
It’s a South Florida tradition at Christmas and/or New Year’s to serve up a big platter piled high with sweet, succulent stone crab claws. And a white wine that goes just as well with Florida’s iconic shellfish as Joe’s mustard sauce is the2010 Roth Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. At $20 it’s a relatively affordable wine but one that drinks at a much higher level than its price tag. Splitting the difference between California’s bright, ripe fruit and the crisp acidity and minerality of French Chablis, this wine is both subtle enough to let the crab shine through, yet rich enough to stand up to that requisite mustard sauce.
Of course, another holiday tradition, both in South Florida and elsewhere, is to roast a whole beef tenderloin or prime rib. You could certainly pair a good Cabernet or Zinfandel or a Bordeaux or Super Tuscan, but this year my money is on one of the finest California Pinot Noirs I’ve tasted in years, the 2009 La Follette Sangiacomo Vineyard Sonoma Coast ($40). As smooth as a pashmina scarf and as elegant as an Armani tux, like the Roth it’s the best parts of New World and Old, a tribute to winemaker Greg La Follette’s Burgundian approach to this most difficult and rewarding varietal.
And then there’s the toast. Whether bidding good riddance to 2011 or welcoming in 2012, nothing does toasting like a bottle of bubbly. I love most French Champagnes and Spanish cavas and Italian proseccos. But my new favorite sparkler is the terrific non-vintage J Vineyards Brut Rosé. At $28 it’s more than competitively priced, showing off a pretty pale salmon color and excellent mousse, with flavors of berries, minerals and freshly baked bread, and a long tangy citrus finish. This is a wine of great elegance and subtlety, and you might be surprised how well its partners with food.
