From Friendsgiving to New Year’s Eve, the holidays are like a revolving door of activity, full of invitations, events, and gift giving. There’s only one cardinal rule when it comes to holiday soirées — never show up empty-handed. If you’re wondering, “What can I bring?” let us take the guesswork out of which wine to choose with an easy, fuss-free solution to your holiday wine shopping worries.
Bringing a bottle of wine to an event is more than a token of gratitude to your host, it’s something you and your fellow party-goers can enjoy. These wines make it easier than ever to be a good holiday guest. Read on to learn about three wines that are perfect for gifting, sipping, or pairing (and best of all, great options for when you want to avoid complicating your shopping list over the holidays!). You can also click the link here to shop these wines!
Hahn 2023 Founder’s Pinot Noir: Bring to the Friendsgiving Table
Hahn was founded in 1980 and has been a major player in the California wine scene ever since, known for producing quality Pinot Noir. With cooler climates, the hillsides of coastal California are the perfect location for fruit-forward, approachable Pinot Noir.
The Hahn 2023 Founder’s Pinot Noir has a bouquet of dark cherry and raspberry with subtle undertones of vanilla and toasted oak. With a silky mouthfeel and a long finish, this balanced Pinot is the perfect addition to your Friendsgiving table. Pinot noir’s versatility makes it a staple for the typical Thanksgiving meal since it pairs well with sliced turkey and gravy as well as with an earthy mushroom risotto. Like most Pinots, this wine benefits from being served slightly chilled at around 55 degrees after resting in the fridge for an hour. While it’s a red that doesn’t need to be decanted, a pair of bell-shaped glasses are ideal for serving (and would be a nice bonus gift for your host).
William Hill 2022 California Chardonnay: Serve During Hors d’Oeuvres
William Hill winery has been creating sippable, flavorful wines for almost 50 years. This first-rate Chard is a thoughtful addition to any holiday party.
William Hill Chardonnay has notes of baked apple crisp, apricots, and citrus layered with hints of vanilla cream and oak. It’s well rounded with a medium-bodied palate and a long finish. Its vibrant citrus notes are coupled with buttery brioche, thanks to the cooler, coastal zones its grapes were grown in, which draws out these bright characteristics.
The William Hill 2022 California Chardonnay is a crowd-pleasing wine to sip or to gift and should be served well chilled at around 45 degrees. It will pair well with the cheeses and cured meats you might find at a party’s graze board and it also pairs well with fresh seafood, like oysters on the half shell, prawns, or lobster. Bonus — it’s a year-round favorite that also goes well with spicy curries and tofu-based vegetarian cuisine.
Franciscan 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon: Full-Body Flavor for New Year’s Eve
Named for the Franciscan Friars who brought viticulture to California in the 1700s, Franciscan was founded in 1972 by two Napa Valley wine legends, Justin Meyers and Raymond Duncan. Since then, the winery has been a fundamental part of California’s winemaking culture. The winery crafts wines in a traditional way but with a modern taste and works on the winemaking philosophy of letting the “fruit speak for itself.”
The Franciscan 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon is a full-bodied red wine with aromas of blackberry and toasted coconut. The mouthfeel is silken with layers of black cherry and dark raspberries with ribbons of caramel throughout. The grapes for this wine were destemmed and lightly crushed before a multi-day cold soak. They were fermented with skin contact and aged in French and American oak barrels.
If you’re throwing a New Year’s dinner, Franciscan 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon is an ideal bottle to boldly ring in 2025. To bring out its best flavors and aromas, decant this wine for at least an hour before serving. While Cab Sav’s robust flavors are an obvious match for filet mignon or rack of lamb, its fruity undertones make its case for pairing with red-sauce Italian dishes like lasagna or eggplant parmesan, too.
This article is sponsored by E. & J. Gallo.
