Business & Tech

Selecting a Holiday Wine

Experts from Wine Harvest and The Bottle Shop weigh in on holiday wine selection and give a few recommendations.

When bringing wine to a dinner party or gifting a bottle this holiday season, don’t be afraid to ask for help. After all, that’s what the professionals are for.

The Bottle Shop (Potomac) and (Gaithersburg and Potomac) provide excellent selections and a wide variety of white, red, and sparkling wines. During December — the month The Bottle Shop owner Christina Findley calls “primetime” — many people head to the stores seeking recommendations. 

“This time of year, [people want] to have a bottle that looks impressive, that maybe has a higher rating from one of the publications that rates wines, or they want a familiar label,” Findley said. “But we also have people who want to give someone something they’ve never tried before, and we can help with that.”

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For Andrew Meyrowitz, Wine Harvest’s beverage director, there are three key things to focus on when shopping for a wine.

“You have to focus on who it's for, what it's for, and how much you want to spend,” Meyrowitz said. “You don’t need to spend a lot of money to get a good bottle.”

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These wines, which Findley refers to as “value wines,” are priced $15 or less. The value wines are great for grab-and-go shopping as well as for entertaining, she said.

Part of Meyrowitz’s focus — the occasion the wine is for — becomes very important when selecting a wine during Christmas or New Years.

Red wine, particularly Pinot Noir, is traditional for Christmas, Meyrowitz said. But many people like “big, bold cabernets and red blends,” and the biggest trends have been Spanish and South American wines, he said.

Both Findley and Meyrowitz agree the number one wine for New Year’s Eve is sparking wine, also known as bubbly. However, many people confuse them for champagne, Meyrowitz said.

“A little-known fact is that bubbly wines are made in all different styles,” Meyrowitz said. “Champagne is an appellation of France. It is not a wine. So when people say they want champagne, normally they mean they want a bubbly.

“I recommend, for people who are a little more focused on value, that they buy wines that aren’t made in Champagne proper.”

However, champagne has a lot of history and tradition, Findley said, so a lot of times, that’s what people want.

Both Findley and Meyrowitz made specific recommendations for red, white, and sparkling wines:

Red

  • Altosur Malbec, 2011, $12 (The Bottle Shop)
  • Seghesio Zinfandel, 2009, $30 (The Bottle Shop)
  • Lirac, 2009, $20 (The Bottle Shop)
  • Hartford Court Land’s Eagle, 2007, $50 (Wine Harvest)
  • Zinato Rippaso, 2008, $26.99 (Wine Harvest)

White:

  • Poet’s Leap, 2010, $24.99 (Wine Harvest)
  • Rivesaltes Ambré, 2003, $50 (Wine Harvest)
  • Maison Louis Latour, 2009, $18.99 (Wine Harvest)
  • Riebek Cellers Chardonnay, 2010, $9 (The Bottle Shop)
  • Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc, 2009, $27 (The Bottle Shop)

Sparkling

  • Jean Babou Crémant de Limoux, non-vintage, $18 (Wine Harvest)
  • Proseco Solletico, 2010, $18.99 (Wine Harvest)

Editor's Note: This post was corrected. In the original story we misidentified the appellation in France. We apologize for this error.


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