Holiday Wine Recommendations

This post is a little closer to Thanksgiving than I would like, but due to the recent start of this blog, late is better than never. These wine selections go equally well with Christmas, so consider it early for that. Plus, you could even make the point that holiday wine lists are silly to begin with, as someone with a great deal more wine knowledge than me does here. I somewhat agree, but think that certain Indiana wines just beg for consumption this time of year and should be highlighted.

The wineries selected to answer this question were done by blind draw. I asked more , but some did not respond to their emails before post time. I also included Buck Creek Winery, since I asked Jeff Durm this question during my interview.

Anderson’s Winery, Valparaiso:

I spoke with Sheila, who said that the Vineyard Blush ($10.99) goes great with turkey and is their top seller this time of year. The rhubarb ($11.99) would also go great, and seems to be enjoyed by everyone. The Vidal Blanc ($13.99) has undertones of grape and pineapple and is great with ham. Finally, the Vineyard Blue ($10.99) is a Concord Blend that is enjoyed by those who are not typical wine drinkers.

Best Vineyards, Elizabeth:

Owner Wilbert said their Strawberry (no price yet) comes out this Wednesday, and does not last very long. The Catawba ($10.95) is the biggest grape wine seller this time of year and goes great with everything on the holiday table. The Red Raspberry (13.95)is a great dessert wine, especially with chocolate cake.

Buck Creek, Indianapolis:

As Jeff Durm said in our earlier interview:

Our Christmas wine is our Christmas Cherry, if you like a little bit sweeter. We only bring it out the first part of November through Christmas. We sold out last year prior to Christmas. We made a little bit more this year. Our buck actually has a red nose like Rudolph on the label. It is very popular.

Our Cabernet Sauvignon just came out, and I think it is one of the best dry reds we have ever made. Forget Me Not, which is our Traminette, would be a wonderful wine with turkey, because it has that Alsatian kind of spiciness that would match very well with turkey. Our Dew Drop is Muscat Canelli, and it really has that tropical flavor, like pineapple and citrus, and would really go well with baked ham. We just brought out a sweet wine called Trilogy that is a blend of three native American grapes-Steuben, Concord, and Catawba blended together. I basically had so many gallons of these left, and it was a test and see what it was like. It was out of necessity due to lack of tank space that we came up with this wine, and it has been by 30% our biggest seller since it came out two weeks ago. So out of necessity sometimes, good things happen.

Easley Winery, Indianapolis:

Meredith Easley told me that something with some sweetness is the best seller this time of year, to appeal to people who don’t usually drink wine. The Barrel Red and Reggae Red are hot sellers now.

Also popular is the Cabernet Sauvignon, which was judged Best of Show at the Indiana Wine Fair, as well as Gold at Indy International. It is selling by the case at the winery. The new Limited Reserve Cabernet was released last Friday and is also expected to be a huge seller and may rival the previous Cabernet in acclaim.

For the holidays, Easley makes a sweet red mulled wine. It has been the same family recipe for 34 years. Do not boil the wine or you will lose the alcohol. (I always use a crock pot.)

For the holiday meal, Easley’s recommend Governor’s Chardonnay or Reggae White with Turkey, or Pink Catawba with ham. With crown roast, the Governor’s Riesling is best. Mulled wine goes great with pumpkin pie, Cabernet or Merlot with apple pie.

And for holiday parties, Easley’s Champagne (around so long the use of the name is grandfathered in) is always a big seller.

Mallow Run, Indianapolis:

Bill Richardson and I played phone tag before this story posted, so instead of writing what he says, I will substitute my thoughts on Mallow Run wines that would be great with holidays meals. Their Traminette ($12.95) is one of the best Indiana Trams I have tasted and would go great with Turkey. I would also recommend the Seyval Blanc, but it is sold out. The Finale ($14.95) makes an excellent pairing with chocolate, and I think the Blackberry ($9.95) is unbeatable at the price and excellent with berry dishes. It is very rich though, so pour yourself a small glass!

Sorry for the Indianapolis-centric recommendations. That was not my intention, they just responded in time to be included.

I am leaving the state soon and will be back late Thursday. I will be taking two wines with me from recent purchases, Buck Creek's Der Champion and Windy Knoll's Apple. Everyone have a safe and happy holiday!