From Napa Valley Life

 

Napa’s Top Ten Holiday Wines

 

With the holidays here, we often need to come up with a special wine, either one to serve at a meal, take along as a hostess gift, or simply as a present for a wine-loving friend.

It seems that these wines fit into four categories, though the wines certainly overlap: before dinner instead of cocktails, with a meal, after dinner – and just by themselves. My family – at least my decadent part of it – enjoys some nice bubbly while we’re opening presents Christmas day, for example.

 

Here are ten of my favorite holiday wines from Napa Valley. A few are expensive, but I didn’t pick any unobtainable cult wines. And I’ll admit that they’re somewhat arbitrary. How can you pick your favorite Cabernet from Napa Valley, for example? There are about 300 wonderful Cabs produced here, from Sutter Home to Screaming Eagle. I didn’t list specific vintages or vineyards, for I think all of these are wonderful wines. Why exclude one because you can’t find the exact match?

 

Before dinner – or by themselves. Or with the meal, or after dinner:

 

Sparkling wines are the obvious choice before a meal, with some food such as simple shellfish or pork, after dinner if they’re not too dry – and any time you’re with friends, which is what the holidays are about.

 

Domaine Carneros La Rêve

Domaine Carneros La Rêve ties with Schramsberg J. Schram and Roederer Estate from Anderson Valley as the most elegant sparkling wines made in America – and frankly, it’s as good as any from Champagne. If a snob asks for the stuff from France, take away his glass of La Rêve and enjoy it yourself.

 

Schramsberg Querencia

Schramsberg makes a wide range of wines, from reasonable non-vintage Mirabelle (and most Champagne is nonvintage, by the way) to $120 J. Schram Rosé. But I like the rosé Querencia both for itself and because it supports the Jack L. Davies Land Preservation Fund. You (or the recipient) gets to enjoy the wine, and the people of Napa Valley enjoy a gift, too.

 

Domaine Chandon étoile Rose

Rosé are back, but in general, they’re best during the summer. Not so sparkling rosé. It’s the sophisticated aperitif, and Domaine Chandon’s is one of the best. It now comes with a funky pop-top crown cap, which is really the best closure for bubbly, but don’t worry: Almost all corkscrews have openers for this closure, too.

 

Mumm Cuvée M

Along with admitting they like rosés, many wine lovers are coming to grips with the fact that they like slightly sweet wines, and the secure ones don’t care what wine snobs say. Many members of my extended family fit this category, and for that reason, I like to offer demi-sec or extra dry sparklers on festive occasions. Mumm Napa makes both, but you’ll have to go by the winery to buy the Demi Sec. Cuvée M is more available, but I figure a trip to Mumm to try a few glasses of wine on the tasting patio and visit the photo gallery ain’t so bad either.

 

With a meal

Most people prefer still wines with meals, and assuming you’re having a few courses for a dinner party, there’s no better way to start than Sauvignon Blanc. Of course, making a choice is just about as difficult as choosing a favorite Napa Cabernet, for Napa Valley may be the best place in the world to grow Sauvignon Blanc (sorry stinky New Zealand wines).

 

Honig Sauvignon Blanc

I hear from restaurants that rich Mason is the most popular, and its Pomelo has become a bargain cult favorite. You can always hop over to the new tasting room on First Street to see if you agree, but I still think my favorite is the steely regular (not reserve) Honig Napa Valley. They’re rather you buy the reserve, but this is one category of wine where I think harvesting later, fermenting or aging in oak, or adding Semillon doesn’t improve the wine. I don’t know any still wine better with plain shellfish or even a salad.

 

HdV Chardonnay

Napa Valley is almost as famous for its Chardonnays as its Cabernets, and the biggest favorite of all are rich Rombauer and Frank Family versions. Most wineries are toning down the oak, caramel and butterscotch, and there are many other choices

I can’t imagine any better Chardonnay than HdV. A joint venture between Larry Hyde, one of Carneros’ top growers, and his in-laws, the de Villaine family of Romanée Conti, it’s as good as the white Burgundies that set the standard for Chardonnay in good years, and better when France suffers its occasional lapses.

 

Saintsbury Pinot Noir

Some critics claims other parts of California produce better Pinot Noirs than Napa, but I suspect elitism is at work here. In truth, cool Carneros is ground zero for great Pinot Noirs, and many come from its windswept hills. If I had to pick one producer, it would probably be Saintsbury, but that doesn’t really help much since it makes many different versions. The Brown Ranch is the top choice, but I actually like the light Carneros Garnet Pinot Noir, California’s answer to Beaujolais, with meals. It’s not like Nouveau Beaujolais, which is like pink Kool Aid, but real Beaujolais, France’s most popular everyday wine.

Frog’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon

Almost every winery in Napa Valley makes a great Cabernet, so I’ll go with a contrarian choice: At a recent tasting of top wines, I loved the Frog’s Leap, which was low in alcohol, delightful and ready to drink without waiting years for the tannins to retreat. I know you know who wouldn’t give it 97 points, but it’s the perfect choice for a real meal, from turkey to roast beef.

 

Anytime:

 

The best wine for drinking anytime with friends isn’t one that’s so acid or tannic that it demands food. Instead, it’s a bit mellow if not sweet, easy to enjoy without a lot of discussion. I have two favorites:

 

Trefethen Riesling

People are starting to discover Trefethen Riesling, and the demand is growing so much that the winery is planting more of German’s noble grape. It’s slightly off dry but not perceptibly sweet. While excellent with a lot of food, especially poultry and pork, I find it superb for wasting an afternoon solving the world’s problems. And holidays are the ideal time to do just that.

 

St. Supéry Moscato

Now that we’ve revived rosés, it’s time to resuscitate another gem that’s been out of favor even longer: Muscat wines. I’m not talking about Muscatel or syrupy dessert wines, but light, delicate wines with the exquisite aromas of perfumy Muscat grapes. The best are made from Muscat Canelli, and that’s just what St. Supéry’s is. Slightly sweet, it would also complement many Asian and Latin American meals, but it’s absolutely perfect at the times our ancestors would have had tea or sherry.

And if you want a real treat, try Heidi Barret’s bone-dry La Sirena Muscat in its cobalt bottle. No wonder Ulysses’ men were enchanted.

 

After dinner

You may notice that we’ve run used up our ten choices. That’s okay. Sweet dessert wines always sound better than they are. I’d rather have a glass of sparkling wine or moscato any day – including a holiday.

 

 

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