Provided by SAM’S CLUB Source™
The holidays are a time for celebrations, family, friends and good wine. Here are five of the perennial favorite wines for making your holiday celebrations merry.
- Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon
This Cab, from a prime Napa vineyard, is a classic example of the great value for the dollar. The Franciscan has lots of depth and is well balanced with an impressive level of complexity. Enjoy this with lamb or beef at your special holiday dinners.
- Veuve Clícquot Brut Champagne, non-vintage
This is classic, first-rate Champagne. Made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, it has a lively, fresh taste with an underlying complexity. It is both creamy and bone dry.
- Castello Banfi San Angelo Pinot Grigio
This is a no-oak style Pinot Grigio that proudly focuses on all of the bouquet and taste of the fruit. It is crisp, dry, bright and clean. The Banfi would be a great complement to shellfish or Asian dishes.
- La Crema Pinot Noir
The bright red fruit in this wine is from the Carneros region. With its perfumey aroma, soft, subtle flavors, and low tannin, it is the opposite of many Cabernets. The medium-full body is a wonderful complement to salmon or lamb dishes.
- Querceto® Chianti Classico Riserva
Riserva denotes the highest quality in Chianti. This fine Tuscan wine has an earthy, spicy flavor and deep red color. It has been well oaked and presents a complex, smoky character with vanilla notes and a dry finish that could be cellared for up to five years. Try the Querceto with duck, beef or tomato-based pasta recipes.
Mastering the Wine Label
Knowing what the wine label tells you about the wine can help you make the right choice for your taste, your meal and your guests. The next time you’re choosing wine, look for this information right on the label:
- Varietal: There are regulations regarding the disclosure of which grape varieties have been used to make a wine. If just one variety is listed, the wine must contain all, or predominantly, that grape. The wine may be known as a varietal wine. If there are multiple grape varieties, they must be listed in descending order of their contribution.
- Winemaker: The name and address of the producer may be provided on a label
- Region: The area where the grapes were grown (not necessarily where the wine was bottled or aged)
- Vintage: The year the grapes were harvested
