Pick up a Connecticut wine for your holiday party or dinner party and maybe a bottle or two of a California wine to help support the recovery efforts. Make your wine selection now for a stress-free dinner that complements turkey and all the side fixings.
Ballet of the Angels wine from Sharpe Hill Vineyards
Connecticut Wines for the Holidays
Ballet of Angels from Sharpe Hill Vineyards is a light and refreshing semi-dry white wine with a delicious floral bouquet. This wine has wonderful refreshing citrus flavors reminiscent of peaches, pears and sweet grapefruit. It is a very popular wine available at most liquor stores in Connecticut.
Wind Ridge by DiGrazia Vineyards is a semi-dry white wine with crisp acidity and hint of apple. Perfect dinner party wine, very versatile and goes with a great variety of foods. Those who enjoy Pinot Grigio will enjoy Wind Ridge as well. Pairs well with pasta, seafood, white meat, and Italian food.
President’s Choice from Paradise Hills Vineyard is a premier full-bodied red wine with a nice rich nose of blackberry aromas. Blackberry flavors continue on the palate joined by essence of currant and cedar. The finish is weighty and bold, well balanced with long fruit soft tannins that linger for your pleasure.
Jones Family Farms Woodlands White is refreshingly crisp with a delicate, sweet finish. This popular semi-sweet wine is scrumptious when partnered with grilled chicken, veal scaloppini, farm fresh quiche, or an aged, sharp cheddar cheese.
Interested in finding more great about Connecticut Wine? Visit the Connecticut Wine Trail and join one of the many Meetups in the area.
Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon from Tom Gore Vineyards
Support California Wineries
Buy California Wines this holiday season
Sonoma turns its efforts to rebuilding its wine country and now more than ever we want to help support their rebuilding efforts. Support California grape farmer’s by purchasing a California wine for your holiday festivities. Share a glass on your favorite social media with the hashtag #SonomaStrong
Tom Gore is a second-generation grape farmer with a passion for coaxing vines and a farmer’s role in crafting wines for great flavor. Fill your glass and get to know a farmer’s wine by purchasing a bottle of Tom Gore Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc. Although Tom Gore Vineyards didn’t sustain any damage in the Sonoma Wildfires, a donation has been made in its name to the Sonoma Resilience Fund and the Vineyard is doing its part to work with local Sonoma business to support the #SonomaStrong movement. Dark ruby red in color with aromas of blackberry and black currant, the Tom Gore Vineyards 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon is a fruit-forward wine full of dark fruit flavors complemented by a rich mouthfeel and soft, round tannins. Click here to find where to buy Tom Gore wines in Connecticut.
White Rock Vineyards winery, founded in 1870 lost the winery in the California fires but the wines both past and present along with the underground winery remained intact. White Rocks Vineyards offers Syrah, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Estate Claret for purchase on their website.
Damage to the William Hill Estate Winery was mostly cosmetic and vineyard damage was minimal. William Hill offers a wide variety of wines from their Coastal, Napa Valley, Benchland Series and Winemaker’s Series for purchase on their website.
Frey Vineyards is shipping a limited number of their wines as they rebuild their facilities. Frey offers Organic and Biodynamic Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Pinot Grigio, Malbec, Rosé, Petite Sirah, Dessertage Port, Tannat, Dolcetto, Pinot Noir, and Sangiovese.
Notable’s Oaky and Buttery is bright golden in color and opens with stone fruit and apple aromas. These are layered with baking spices and the essence of butter on a smooth palate of toasted vanilla oak, culminating in a vibrant finish. It’s delicious paired with risotto, shrimp, and halibut.
Frogs Leap Petite Sirah from Napa Valley offers a rich, deep color with an exuberant plum and blueberry aroma with a luxurious flavor that will enhance your Thanksgiving feast.
You can find many more California wines to savor at the California Winery Advisor
Our Favorite Budget Wines
Our favorite budget wine is Barefoot’s Winter Blend that is only available during the holiday season. Cozy up to the fire with Barefoot’s limited edition Winter Blend wine. Each sip starts with a deep blackberry jam and a dash of sweet caramel, then finishes with smooth vanilla. The perfect winter red wine to complement everything, from warm gingerbread cookies to juicy steak with peppercorn sauce.
Yellow Tail Wines offers a wonderful Shiraz, Smooth Red Blend, Pinoi Noir, Grenache, Merlot, Chardaonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riseling, Moscato, Sangria and Rosé. During New Year’s celebration you may also want to try their sparkling Bubbles. Yellow Tail is a brand of wine produced by Casella Family Brands. Casella wines is based in Yenda, Australia, which has a population of approximately 1,400 people. The Casella family has produced wines since the 1820s in Italy.
Barefoot’s Malbec wine is well known as a plush red wine of epic proportions. Big juicy flavors of blackberry and currant set sail on a gorgeous gust of vanilla, caramel and toasted oak.
Cupcake Vineyards Merlot is a jammy, elegantly textured wine crafted from luscious grapes found along California’s desirable Central Coast. Aromas of ripe red berry, black pepper and spice fill the nose, while flavors of raspberry, cherry and cocoa mingle into a plush, silky finish. Pair with slider-style mini burgers, garlic-parmesan roasted Brussels sprouts or romantic dinner dates.
Other Wines to Consider for your holiday table
Fruity & Crisp from Australia showcases vibrant, fruit-forward flavors of citrus, melon and peach, and was fermented in stainless steel tanks to preserve the fresh fruit character of the grapes, creating a crisp, zesty Chardonnay. Pour a glass to enjoy alongside moms’ special candied yams and baked apple brie. Crisp floral flavors of lemon and citrus lead to a fresh, subtly zesty finish. It’s delicious paired with lobster, pan-seared scallops, and smoked turkey.
