Another holiday season is upon us, and with it are the traditional gatherings of friends and family for dinners and parties. For many of us, the hardest decision we’ll make is which wine to serve—after all, we do not want to disappoint our guests with our choice as well as have them talk about it forever after! To help, here are some suggestions to give you an idea of what to buy no matter what your budget.
First, do not judge a wine by the price; it is the pairing of quality and selection of foods that your guests will notice and appreciate. It is not necessary to buy expensive wines to impress your guests—quality is what makes the impression. Many people judge a wine on price alone, and often are disappointed by the result.
You should first determine the menu, and then select the wines. For example, a lamb roast needs a much more robust wine than a turkey or chicken breast. Also you may want a variety of wines available to match your guests’ preferences. One to five wines at maximum should be available for selection. During the holiday season, turkey is perhaps the most popular meat, and since there are many suitable wines on the market it may be overwhelming to choose.
Allow me to recommend a few wines from Applejack Wine & Spirits.
Coyote Creek Chardonnay 2009, Santa Rosa, California, $6.99
Wild Rock Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Marlborough, New Zealand, $8.99
Ruffino Orvieto Classico 2009, Italy, $8.99
Cartlidge & Brown Merlot 2007, Napa County, California, $10.99
Pierre Sparr Pinot Gris Reserve 2009, Alsace, France, $20.99
Trapadis Cotes du Rhone, 2009 France, $11.99
Rex Hill Pinot Noir, 2009, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $21.99
A little about these wine varieties
Chardonnay
Look for oak, butter, and pear flavors most of the time if you are serving the wine with food.
Sauvignon Blanc
Sometimes called Fume Blanc, this grape is used by the U.S. winemakers to produce crisp, dry “green-tasting” whites.
Trebbiano (from Orvieto)
A dry to medium-dry, sometimes very fruit friendly wine with a touch of mature fruit flavor. A great choice for novice or light wine drinkers.
Merlot
The merlot grape at its early maturing adds a lot of plum and lush fruitiness with a hint of flowers on the finish. You may find it an easier complement to your holiday dinners than Cabernet Sauvignon.
Pinot Gris
Expect a medium to heavy bodied wine with floral aromas as well as pear and melon. Pinot Gris from Alsace can also have a spicy character that usually doesn’t appear within this varietal from other areas.
Cotes du Rhone
St. Joseph is an Appellation which produces mainly red wines from the syrah grape. These red wines give a lot of wild berry flavors, an almost spicy hint of cinnamon, and are extremely pleasant to drink. It is recommended they be chilled from 52F to 58F.
Pinot Noir
Oregon may be the best area in the US for growing and producing great Pinot Noir. Pinot is thought to be the most difficult grape to cultivate because it requires a cooler climate and cannot be attacked by the sun as its skin is very thin. Much of the Pinot Noir from Oregon has a similar style to a traditional Burgundy. One reason for the commonality is both regions share the same latitude. In addition the climate from the northern pacific ocean gives the wine a fresh black cherry flavor on the finish. Pinot Noir is an elegant wine and pairs very well with a variety of food.
Wine tasting is an adventure, the more you taste and experience wines the more knowledge you gain on the types of grapes, the type of growing and the taste that should be expected.
Comparing different growths of the same grape of different regions of the world and the same price can help you refine your preference. As a sommelier I have not tasted all wines; my knowledge provides me a basis of comparison of grapes and regions, and what standards to expect with food pairing. My passion is to constantly discover new flavors with new styles of foods.
“A day without wine is a day without sunshine”
Jean L’Hereault is a Certified Sommelier and a wine consultant for Applejack Wine & Spirits.
Questions on wine for Jean can be sent to jl’hereault@applejack.com
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Wine is a social beverage, and a wine tasting in your home is an easy way to make any gathering into a dynamic and memorable event. This brief post should give you all the information you need to taste wine. A wine tasting or a wine dinner should not be a challenge, but an experience. Even without taking a Sommelier course, a well-crafted wine will reveal complexity and layers of flavor with just a little effort and practice.
After posting recipes for the past few weeks, the wine department thought we would try one of them ourselves. We chose the grilled skirt steak because, in addition to it being one of the most flavorful cuts of meat, it is quite affordable (especially when hosting a large group of opportunivors!!).
Then, to top off the evening, cashier extraordinaire Eva Young, prepared a savory Sangria from equal parts 
Grilled Skirt Steak
Recipes courtesy of Jill Paradiso, a classically trained chef and the Rioja specialist for the Northeast region. For more information
Ingredients: 
Recipes courtesy of Jill Paradiso, a classically trained chef and the Rioja specialist for the Northeast region. For more information about Vibrant Rioja please visit 
What an amazing treat this is on the table. Two of the worlds finest foods, chocolate and coffee, combined with potatoes, create an exquisite side dish. The savory and sweet elements result in a rich flavor that nourishes the soul. This is sure to draw a lot of attention and be a crowd pleaser. Serve it alone as tapas or with the 
Recipes courtesy of Jill Paradiso, a classically trained chef and the Rioja
This Roasted Rack of Lamb works great for any family dinner or for entertaining as it does not require much time to prepare. It can be paired with almost any side dish or served alone with a simple gremolata (minced parsley, lemon zest, and garlic).
