Local libations for your holiday
A version of this column was published was published 12/22/21 in The Observer and The Review & Express.
After yet another truly strange year, I’ve decided I’m only gifting one thing: wine. Under the Christmas tree? Wine. A friend’s birthday? Wine. A holiday dinner contribution? Wine. The perfect New Year’s toast? …I think you know my answer.
This might seem like the obvious selection given my choice of industry, but I also just feel very strongly that we each deserve something a little extra delicious this year. While the two weeks between Christmas and New Year’s are a festive respite from the busyness of 2021, this time can also be fraught with anxiety or stress. But what I love about wine is that it’s a connector of people, which can come in really handy for your first full family gathering since 2019.
With supply chain issues plaguing liquor stores (and all other stores), my husband and I decided to shop our personal inventory for this year’s libations, pulling all local wines that we’re curious to revisit. Hopefully this provides some inspiration for your own local wine list this year.
White wines
We decided on a fuller bodied white for our holiday pairings this year, choosing solely Finger Lakes Chardonnay. Often, the grape conjures visions of big, buttery oak bombs but it’s actually quite adaptable. In cooler regions like ours, Chardonnay can offer lighter, brighter, fresher notes and generally receives a more restrained oak treatment. The 2020 vintage provided the best of both worlds, with the hallmark Finger Lakes acidity finding balance within beautifully ripe fruit thanks to a dry and hot growing season. We pulled two neutral oak aged options from Nathan K. and Billsboro, and one stainless steel bottle from Fox Run (Doyle Family).
Rosé & orange wines
Every time it snows I crack open a bottle of Rosé. Perhaps this is counterintuitive but I’ve learned something worth sharing: Rosé is still delicious even when it’s cold. As it turns out, these wines (like the Sheldrake Point Rosé for example) pair really well with a holiday meal; the reminder of warmer months while you imbibe isn’t bad either. When we want to spice things up, we turn to orange wines. Thanks to skin contact, these whites wines have tannin, structure, and bold flavor profiles. This year, we’ll enjoy an Atwater Vineyards Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer orange blend with cheese and charcuterie.
Red wines
“Something beautiful and bold, with dark red and purple fruits and balanced tannins.” This is what my husband described when I asked him what reds he wanted to bring for Christmas dinner. It’s hard to argue with, especially because the Finger Lakes can produce incredibly expressive offerings. We selected a Meritage by Damiani Cellars (featuring Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc) and Red Tail Ridge’s Dornfelder, which is a German grape grown on Seneca Lake. We also snagged a Devonian Red from Anthony Road, an easy crowd pleaser.
Dessert wines
I’m not typically a dessert wine person but during the holidays–after stuffing myself repeatedly with obscene amounts of food–I can appreciate a digestif. One of my husband’s favorites is the Weis Vineyards One Eighty Three Port (which he also calls his kryptonite). Other dessert wine options might include an ice wine or noble rot selection, or a late harvest pick like the stunning Kemmeter Wines SanSan Late Harvest Gewürztraminer.
Sparkling wines
I’m proud to say that I’m still on the quest to drink bubbles everyday. 2022 will be no different, and with Champagne method to Charmat, and Pét-Nat styles to force carbonation, there is so much to explore. Our cool climate region lends itself to delicious sparkling wines–we’ve been making notable ones since the late 1800’s, like Great Western’s Extra Dry, which has been in production for 150 continuous years. We’ll also finally try a Riesling Pét-Nat from Finger Lakes newcomer, 20 Deep Winery.
Sending warm wishes for delicious holiday pairings from my little family to yours. Cheers!
Maiah Johnson Dunn is a writer based in the Finger Lakes region. Visit maiah.com for more.