The holidays are the pinnacle of fun – any hour of the day is a perfectly acceptable time to imbibe.
Friends stopping by mid morning? Baileys and coffee. A snowy hike? Rum and eggnog in a flask. Games night with the family? Keep the red wine flowing.
Here are 5 suggestions for crowd pleasing wines appropriate for any type of Christmas gathering.
The workhorse white
Pro tip: have a case of $15 Spanish white on hand at all times. This is a wine that'll pair with all the food, random visitors and occasions you can throw at it.
You also won't be sad if you cruise through 4-5 bottles of it in the course of one evening.
A great option: El Petit Bonhomme Verdejo, available at the government liquor store for $15.
The monolithic red
Cool temperatures, lightly falling snow and crackling fires call for red wine that envelop us like a warm hug.
Without fail, the Black Sage Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon knock this style out of the park every damn time.
Velvety, rich, and big – it's exactly what you want on a cold winter's night. You can find it at Superstore for around $25.
The "kewl" wine
Inevitably you're going to have friends visit who've begun a foray into natural wine, or kids home from university who want to tell you all about the cool wine bar they've been frequenting that serves orange wine.
Be ready with some "kewl" wine on hand – give the Anthony Buchanan 2017 RMG Orange a try, $30, available through AmoVino.
Bubbles for all!
There exists no situation where bubbles do not work. Skating? Skiing? Watching a movie? Having a dinner party?
The good news is there are no shortage of outstanding producers in BC making high quality examples. A surefire standby: Blue Mountain Gold Label Brut, available online or at the winery, $27.90
That smashable bottle you need multiples of
The French refer to this as "vin de soif" which nods to thirst quenching styles of wine, often described as "glou glou" meaning "glug glug".
These are wines that go down effortlessly. They're often spritzy, super fruity, high acid, low alcohol and dangerously easy to drink. Give the Claus Preisinger Puszta Libra a try – a blend of Zweigelt/St. Laurent. Available through Sedimentary Wines, $25.
Which wine are you going to give a try this holiday season?
