The period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day will forever be trapped in amber.
Are we coming, going, floating in a festive haze? We’re not sure. But we are sure that you’ll want to pair some grower Champagne, slept-on white Burgundy or beefy Chateauneuf-du-Pape with this ineffable feeling.
We caught up with six Richmond shop owners to see what they’d recommend (including non-alcoholic options) for all the occasions you may find yourself in this holiday season, be they happy, sad or a little in-between.
Style Weekly: What’s your go-to bottle while meal prepping with guests scurrying underfoot?
James Compton, J. Emerson Fine Wine: We have been big advocates for Italian wines, and two perennial favorites are the Le Fraghe Bardolino at $21.99 and the Collina San Ponzio Roero Arneis at $16.99. The Bardolino comes from a winery on Italy’s Lake Garda and is blend of two native Italian varietals, Corvina and Rondinella. It takes a light chill well and is charmingly fresh. The Arneis is from Italy’s Piedmont region with notes of citrus, pear and almond. It charms everyone who tries it.
Jody Sidle, Point 5 (alcohol-free bottle shop): Probably Wander + Found still rose or cuvee blanc.
Erin Keene, Second Bottle Wine and Snack Shop: These days, I’ve been coming back to this Grillo from DeBartoli in Sicily. There’s so much complexity that even if I’m busy and distracted, it will force me to pause and take in all I’m tasting.
Donnie Glass (Jardin, Grisette, Beaucoup): Riesling, specifically something from Hofgut Falkenstein in the Mosel. They’re all well under 10% ABV, so you don’t get wrecked by two glasses while you cook, and drink like gently sweet, electrified adult lemonade. Also, a positive, most people “don’t like Riesling” (at least they don’t think they do), so fewer people help themselves to your “cooking wine.”
Booth Hardy, Barrel Thief: White Burgundy, usually fuller bodied bottles from the Côte de Beaune. So good this time of year!
Annie Barrow, Dinner Party: Easy — sparkling wine. If I’m lucky, it’s Champagne, but truly any traditional method sparkling will do. I call it my “standing-around wine,” my “cooking wine.” It’s celebratory, refreshing and just delicious.
How about a beloved red that pairs well with most holiday proteins?
Compton: We will offer two options, since some meals call for heavier wines than others. For lighter fare, Cru Beaujolais is still a great option that over delivers for its price point and is always a crowd pleaser. For heartier food, one of the safest, nicer bottles is Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Everyone knows it and (pretty much) everyone likes it. They run in the $40-$60 range for most entry level bottlings but are great for special occasions like the holidays. A more affordable alternative is a nicer Cotes-du-Rhone.
Sidle: Luminara or Noughty are my favorites.
Keene: Blaufränkisch! Tremendously versatile with food. It has spice, it has lift. We have a few expressions in the shop right now that I find myself recommending again and again.
Glass: “Most holiday proteins” is a misnomer, as turkey, ham, beef and even seafood (hello, Feast of the Seven Fishes) can all rule your holiday table depending on your own traditions. But for our family, Christmas night means prime rib, covered in garlic and black pepper. Decades ago, my dad — not a wine connoisseur or collector by any means — started a tradition of buying a bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape and saving it for a few years to open with Christmas dinner, and I’m proud to carry the CdP torch every Dec. 25. It’s a big, beefy wine for sure, but one that doesn’t need to be 10+ years old to hit its stride. I think it got the nod from my old man simply because it was something he had heard of before, it being the first and most famous wine region in the world. Favorite producer — Domaine L’Or de Line, particularly the Paule Courtil Cuvee.
Hardy: Red Burgundy. These pinot noirs can either be extremely easy to drink, medium bodied, tart, cherry-scented charmers, or if you spend just a little more, they’ll change your life by how magical they can be.
Barrow: When in doubt, Cru Beaujolais. The grape here is Gamay with the 10 Crus in Beaujolais to choose from — all different in terms of terroir, all delicious and consistently a great value. You’re usually looking at $30–$40 for truly high-quality, Cru-level fruit. Gamay is lean, minerally and packed with bright red fruit, which makes it incredibly versatile with all kinds of proteins and is always a crowd pleaser.
When you’re after an affordable bottle of bubbles and/or a bigger splurge bottle?
Compton: The Thorigny Vouvray Brut is our go-to for value. It is 100% chenin blanc from the Loire Valley and is refreshingly dry. We have carried it for decades and it is a great bottle of wine at only $19.99 ($17.99 if you bring your own wine bag to take advantage of our 10% discount on 6+ bottles when you bring a reusable wine bag). For the splurge bottle, we carry a lot of great Champagne at every price point, but we are always looking to help people branch out beyond just Champagne and one great option is the Cantina Scacciadiavoli Sparkling Brut Rosato for $32.99. Made from the indigenous Sagrantino grape in Umbria, Italy, this wine way over delivers for its price point and is as good as any Rose Champagne. *Side note: We will be staying at this winery in May of next year on our trip to Italy and look forward to sharing its great wines with our guests.
Sidle: Lyres Classico for more affordable and bigger splurge Prima Pave Rose Brut.
Keene: For affordable I suggest the Hild Sekt, she never lets me or a crowd down. For the splurge — Agrapart Champagne! You can’t go wrong, but this one is special.
Glass: Champagne! It’s refreshing, pairs with any nibbles/tastes that may need to happen while cooking and never feels out of place no matter what time of day it is. I have a couple of favorite growers, but I think my all-time favorite small outfit is Fresne Ducret. Their entry level Champagnes are delicious, often bottled vintage offerings and an incredible value (cheaper than Veuve and exponentially better and more interesting). But it’s their experimental, higher end, Arquemie lineup of wines that has my heart. Right now, the #6—dynamic, 100% pinot noir with savory aged gouda cheese notes and the #9 —100% chard, think spiced apple pastry and chalky minerality — are singing and I’ll be keeping those on hand throughout the holidays for my own personal enjoyment.
Hardy: Domaine De Thalie Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Nature Ricochet – $40, but with Champagne prices creeping upward, this is actually a surprising bargain. It’s pale pink and frothy for a cremant, but with just enough structure and minerality to be considered a serious wine, too. On the pricier side, I’d go with Laherte Frères 2019 Champagne Les Vignes d’Autrefois. This brand seems to have a solid foothold in the Richmond area, and rightfully so, the Champagnes are electric and so, so delicious! This cuvee has almost all the hipster Champagne fan catnip: 100% pinot meunier, sustainable farming, barrel fermented, no malolactic fermentation, low dosage. $130.
Barrow: For affordable bubbles, go Cava. It’s always made in the same traditional method as Champagne, and with the right producer, you’ll get something dry, chalky, minerally, and delicious—excellent quality for the price. For a splurge: proper Champagne. I especially love grower Champagne, and Laherte is my go-to. If I walk into a shop or restaurant and see Laherte on the shelf, that’s the bottle I’m grabbing.
What’s one wine that people often sleep on during this time of year?
Compton: It’s become a cliche within the wine business, but the most slept on wine varietals are 1. Riesling 2. Riesling 3. Riesling 4. Riesling and 5. Timorasso.
Keene: Rosé! Something with depth. Clos Cibonne Tradition needs to be on the table if you’re having ham. We also have [in Second Bottle] the last few bottles of Enfield’s stellar Foot Tread rosé of zinfandel and mourvedre with a fruit profile made for poultry and gravy.
Glass: The same wine that gets slept on all the time—sangiovese! It’s so much more versatile than most assume. I’m bringing a bottle of Tenuta Casali Palazzina to have with Thanksgiving, a sangiovese from high altitude vineyards in Emilia-Romagna, and not as big and bold as Chianti (far more adjacent to good pinot noir than many other Sangios). On the other side of the sangiovese coin, I’ll have plenty of the more robust L’Erta di Radda Chianti Classico ready to open for our big Christmas Eve party, where all are welcome and I make enough lasagna to feed an army. And finally, I’ll decant a bottle of older Brunello di Montalcino (Il Potazzine has been my darling this year — those Brunellos show so much finesse) to go with the standing prime rib roast on Christmas Day. I’ll serve it alongside a Chateauneuf, a Bordeaux and maybe even a Northern Rhone syrah or California cabernet. I guess it depends how many people are coming, as I sadly can’t drink all of that myself!
Hardy: Good white Burgundy!
Barrow: Dessert wine! Americans don’t drink a ton of it, and I think it intimidates people, but the holidays are the perfect moment for it. From a great Moscato d’Asti to a Sauternes, sweet goes with sweet and a dessert wine is the perfect pairing for holiday desserts. If you’re going to open something special, why not do it during the holidays?
