Decanting Digest - 3 wonderful wines for the Holidays

No matter which way you celebrate with those closest to you, the beauty of the holidays is in tradition. And as dramatically different as these can be from one home to the next, the one constant across cultures and generations is gathering around a table to share a beautiful meal and celebrate love in all its forms.

For many of us, boundless care and attention go into making these days and memories special. Especially after a year of shelving our traditions to protect one another, a great bottle of wine is called for to tie everything together.

Here’s a list of three wines that will cover just about every traditional holiday dinner, all of which are available in the Vintages section of the LCBO for less than $30 a bottle. 

Kendall-Jackson 2020 Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay
Sonoma, California, USA
Vintages #369686
$21.95

Everything about this is a classic choice: Chardonnay is a natural accompaniment for a turkey dinner with all the fixings, and this example is the signature wine from one of Sonoma Valley’s biggest producers. Even if you’re an anything-but-Chardonnay wine drinker, you may like this one. Fermented in small barrels, it goes easy on the oak and lets just a hint of warm vanilla linger with the sweet pineapple and papaya flavours that a great Chard allows to shine.
Score: 8.5/10.

Larry Cherubino Pedestal 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon
Margaret River, Western Australia
Vintages #20885
$24.95

A stout Cab Sauv is a beautiful thing with red meats, and the Margaret River region of Western Australia produces some of the world’s most underappreciated examples. This one is a marvel with peppery notes, stewed black fruits, and a region-characteristic hint of eucalyptus on the nose, carrying through to rich and nuanced flavours of cassis, dark chocolate, and even a subtle undertone of cherry pie. The latest release was tiny, so don’t delay in securing at least two bottles, one for the holidays and another to put up for a few years. Score: 9/10.

Loveblock Tee 2020 Sauvignon Blanc
Marlborough, New Zealand
Vintages #14568
$29.95

New Zealand is arguably the new world’s top region for Sauvignon blanc on its own, but this example is truly exceptional, if highly untraditional. It presents with a rich, golden straw colour and a light herbaceous nose to go with more traditional notes of pear and lemon. But it’s the palate that shines, mixing baked apple, Meyer lemon, and even light caramel flavours imparted by the 30% barrel fermentation, but retaining enough acidity to cut through rich foods. Not only would this wine be a wonderful accompaniment for a fish or seafood-based holiday meal, but it’s also vegan, organic, and sulphur-free with green tea used to add antioxidants, so it should satisfy every dietary restriction you might find at your table. A little outside the budget I’d typically recommend for any Sauvignon Blanc, but this one is special enough to justify it.
Score: 9.5/10.

Steph is a successful, established freelance writer and has been a wine aficionado for more than two decades. Connect with her on Twitter and Instagram.
Decanting Digest appears every other Wednesday.
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