Wine tips for the holidays

As the winter holidays approach, many of us make plans to entertain friends and family at our homes, and to join celebrations as guests. Whether we are the entertainers or the entertained, wine many times will be part of the plan. Here are some pointers to avoid some common catches with bringing, receiving, and serving wine.

New, old and combined

In the first quarter each year, it is normal to see some shuffling of wineries and importers among distributors. In recent years, it was largely a bad thing. The tough economy resulted in many producers being dropped from portfolios and distributors leaving the business, resulting in access to even more wines being lost. Not this year.

Fall arrivals

For us and for most consumers (judging by buying patterns), wine consumption has a seasonal element: more rose and white with bracing acidity in the spring and summer, full-bodied whites and bubbly as the leaves start to turn. Similarly with reds: lighter-bodied reds with lower oak profiles during the warm summer months but when there is a chill in the air, tastes shift to embrace fuller-bodied reds and, of course, Pinot Noir for those holiday meals.

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