Category Archives: Jolly Holidays🎄

Love & Gratitude: a Holiday Meditation

The upcoming holidays can be crazy busy (just drive by your local grocery store parking lot try not to shudder). It’s easy to get lost in the frantic chatter permeating so much of where we go and what we do. It’s easy to lose sight of the point.

Is the point to drink wine? Well, in part, yes. Because when you open a great bottle, it’s a like a little meditation. It begins with the twist of the corkscrew (or cap). Next the scent is released, then the gentle cascading pour into your glass sends a signal to the brain that it’s ok to slow down and just be in the moment. You breathe again and delight in the visual of the wine as it settles into the glass – you can get a little lost in its deep ruby color. You swirl, and then sniff – breathing in…and out. Maybe you do this a few more times as the wine opens. All this euphoria and you haven’t even had a drop to drink. Yet. Very meditative indeed.

Part of the fun of holiday wine is in the choosing. So many are out there but not to worry, you’ll find the right one. And even if you don’t, it’s all good. For all the posing that can happen with wine, there really are no wrong answers. Trust yourself.

For this year’s Thanksgiving holiday, we’ve chosen two wines that have been resting a while in our wine rack and now need to be enjoyed.

2021 Summer Dreams Stargazing Pinot Noir – This Pinot was a natural choice (HubbyDoug’s favorite wine style) and a great dinner partner for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Nurtured in select vineyards from the Western Sonoma Coast, this is a beautifully nuanced, cooler climate wine. Cooler climate wines do not equal ‘meh’ or ‘ho-hum’; far from it. This is where a Pinot’s true beauty is often revealed . The Whole berry fermentation of this wine brings complexity and vivacity to its subtle nature. Flavors of dark fruit and berries, cherry pie and violets, along with a little allspice round out this profile. It’s a great traditional choice.

2014 Caduceus Monastrell – With its bold flavor profile, this could be called an ‘interesting’ choice for Thanksgiving dinner. Some skeptics might say that it’s way too overpowering. Monastrell (also known as Mourverdre) puts the ‘M’ in GSM wines. Typically, this can be considered a heavy hitter of wine; full bodied and tannic with deeply smoky, with flavors of blackberry bramble, tobacco, cocoa, black pepper. It pairs well with foods that reflect that: Barbeque and smoked meats. Think beefy Texan cookout rather than turkey with trimmings.

But part of being a wine student is the experimentation. My holiday table is my lab! And since there are no wrong answers in wine (lol) we’re giving it a try.

We discovered this Caduceus Monastrell on a trip a few years ago to Jerome, Arizona. We loved the rich and bold flavors of this wine and it was cool to try Monastrell on its own. Typically, it’s part of the GSM triumverate, blending beautifully with Grenache and Syrah.

Winemaker Maynard James Keenan, drummer and frontman of the bands Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, is a very hands-on vineyard owner; selecting the grapes himself and participating in the creation of his wines. His style involves both open top (which allows better temperature regulation, builds stronger yeast with more oxygen exposure, and the natural cap from the skins provides protection from outside elements) and submerged cap fermentation. It is then puncheon – aged (a larger cask that imparts little flavors from the wood) for 18 months in new and neutral French Oak. This ensures the purest expression of the wine with only the most subtle characteristics from its wooden casing. Powerful vino. I’m excited to taste what happens.

No matter what the outcome of our holiday wine experiment, it’ll be fun! We will meditate on both wines’ qualities and strengths.

The holidays are a wonderful time to reflect, to visit with family and friends; to give thanks and gratitude for the blessings we have.🧡

May you all have a safe and happy holiday season. And be sure to stop, breathe and savor each moment along the way.

Cheers!🍷

©️Copyright. The Wine Student. 2025

Zinful Holiday🦃🍷

Happy Thanksgiving!

Next week kicks off the official start to the holidays!🦃🎄🥂🍷

And with those celebrations come many traditions. Many that our loved ones might be hard pressed to abandon or change.

Not surprisingly, one of those traditions involves wine. And a very particular type of wine.

Over the years, HubbyDoug has been very ‘stamped-it-no-erasies’ about the centerpiece of our Thanksgiving wine offerings. Without question: Pinot Noir. And I understand why.

Pinot Noir has a beautiful lightness, a subtle yet present mouthfeel, delicate flavors of cherry, raspberry , clove, vanilla and mushroom. Oregon Pinots are a favorite because the cooler climate creates more tartiness in the vibe (Old World Pinots tend to have more earthiness but it’s all a matter of taste). Across the board, Pinot’s bright acidity makes it a great dinner companion – not only for the turkey main attraction but a variety of holiday savory and sweet side dishes. Think green bean and fried onion casserole, candied yams, squash-pecan casserole.

This year I want to break out an option: the beloved Zinfandel. Its bold, fruit forward vibe pumps up the jam along with some nuanced smoky notes. Flavors of blackberry, strawberry, cinnamon, crushed gravel and white pepper give it a lot of depth to play with the myriad flavors present on the table. The juicy fruit, richness of the tannins and smooth, lingering finish is worth popping the cork.

My pick is a 2022 Kunde Family Winery Sonoma Valley Red Zinfandel. I’ve enjoyed this wine during the year paired with roasted chicken, rosemary-garlic mash and charred broccoli with olive oil, and toasted pine nuts. I know it won’t let me down.

Ultimately, these two varietals will coexist in the most lovely way on our holiday table.

So this Thanksgiving, feel free to be a little zinful!😈

No matter what your choice, have gratitude in your heart and the sweetest day.💋♥️

Cheers!😄🍷🦃

©️Copyright. The Wine Student. 2024

Chill Me Now🍾

We’ve all been there. It’s almost zero hour, almost go time. But wait! You suddenly remember that your primo bottle of bubbly is… still sitting on the counter. At room temperature. Damn. What to do?

If you’ve got 30 minutes, you’ve got it covered!

Your first instinct might be to put your bubbly in the freezer. If you do, make sure to watch your time! The reason? Pressure in the bottle can build up quickly. Any more than 30 minutes in the deep freeze, and you might have some premature poppage, and no one wants that. So maybe try this as a last resort.

And you don’t want to open it warm because you’ll shoot your eye out (or someone else’s). Part of the reason sparkling wine is chilled is to decrease some of the internal pressure; making opening the bottle easier, and less dangerous to everyone around you. Also: who wants to drink warm sparkling wine?

But the clock is ticking, and you don’t have time! Actually, you do. I got you.

The best, quickest, and safest method is an ice water bath.

Click the video below to find out more!👇

Ice Water Bath:

• Fill an ice bucket, pail, deep tray or sink half way with cold water

• Place bottle(s) in the container

• Fill the rest of the way with ice and add some salt.

• Leave 30 minutes (or a little longer if you can). Be sure to turn the bottle occasionally to ensure an all-over chill.

Adding salt to the ice water lowers the freezing point of the water, making the mixture much colder. The ice will melt more slowly because the water’s freezing and melting points have been lowered by the addition of salt. This also helps keep the cold temperature consistent.

When I worked the wine show last fall, we quickly cooled our sparkling wines using ice water baths. It only took about 30 minutes or so to efficiently chill the bottles so they could be opened safely, and were cold enough to drink.

So chill! You’ve got your sparkle covered.✨

Have a safe and Happy New Year!🍾🥳♥️

Cheers!🥂

©️Copyright. The Wine Student, 2022.

Sweets to the Sweet!🎄🍭

It’s holiday time! 🎅 Time for some fun, and time for tasting!🍷🎄

Click the video below for a little wine round up!

👇😄

Typically, the rule is sweet wines with sweet treats, but we might take a few little twists and turns in candy land! 🍭🍬

Candy Cane Ice Cream –

Peppermint has always seemed like a tough pairing with wine. And I guess because brushing your teeth before a wine tasting always makes for a wonky flavor. Maybe it’s a toothpaste thing (heavier concentration of mint, surfactants in toothpaste that maybe coat the tongue) rather than a mint thing?🤷🏼‍♀️

But since peppermint is an aromatic herb, why not try it with an aromatic white wine or rosé?

•Gewürztraminer – intense floral aromas, grapefruit and lychee. Higher sweetness pairs with sweetness and mint. And just saying Gewürztraminer makes you sound kind of drunk. Don’t believe me? Try it!

•Sauternes – dessert wine from Bordeaux with Botrytis cinerea (which makes it delightfully sweet). Flavors of honey, quince and apricot make it sweet and oh so smooth. 🍯

•Sparkling Rosé – nothing better than bubbles to cut into some of the creaminess of the ice cream. The gentle acidity of the delicate fruity notes play hide and seek with the minty sweetness of the ice cream. 🍨🍾

Gingerbread Sticky Toffee Pudding

Combining gingerbread with dates, cloves, allspice and toffee is basically a carnival on your palate!🎪

•Chenin Blanc – sweet golden nectar of pear, yellow apple, chamomile and honey, little more acidic to help carve through the richness of the toffee and cake consistency.

•Riesling – aromatic variety ranging from bone-dry to quite sweet. If you like dry, look for “Trocken” on the label. Anything sweeter: look for “Pradikat” – Kabinett (sweet) , Spatlese (sweeter), Auslese (sweeter still), all the way to Eiswein (sweetie sweet). Flavors range from dried apricot, citrus, green apple, green papaya, jasmine, depending on the growing region. High acidity again cuts into the rich cake.

•Port – Beautiful notes of black plum, chocolate, dries cherry and cinnamon complement this ooey gooey dessert as you nestle deeper into a spicy bliss with each sip.

Fruit Cake

I always feel a little bad for the nutty fruit cake. It’s so maligned. True, some can be as dense as a brick (and maybe even taste like one). But the combination of the buttery rum cake, rich nuts and dried fruit can be a lovely melt-in-your-mouth experience. Aromatic whites are a terrific pairing but so are some light-medium bodied reds.🍷

•Torrontés – From Argentina, this white wine can smell sweet but is dry and matches well with the spices, and melded aromatic flavors in fruit cake. Flavors of rose petal, geranium and peach round out this interesting wine.

•Cabernet Franc – Flavors of strawberry, raspberry and a hint of chili pepper make this a nice complement to the fruit cake’s nutty vibe.

•Merlot – Merlot is a softer red, and often blended with Cab Sauv soften its harsher nature. Yummy flavors of black cherry, plum and chocolate add to the fun, making that fruit cake the best you’ve ever had.

And if you find yourself overwhelmed, Ice Wine goes with everything!

So there ya go! Sometimes the best pairings are unexpected. Feel free to try your favorite holiday treats with different new, and fun wines.🍷🎄

♥️Thank you so much for stopping by, and supporting my blog. It’s fun to write, and I hope it’s fun to read.♥️

Wishing you all a happy and healthy holiday season, and we’ll see you in the new year for more wine adventures!🥂

Be safe, everyone!🤗

Cheers!🍷

©️Copyright. The Wine Student, 2022.