If you want to spend time with your guests during your holiday party rather than standing behind the bar all night, forget the complicated cocktails and stick to a true holiday classic – wine. Selecting wine may seem intimidating, especially when you have multiple guests to consider. Take out the guesswork and make sure you’re fully prepared with our curated list of holiday wines.

1. Erath – Pinot Noir

Oregon is a popular location for Pinot Noir due to its unique climate, allowing Pinot grape varieties to thrive and produce delicate, well-balanced wines. This Pinot is known for its smooth finish and light, silky, fruit-forward flavors of orchard cherries, fresh violet, and herbal tea. Delicious when enjoyed alone, it’s also perfect for accompanying simple meat and poultry dishes as it complements these dishes without overpowering them.

2. Banfi – Chianti Classico Riservia

An often-overlooked and underrated wine, Chianti is produced in the Chianti Classico zone of Tuscany. This rich, deep ruby-red chianti undergoes a minimum of two months of aging, half of which in Slavonian oak barrels, followed by six months of bottle aging. Dominant flavors include cherry, orange peel, plum, iris, leather, and subtle wood, making it the perfect wine for pairing with flavorful roasts or charcuterie boards.

3. Louis Jadot – Beaujolais Villages 2020

Maison Louis Jadot ranks as one of the most trusted and beloved wine houses in the world. The Gamay grape variety grows in light soil in the southern part of Beaujolais. This light, crisp, juicy, and fruit-forward red features notes of raspberry, strawberry, black cherry, and spice, underscored by zesty peppercorn. Its light-to-medium body allows it to pair well with anything, but it truly shines when accompanied by light red meats and roasted white meats.

4. Mount Veeder – Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

In 2018, extensive winter rain, late-season spring showers, a moderate summer free of heatwaves, and warm sunny fall days allowed for a healthy crop of grapes to thrive in Napa Valley. This created complex flavors, well-balanced acidity, and refined tannins. Ripe blackberry, deep cherry, and black plum are accented with mocha, dried sage, cedar, and sweet oak in this wine. Lush, fresh, toasty, and with impressive depth, this Cab should be served with prime rib or roast.

5. Santa Margherita – Pinot Grigio

A Vivino 2020 Wine Style Award winner, Santa Margherita’s signature Pinot Grigio hails from the Alto Adige region of Northern Italy. This wine has a clean, fresh, and fragrant aroma, bone-dry finish, and Golden Delicious apple taste. With a versatile, flavorful, and well-rounded personality, this Pinot is a great choice. You can serve it as an aperitif, with a variety of cheeses, seafood dishes, white meats, and souffles.

6. Segura Viudas – Cava Brut Reserve

Is any holiday party truly complete without sparkling wine? Cava is Spain’s best-known sparkling wine, and this Cava Brut was produced in the Rioja region of Southern Spain. Segua Vuidas used nine different wines for this blend, each vinified in separate tanks with 30 months of aging. Aromas of lemon verbena, brioche, brine, tarragon, and honeysuckle provide a light, airy, floral flavor with hints of smoke, and its minerality imparts notes of lime chiffon, bread dough, and vanilla. Pair with appetizers, lean fish, and cured meats.

Matching like with like is a helpful tip for pairing wine varieties with foods. Consider a Pinot Grigio for fish or chicken dishes, a Chianti or Cabernet Sauvignon for rich red meat, and a Pinot Noir or Beaujolais for a full and hearty spread, then finish the evening with a Cava Brut. At Payless Liquors, we are available for all your holiday shopping needs. Contact us today to stock your wine cabinet for the upcoming feast and you’ll be sure to have a memorable party.