Here are my 2010 Holiday Wine Picks – perfect for gift giving, taking to parties or pouring for yourself & friends. I hope you love them, and have a great holiday season! KC
Prosecco – Italy’s version of Champange – my favorite is from Mionetto – serve it by itself, with berries or with a splash of Rasberry liquor or Peach Nectar
Viognier – a fruity, crisp white wine that complements food well. My favorites are from Idle Hour Winery & San Joaquin Wine Co., another popular option is by Miner. Look for Madera County fruit for this wine!
Dolcetto – a softer bodied red wine that gets along well with pizza, pasta & parties. My pick is Alegria Guild Reserve by Birdstone Winery – sales of this wine support Children’s Hospital Central California. Nothing like being charitable with a glass of vino!
Zinfandel – anybody who’s been wine tasting in Paso Robles will tell you that the Tobin James Tasting Room is a lot of fun, I’ll tell you it’s one of the best places to get Zinfandel. Big fruit & beautiful color here. Get their French Camp Vineyard Zinfandel now, and be on the lookout for next year’s release of “Fatboy.”
Essencia – although there are other Orange Muscat wines, there is only one Essencia – and it’s made by Quady Winery. This sweet wine has lovely notes of orange & apricot – and is the perfect match to pumpkin desserts. It’s also good with dry cheeses or biscotti, so it’s a good choice for a dessert wine.
Port & Ficklin Passports – There are several great port houses in California, but to me there’s none but Ficklin. I like to give Ficklin’s 10 year Tawny Port to port fans as a gift, and their Chocolate PassPort wine is infused with natural chocolate extract & essence – it’s crazy-good.
I have to agree on the Quady Essencia and the Ficklin Ports. They're the Pride of Madera…the "other" wine country.