For pairing or gifting during the holiday season: Tenuta di Arceno Valadorna Toscana 2015. This Merlot-led blend is sourced primarily from the Valadorna and Capraia blocks, which produce the estate’s most complex and mineral-based expressions of this variety. The wine exhibits high-toned aromas of ripe black cherries, vanilla bean, and cedar. With bright acidity, the wine expands quickly on the palate. Plush tannins carry through the center with a fine, tingling finish. The palate shows flavors of tart cherry pie, dried red berries, and black licorice, with a long finish of white pepper, dusty roses, and stony minerality. Pair this with a beautiful charcuterie platter featuring all Italian meats and cheeses, for the perfect hors d’oeuvre at your next holiday gathering.

Falling under the umbrella of Jackson Family Wines, this considerable red comes from sites on the North Coast that rest between 400 and 2400ft above sea level on a massive estate alongside the Mayacamas; Stonestreet specializes in Cabernet and Chardonnay and was established in the late 80s.Aged 18 months in barrel (37% new French oak) it has a true Bordelais character exhibiting aromas of mix of dried herbs and mixed olives, marmite and grilled plums, black currents and brown spices. The entry is supple and it has a muscular structure with savoury salty flavours mixed with spiced mocha.

Wines for ThanksgivingThis wine from Willamette Valley in Oregon shows a jammy bouquet and fresh taste of blackberries and cranberries with hints of chocolate, bolder than many Oregon Pinots but more typical for one from California. But with its light body and soft, dry finish it drinks more like a French Burgundy than anything from California and mates particularly well with starchy fare like sweet potatoes and mushroom laced stuffing, bringing out their earthy nuances.

La Crema Pinot Noir Rosé Monterey 2019 is vibrant, versatile tasty. Strawberry, watermelon, Mandarin orange and other goodies on the palate make for a light, tasty treat. On one level, this is backyard party wine; enjoy on patio, poolside, dock, backyard, picnic. I am reviewing this in October, so for many those lazy days of summer are past. This still has a place. Rosé is a versatile wine. You easily can enjoy this as an aperitif or just fun wine in front of a blazing fireplace. Pairs with fruit trays; lighter fish, but would work with salmon; pork; Cobb salad; feta, spinach, mint and quinoa tartelettes; charcuterie; garden salads with grapefruit wedges; soft cheese.

Wine Experts Share Their Favorite Bottles for Holiday GatheringsPlus their favorite pairings for each.Oregon's Willamette Valley has the ideal climate for crafting sparkling wine, and this option from Gran Moraine is no exception. This bottle is the epitome of balance, between Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, as well as a blend of the winery's vintages. This rosé has aromas of white peach, strawberry shortcake, and lightly toasted brioche, and flavors that include watermelon rind, lemon meringue pie, and nectarines.Recommended food pairing: Oysters, fish roe, fried chicken, salty foods, and traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

Wine Experts Share Their Favorite Bottles for Holiday GatheringsPlus their favorite pairings for each.Battenhouse says this stunning red is the perfect accompaniment to stand up to your favorite indulgent holiday dishes and is a treat in and of itself. While it's certainly age-worthy, this vintage is full of freshness and ripe tannins with notes of blackberries and Black Forest cake (yum!) balanced with hints of baking spice, menthol, and cigar box. Plus, it has a rich, purple-black color and an intense floral aroma to wow your table before their first sip.Recommended food pairing: Beef tenderloin, porterhouse steaks, lamb shanks, and farmhouse cheddar.

Wine Experts Share Their Favorite Bottles for Holiday GatheringsPlus their favorite pairings for each.South African wine is really having a moment, and Battenhouse says this vibrant Chardonnay is the perfect wine with which to celebrate the holidays. She says there are plenty of jolts of acidity to pair well with all your comfort-food favorites, thanks to notes of Meyer lemon, tree fruits, and saline. Aromatics of bergamot, white truffle, and vanilla bean make this bottle a far cry from the typical buttery, oaky Chardonnay and something that those who don't prefer the varietal to reach for a second glass.Recommended food pairing: Shellfish, lobster, and a traditional Thanksgiving spread.

Wine Experts Share Their Favorite Bottles for Holiday GatheringsPlus their favorite pairings for each.Mollie Battenhouse, a Brooklyn-based sommelier and Jackson Family Wines's national director of wine education, says this vino is a "new pinot-lover's paradise." This wine is woodsy and subdued yet fruity with high acidity while being light in body and tannins. Battenhouse says this is an excellent option for holiday dinners, as it's versatile for whatever main dish you're serving, be it meat, fish, or vegetarian.Recommended food pairing: Fatty fish, spicy flavors, winter squash, and mushrooms.

The best bottles for wine lovers this yearLa Crema: A representation of La Crema’s four decades along the Pacific coast in Northern California’s Sonoma County, the special edition 2018 40th Anniversary Pinot Noir was made as a tribute to both Burgundian winemaking practices and cool climate appellations. Aged in French oak barrels for 10 months, this 100% Pinot Noir wine offers aromas of rose, cedar, and raspberry with flavors of plum, black cherry, and cocoa.

COMMENTARY: The 2016 Cambria Estate Vineyard & Winery Clone 4 Chardonnay offers excellent persistence and complexity. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows up with lovely aromas and flavors of dried earth, sandalwood, apple, and oak. Enjoy it shellfish in a cream sauce.

COMMENTARY: The 2018 Cambria Estate Winery Julia's Vineyard Pinot Noir is bright, persistent, and alive. TASTING NOTES: This wine offers aromas and flavors of dried herbs, ripe fruit, and sandalwood. Enjoy it with grilled lamb chops.

COMMENTARY: The 2019 Copain Tous Ensemble Rosé of Pinot Noir is a delicious and jazzy wine. TASTING NOTES: This wine comes to the fore with aromas and flavors of red fruit, dried earth, and mineral notes. Enjoy with fresh salmon and avocado hand rolls.

15 Best Thanksgiving Wines to Enjoy During Your FeastPinot Noir, like this Hartford Court Russian River Pinot Noir, is a classic pairing for Thanksgiving, Tesconi says. Its delicate red fruit flavors make it a nice compliment to turkey, and it’s great with a sausage stuffing or bacon Brussels sprouts.

5 Grappoli

Distinctive, rather meaty nose. A wine with ambition and intention. It is certainly built with structure for the long term. The acidity is quite prominent. And there's an attractive salinity. Very pure fruit flavours. A hint of rose petals. And very long. I read that JFW have reduced the weight of their bottles but this one still seems pretty heavy to me. Though screwcap is presumably pretty brave for an American-owned brand.

The Best Red Wine Under $50This Tuscan blend from Tenuta di Arceno is comprised of merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, and petit verdot from different blocks on the estate. Bold cherry and vanilla on the nose begin your tasting journey, followed by wild berries, white pepper, and even a bit of cotton candy on the palate.

The Best Red Wine Under $50Château Lassègue is an estate that dates back to the 18th century in the Saint-Émilion AOC of Bordeaux. Les Cadrans de Lassègue is predominantly comprised of merlot with a small percentage of cabernet franc. The flavor develops as you drink with notes of flowers, ripe cherry, dark berries, and a bit of tannin and oak.

Laura Díaz Muñoz was winemaker for the splendid Galerie pleinair Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Napa Valley. She moved on to Ehlers Estate in July 2018; her replacement at Galerie is Gianna Kelly. Deriving from six vineyards that encompass a variety of Napa Valley soils and microclimates, the wine is 100 percent varietal and aged 19 months in French oak, 72 percent new barrels. The abyss of color is opaque black-ruby with a vivid mulberry-hued rim; penetrating aromas of graphite, loam, dust, smoke and charcoal presage a cabernet of immense mineral intensity; a few minutes in the glass unfurl notes of black currants and blueberries, iodine and mint, lavender and licorice; on the palate, this cabernet somehow feels ripe and vibrant, lyrical and balletic while simultaneously evincing a kind of chiseled concentration of vanilla-tinged oak and granitic minerality; acid is bright and incisive though the finish is dense and brooding. 14.5 percent alcohol. Try from 2021 or ’22 through 2029 to ’32. Profoundly impressive.

The 2016 Prequel, which focuses on Sonoma County (85 percent syrah/15 percent petite sirah), is concentrated with luscious mixed berries, complemented with woodsy and oaky notes.

The 2016 Red Blend, which emphasizes Napa Valley sources, adds merlot and deftly balances structure and finesse, with bright red fruit, oaky and earthy notes.

Beautiful fragrance, fruit and structure. It’s light but insistent; it has presence. I guess you’d say that it tastes of redcurrant and plum, gently stewed versions thereof, though saltbush and sweet spice notes gather in number, and there’s an earthen aspect, a suggestion that it’s of the ground. Tannin here; it means business. It doesn’t just sit there; the tannin here takes those fruit and spice notes and brands the finish with where it comes from. $35, in any walk of life, rarely offers that kind of connection; that kind of more.

Ripe, concentrated and rich with tannic structural intensity. Cocoa, rosemary and thyme lead to a savoury finish.Drinking Window 2020 - 2040

Initial sweetness of ripe fruit is succeeded by more savoury, dried herb notes. Concentrated and rich with fine balance and fresh acidity.Drinking Window 2020 - 2040

I really enjoy when fine wine wineries do rose. Come on in, the water is fine. Tangy and tart rose style, leaner than expected with terse, sherbetty acidity a feature. Pomegranate juice, cherry juice. Light spice. Refreshing, but that acidity is just off the pace and feels a bit coarse and forced. Cold, no probs. Good drink.

Lush and chocolatey black fruits nose with some flamboyance. Grippy, concentranted and intense with roasted meats on the finish.Drinking Window 2020 - 2040