Choosing 21 wines for 2021 not an easy task
The Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills 2018 had sweet cranberry, cherry, raspberry, tobacco and spice flavors. Red and black fruit flavors are on the nose and a loamy aroma lingers. The Pacific Ocean influence is obvious.

Choosing 21 wines for 2021 not an easy task
Anakota Helena Dakota Vineyard 2018 had a nose of cedar, spruce and currant with flavors of blackberry, hot coals, blackberry, black cherry, a touch of anise and fuller tannins that frame the fruit and spice so well. Give it anywhere between five to 20 years in the cellar; it will only continue to improve as the tannins begin to unwind and the fruit flavors mellow.

This vibrant, structured sparkler is the first Blanc de Blancs from Gran Moraine winemaker Shane Moore. With more than five years on the lees, toasted brioche makes a play on the nose, beside oyster-shell minerality, almond blossom, lemon meringue, fresh pear and savory herbs. An exotic palate of lemongrass, clementine and lime zest is bright and savory, with hints of mushroom leading into the finish.

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Sauvignon blanc grapes can produce wines in the California style, with a green apple, melon and citrus flavor up front, as well as wines in the classical European style, with a prominent grassy flavor. The Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc lives in both worlds. It has the classical grassy component that has been held in check so that the California style can be the most obvious. This allows the wine to be served with a wider spectrum of foods. The wine will accompany poultry and lighter meats and is a standout with seafood. Just as a piece of history, for years, when ordering a wine in an Asian restaurant it most often resulted in a bottle of Wan Fu, a French sauvignon blanc with a very Asian-inspired label. This confirms the variety’s ability to beautifully accompany Asian foods of any type. Some serious experimentation also has resulted in discovering that this wine will fit nicely with Mexican dishes, as well as being a fine choice to accompany the Christmas and New Year’s holiday dinners.

A chardonnay wine brings out the critic in all of us; you either hate it or love it. The La Crema 2019 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is one of those chardonnays that you will just have to love. The grapes come from the Russian River Valley, which is famous for its award-winning chardonnay wines. The vintage is 2019, when the weather conditions for the grapes were picture perfect but the smoke and heat from forest fires to the south did cause some apprehension. Fortunately, there was no discernible damage done to the grapes, and the harvest and wine-making process progressed smoothly. The aroma is a complex of peach, mango, apple and lemon with hazelnut, caramel and vanilla in the background. Also complex is the flavor, featuring apple, nectarine, peach and apple, ending in a creamy butterscotch and oak finish.

Having experienced the very best of pinot noirs, it’s hard to warm up to new ones. Not only did I warm up to this wine, but it also actually impressed me. I found the aroma and the flavor to be complex and multilayered. The aroma is an ever-changing display of black cherry, blackberry and plum with leather, coffee and clove in the background. The finish is as expansive as the aroma, concentrating on plum, blackberry and boysenberry with oak in the background.

There is a lot going on in this premium-priced pinot noir. Ripe cherry, tart cranberry, cola and spice contribute to this wonderful package. Very good now but should age well for several years at least.

With rugged hillsides that get cooled by ocean breezes and fog, the Sonoma Coast has long been considered a prime region for the best Pinot Noir grapes.
No wonder La Crema considers its Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir its signature wine.
The 2018 La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, of which I received a sample, is fruit-forward with a strong backbone of earthiness.
A Pinot Noir that tastes more expensive than it is.
Think pomegranate, plum, juicy blackberries, and violet candy with a touch of vanilla.
This is a lush, full-tasting Pinot that offers a lot of bang for the buck for $20 or less. Find it at Vivino, BuyWinesOnline, and Wine.com.
Cheers: Enjoy with roast duck, roast pork, veal or quail, especially if it’s glazed with a lush, dark berry-infused sauce.

Aromas of fresh Asian pear, Meyer lemon, and hints of bread dough are followed flavors of Granny Smith apple, lime, and hints of pie crust. The 2016 vintage from Saralee’s Vineyard presents balanced acidity and a mouthwatering finish.

Mt. Brave: Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
My love for wine was born in California, when I was 21. I’d often take weekend trips an hour north of San Francisco to discover the gems of Napa and Sonoma. Suffice to say I fell head over heels in love, and I’ve visited every year since to get my fill. Mount Veeder is one of the iconic regions within Napa Valley, famed for us big boisterous chocolate smothered fruits. This estate produces tiny yields, focusing much more on quality over quantity, which makes me love it even more. Incredibly complex, you’ll find violet, espresso, baking spices and blueberry on the nose. The palate is super ripe, think sticky black fruits with a sweet vanilla, tobacco and freshly dusted cocoa. For me, this is the kind of wine that creates memories, where you sit back and really appreciate life with each sip you take. Which is just what this time of year is about.

Probably best known for their chardonnay, La Crema Sauvignon Blanc is also a star with tropical fruit aromas followed by delicious zippy acidity and a long finish.

What To Drink Now: Bold Reds For The Holiday
For anything poultry-wise on your holiday table, Pinot Noir is always ideal. Copain Estate North Coast Trousseau is elegant and easy, opening with layers of wild raspberry, boysenberry, and lilac, with a mellow, delicate palate of red fruits, warm spice, and soft herbs.

What To Drink Now: Bold Reds For The Holiday
I am a huge fan of Right Bank Bordeaux, heavy on Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and the latest vintage of Chateau Lassegue St. Emillion Grand Cru Bordeaux verified why. Consistently, even in inconsistent years, the skilled hands of seventh-generation vigneron Nicolas Seillan showcases the elegance of the region and the historic Lassegue property. Following in his father’s, master vigneron and winemaker Pierre Seillan, Nicolas highlights the terroir filled with predominantly clay soils, mingling with limestone, to craft the traditional Right Bank blend heavy in Merlot, giving red and blue fruits, graceful character, and spice, with aromatic Cabernet Franc, and a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon giving power and structure to the tasteful blend.

Cherry, raspberry, spice and earth. Good plus.

Wines for December holidays
Purple hue sets the stage for a strong nose and power on the palate with thick body, pleasing balance, excellent fruit, notable complexity and much more.

A few months ago, my very geeky wine friends hosted a “Pinot Party” at a local restaurant. We were all tasked with bringing a bottle of Pinot Noir –Old or New World– to share in a blind tasting competition of sorts. I grabbed a bottle of Zena Crown Vineyard’s “The Sum” from Eola-Amity Hills at local Miami wine shop, El Carajo. This was a new producer to me, but I usually enjoy Willamette Valley Pinots.
Sure enough, the wine was a hit, and honestly, my favorite bottle of the evening. In true Willamette style, the wine exhibits exactly the right balance of aromas and flavors between savory Pacific Northwest earth, and just-ripe cherries, along with a rich palate that is both silky and structurally strong.
I look forward to enjoying more from Zena Crown Vineyard in the future.
This is a great Pinot Noir!!

Honestly, an entire newspaper could be filled with advice on holiday food and wine pairings. So what follows must be considered an extremely edited, informal treatise. Take white wine, for example. Riesling, Sémillon, Pinot Gris: All have their place on the holiday table depending on the meal at hand.
But when comfort — and roast turkey— gets the call, it’s easy to uncork a bottle of rich, buttery Chardonnay. Well, KJ’s latest vintage Vintner’s Reserve Chard fits the bill. Big-time tropical fruit meets an underlying sweetness dabbed with vanilla and toast from barrel fermentation, yet the overall style is fresh with a lingering lick of baking spice to finish.
Bottom line: B, Bring on the candied yams and stuffing!

Giving to a foodie? This Bordeaux from 50-year old vines and a seventh-generation winemaking family is the ticket. Its bouquet has notes of violet. The palate is silky with red and black fruits, and the finish has nice round tannins. It's a fantastic food wine so, for an extra touch, print the winemaking family's recipe for Armagnac spiced pears, a holiday dish that pairs perfectly with the wine.

Father and son vignerons—Pierre and Nicolas Seillan produce this selection at Château Lassègue where ornate sundials adorn the façade of the 18th century château. This symbol of perfect sun exposure represents the message of the wines from the estate and can be found on the label. Lassègue is the flagship wine of the estate and is Saint-Émilion at its most opulent. Old vines grow on the south/southwest hills which are the prolongation of the Côte de Saint-Émilion, and whose soils of clay and limestone add exquisite minerality to their fruit. Rich, aromatic Cabernet Franc married to the dense concentration of old vine Merlot and seasoned with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon results in a wine that is at once powerful and elegant.

Red Wines for Turkey, Duck or Goose
Verite La Muse 2017
Is this California’s greatest red? It’s certainly a strong contender – La Muse is a blend of the finest merlot and smaller amounts of other Bordeaux varieties.
Produced in the Sonoma region, La Muse is a very polished and sophisticated wine, with explosive aromas of graphite, plum, Christmas cake, lemon and blueberry. Basically, this is wine of immense depth, opulence and richness.
Expensive? Oh yes. But an incomparable wine treat for Christmas 2021.

One of the original producers of quintessential, California Cabernet, Kendall Jackson is a small, family-owned estate in the north of Napa Valley that makes fabulous wines that are incredibly well-priced and easy to drink. It's an inky black, well-structured red with notes of damson, black cherry and cassis. Beautifully balanced and one that will sing with heavier meat dishes such as beef wellington or stews. Get it decanted to let it open up before drinking.

Pinot Noir is arguably the red grape to go with Christmas lunch as it's not heavy enough to send you to sleep, but it is flavoursome enough to stand up to turkey with all the trimmings. Russian River in California has quickly cemented its reputation for top quality Pinot Noir in recent years thanks to its ideal combination of weather and soils. The Hartford Court is silky smooth and intensely perfumed with notes of spiced, dark cherry compote, marzipan and earth. Stunning.

The 2019 Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay is a rich 100% barrel-fermented chardonnay full of sunny, fresh fruit flavours. Aromas of vanilla and honey create balance along with hints of toasted oak and butter. As the brand’s most popular release, it is the perfect selection to impress at any occasion this holiday season as it is approachable and exceptionally food-friendly. Super versatile, enjoy with Roasted Chicken, Roasted Turkey, Pork or Veal in Cream Sauce with Mushrooms, Mild Soft Cheeses, Lobster with Drawn Butter, Crab with Drawn Butter, Mushroom Risotto, and Poached Salmon, to name a few wonderful pairings!
Kendall-Jackson’s Vintner’s Reserve is a perfect “go-to” white wine to have on-hand and one that is sure to please your in-laws too.