2010 Holiday Wine Picks!

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.