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This holiday season I have opted to repeat my blog from last year because the films obviously remain classics and the pairings still apply.

It is the busy season at Premier, so I am just doing one large blog for the Holidays. I have listed 10 of my favorite Christmas movies with one bonus film many of you probably have never seen or heard of, but should take a look at. For each movie I have suggested a wine or spirit to go along with your viewing pleasure.

1. A Christmas Carol (1951): My favorite all-time Christmas movie with the incomparable Alistair Sim. It’s full of dark, brooding, Victorian London along with cheery snowy street scenes and lovely carols. A figgy and nutty Tawny Port like Niepoort Ten Year is just the thing to sip along with a slice of Christmas cake or pudding as you view this ideal Christmas movie.

2. A Christmas Carol (1984): My second favorite version of Dickens’ classic with wonderful set

This Sunday is the last day for our Double Up for a Buck.  So now is the time to stock up for your Halloween party.  New to our sale are two very well made French wines: Les Argelieres Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  Both of these wines will run you $8.00 per bottle with our sale which is a great deal for good French wine.

The Chardonnay is well balanced with notes of apple, pear, a hint of pineapple and creamy vanilla pudding.  There is just enough oak to give it heft for enjoying with cream laden dishes such as corn and potato chowder.  The Pinot Noir is a bit heavier and darker than many of the traditional French Burgundies, but make no mistake, this is not a jammy fruit bomb either. This Pinot has very good balance with plenty of lively raspberry, cherry fruit with slight birch beer and wet earth notes.  Try this with sweet and spicy Sloppy Joes for a solid Halloween pairing.

Get here soon to take advantage of this sale because it ends on Sunday.

Next Thursday marks the beginning of fall. Summer temperatures aside, there are definite earmarks that the season is upon us. Out in the hills, leaves are slowly beginning to turn and shadows are gaining length as the sun departs earlier in the evenings. Pumpkins are appearing on roadsides and apples are more prevalent at the grocer’s. Apples and autumn are inseparable. Crisp bites of Cortland and Macintosh apples, fresh, sweet cider and spice laden apple pies are all strong associations with fall.

The first thing you will notice when you spot the Vivanco White Rioja is the unusual shaped bottle. Slightly squatty with a wider lip on the neck, the bottle has a distinct historical look which is not surprising since it was inspired from an original eighteenth-century bottle from the Vivanco Museum of the Culture of Wine. The next thing you will notice is the type and region; a white wine from Rioja with Tempranillo in it.  Intrigued?  Good!

From a region famous for well made wines going back several decades, Keuka Springs Vineyards has been making great wines for thirty years. Under the direction of the Wiltberger family, Keuka Springs is producing outstanding from a wide variety of grapes. 

Arrowhead Spring is another excellent winery that opted to journey down “the road not taken” that so many New York wineries have feared to venture.  Arrowhead has successfully created wines that for many years were not associated with New York, like Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, and even Syrah.  As with other wineries that have dared to follow this route, Arrowhead Spring has low yields which help to increase the flavor intensity of their wines.

For the next few weeks, I will be featuring a series on select wines from New York State Wineries that I believe merit special attention.  The wineries are located in the Finger Lakes Niagara regions. The focus will be on specific dry reds and dry to semi-dry whites (particularly Rieslings) that I would encourage wine lovers to try. I would also recommend they visit these wineries over the Summer or Fall.

Just a few weeks ago I had my first sip of Randolph O’Neill wines. I was very impressed with the four wines I tasted, but there were two that held my attention the most. The 2014 Cabernet Franc was delicious. In fact I was stunned that such a recent vintage could taste so complex and not finish with the annoying green pepper notes that often exist in the finish of young Cabernet Francs. This wine had all the earmarks of an outstanding Cab Franc with gorgeous dark berry and currant flavors, black pepper and spice notes.  Acidity is good but not overpowering as are

With temperatures climbing into the mid-eighties and humidity on the rise, this holiday weekend   practically guarantees you’ll be peeling your shirt from your back as you exit the car. Generally, as a wine drinker, you’d be reaching for a Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc or even a Vinho Verde but you are having a small gathering of friends instead of a large party and you need something a bit more elegant.

Okay, I admit it. When I go to Hoaks out on the lake, I usually order a simple lager or pilsner beer with my fish fry (still my favorite since childhood) because it is such a classic match. But (duh) I do like my  wine and I was pondering what would I pair with a fish fry take-out at home?

If you are someone who is looking for a quieter, smaller, more intimate New Years Eve that doesn’t involve loud crowds and boy bands, I have a suggestion.  Why not have a few friends over and enjoy some champagne with traditional appetizers, and watch a classic film to boot?