pinot noir

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

Here is my list of some favorite wines for Thanksgiving. Most of these are old favorites, and all are interesting and worth your time. With a couple of exceptions, these wines will fall under $15.00 a bottle.

1. Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2016 / 750 ml.: A good vintage with a deep, dark, plum color and juicy, ripe flavors with a smooth finish. This light refreshing red should be served slightly chilled and works nicely the day after Thanksgiving when you build that monster of a turkey sandwich.

2. The Borell-Diehl 2014 Gewurztraminer Kabinett Pfalz: This wine should be of particular interest to you if you like some sweet with your spice. This wine is very aromatic, with rose, grapefruit, lychee, coriander. With ginger, citrus and golden apple notes on the mouth, this wine will be a winner for complex Thanksgiving flavors.

3. Domaine L’Enclos Moelleux 2015: This is a lovely, bargain-priced French white

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.

It’s October and fall is in full swing with changing leaves, less daylight and somewhat cooler temperatures.  This is a good time to enjoy some of the wines you’ve been meaning to try but felt the warm temperatures made them seem less enticing.

Such a wine would be the Stoller 2014 Pinot Noir from the Dundee Hills region located in the Willamette Valley AVA in Oregon. Made from estate grown grapes, this Pinot Noir is sophisticated yet approachable. On the nose there are wonderful notes of dark cherry, raspberry, clove, cinnamon and licorice. On the palate there are lingering flavors of cherry, vanilla, more spice and pepper. At around twenty-five dollars, this wine over delivers and will stand out as a Sunday dinner favorite.  Pair with grilled salmon, roasted chicken, mushroom tart appetizers and assorted hard cheeses.

In keeping with the fall season and the state of Oregon, there are a few movies that were entirely or partially filmed in the picturesque state tha

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.

Here is my list of some favorite wines for Thanksgiving. Some of these are typical choices, while others may seem out in left field. All are interesting and worth your time. With a couple of exceptions, these wines will fall under $15.00 a bottle.

WHITES

1. Les Lys 2014 Vouvray - There are apricot, almond and slight honey notes complemented by a fair amount of acidity, yet this wine still is very creamy and has a round finish. It will be a crowd pleaser at Thanksgiving.
2. Dom Lafage 2014 Centenaire Cotes du Roussane - A light straw colored blend of Grenache Blanc and Roussane, this wine is crisp and has peach and green apple notes with good minerality.
3. Ressia 2014 Evien Bianco - This wine is very aromatic with intense flavors of peach, apricot, orange blossom, lychee (somewhat reminiscent of a Vouvray) and a hint of anise in the finish.
4. Willm 2013 Gewurtztraminer - a bit creamy and juicy, with smoke, apple, melon, lime, and ginger flavors.

If you go on line looking for wine pairings for Thanksgiving, you’ll either walk away with some great ideas or come away overwhelmed with the diverse choices coming from every direction. I’d like to tell you that I can simplify the process, but frankly, I can’t. In fact I am about to add to it.  But hey, this is a meal about family which as many of us know can get a bit messy, physically as well as emotionally. So relax and embrace the crazy.

I love Austrian wines and feel they deserve more attention, and three of their major wines are actually great choices for Thanksgiving. These wines have the ability to pair with a variety of dishes served on this special day including turkey, yams, stuffing, and even Brussel sprouts.

Continuing my blog on French bargain wines leads us to La Forge Estate Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Languedoc region.  Both these wines are labeled by type of grape rather than region possibly to attract more import drinkers.

This July Fourth I recommend The Wine Press 2010 Pinot Noir.  This Sonoma County style Pinot is very well balanced and has a distinct cherry juice color. It is medium bodied and dry with slight tannins. The nose is a bit earthy and has a strong raspberry and cranberry fruit aroma along with a pleasant whiff of clove.  The spice continues on the palate along with tart cherry, pomegranate, cranberry and a bit of cola. Enjoy this Pinot Noir with grilled Salmon, or marinated chicken kabobs.

Recently I attended a wine tasting where most of the sippers were from other parts of the country including Maryland, Virginia, California and more.  The wines they were drinking were from New York and nearly all the wines were dry and not generally associated with upstate New York. All the wines were well received, but one in particular stood out: the Arrowhead Spring 2012 Pinot Noir.