December Daily Wines

Cricklewood Pinot Noir 1999 Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon Varietal: Pinot Noir Price: about $11 With a fragrant nose redolent of cherries, mushrooms and just the right amount of "barnyardyness" this rich Pinot is a buy. 1999 is a lighter but good vintage for Oregon Pinot, which contributes to this bottle's value. Drink up with a side of duck breasts in cherry and red wine sauce.	Don Conde CAVA Brut NV Region: Spain Varietal: Macabeo and Paralleda Price: about $7 Terrific starting sparkler for your holiday meal. CAVA is a wine done in the traditional method Champenoise and makes a great accompaniment for appetizers (remember those Spaniards do like their appetizers). This one has notes of toasted almonds, eucalyptus and faintly reminds one of Toron’s (Spanish sweet)caramelized quality.
Bodegas Lurton Malbec Reserva 2000 Region: Argentina Varietal: Malbec Price: about $8 Deep red color, spicy plum and vanillin. Good quantity and quality wine. Serve with burgers, or anything that asks for a bold red.	Domaine D’Orfeuilles Sparkling Vouvray Region: Loire, France Varietal: Chenin Blanc Price: about $12 Vouvray is a delightful alternative to Champagne when there’s a budget to keep in mind. Creamy toasty flavors make this perfect for pre-dinner smoked salmon hors d’oeuvres or any brunch dish with eggs.
Yves Lambert Cremant de Loire Rosé NV Region: Loire Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc Price: about $13 When it comes to matching Food with wine and good suggestions to bring as a host or hostess gift. This fits the bill perfectly. Festive, very flavorful and oh so pretty to look at. Creamy almost strawberries and cream flavor with a hint of pepper. Great inexpensive bubbly.	Gruet Sparkling Wine Blanc de Noirs Brut NV Region: New Mexico, USA Varietal: Pinot Noir Price: about $16 Sparkler from New Mexico? We are not kiddin’ you here. Beautiful coral color, very spunky bubbles with notes of toast with raspberry jam. This is fantastic stuff that puts some more expensive California and dare I say French bubbles to shame. Perfect with pan seared salmon or just on it’s own. Wonderful US bubblies to be festive with!
Bogle Petite Sirah 1999 Region: California Varietal: Petite Sirah Price: about $12 Wonderful winter wine. Ripe, full, smoky concentrated fruit. Notes of leather and brambleberries. Beef stew with homemade egg noodles and a bottle of this, isn't winter great?	Lawson’s Dry Hills Region: Marlborough, New Zealand Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc Price: about $14 Terrificly bright and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc. Notes of grapefruit, tarragon and Myer lemon with a brisk but lengthy finish. Perfect with kale and potato soup accompanied with goat cheese crostini, a light but savory way to warm up.
Barossa Valley Estate 2000 Australian Shiraz Region: Barossa Valley, Australia Varietal: Shiraz Price: about $9 A meal in a glass. Rich, dense, purple velvet to make your mouth sing and beg for another sip. Berry and spice with some leather on the finish. Would be a fun bottle to cellar for a couple of years to see what it could do. Pair with slow roasted pepper crusted skirt steak and twice oven fried potatoes.	Columbia Crest Grand Estates 1999 Chardonnay Region: Columbia Valley, Washington Varietal: Chardonnay Price: about $12 Columbia Crest is a big winery, this is not a bad thing. I like to think of them as the Honda of American wine. Meaning good value for the money. Most of what they release is excellent and competitively priced. This bottling is rich, lush, and smooth drinking wine. Consistently reliable and readily available it's a great winter white as it has some heft. Pair it with spaghetti carbonara.
Leasingham Shiraz Clare Valley Bin 61 Region: Clare Valley, Australia Varietal: Shiraz Price: about $15 Pepper and lush fruit burst from this Aussie beauty. There's a wonderful round, meaty quality to this wine that just begs to fire up the grill (if you've got a gas one go for it) winter or not. Properly season a burger or better yet beautiful Delmonico steak and you've got it made, mashed potatoes optional but encouraged.	Trajadura 2000 Vinho Verde Region: Portugual Varietal: Alvarinho Price: about $8 I know what you're thinking, "Isn't this a summer wine?" Well, although Vinho Verde tends to be associated with light and refreshing summer cooking it also pairs beautifully with warm seafood dishes. Particularly mussels or clams steamed in white wine, garlic and a little sea salt. Pair with crisp homemade French fries and you'll see this fresh, mineral and bright wine in a whole new light.
Villa Maria 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot Region: Marlborough, New Zealand Varietal: Cab Sauvignon and Merlot Price: about $13 Winter does call for more reds than white, in my humble opinion. Coming in from a frosty chill requires something warm, lush and comforting. This has a blackberry and herbs de Provence nose. It's chewy and big and benefits from some time in the glass before you sip - or should I say chew. None the less, its full bodied-ness will warm your toes. Great with beef stew, braised lamb shanks, lasagna and a big loaf of bread and a good cheese.
Vinterra Cabernet 1999 Region: Argentina Varietal: Cabernet Cost: about $7 Richly velvet on the palate. This medium bodied wine is a tremendous value that's drinking way more expensive than it is. Steak. Black currant, really ripe cassis and a bit of smoke make for a very satisfying wine. Steak. Heady stuff and if you like you can have steak with this. Or a really good meatloaf would be awesome as well.