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Food and Drink

Get ready for home-based holidays

The holiday entertaining season is nearly upon us. That's right - if you haven't noticed, an entire year has slipped by, which means it's time to get serious about which wines "Yule" be partying with from now until New Year's Eve.

I'm sensing this will be a big year for home-based holiday parties, thanks to the new .05 blood alcohol level for drivers, 12 per cent HST on restaurant meals and on top of all that, the generally ridiculous price of wine in British Columbia. It's a triple whammy for most wine drinkers, which is why sipping the great stuff at home begins to look so attractive.

But what to drink is the question, so I decided to look back at 2010 for wines that have made an impression on me this year and that will likely be well received at any party, dinner or erstwhile affair that you decide to host over the holidays. The good news is that shopping early means better selection, and take advantage of any in-store wine consultants to help you find the wines you want.

Make sure you keep a few bottles of sparkling wine on hand for the holidays, and in 2010 that likely means one or two bottles of easy-sipping, sparkling Prosecco. Your best bets from Italy are the Mionetto Prosecco Brut N/V, Veneto $20, or the slightly fruiter Santa Margherita Brut Prosecco di Valdobbiadene N/V $21.

The all-organic Pares Baltà Cava Brut B N/V from Penedès, Spain $20 is a great appetizer bubble, as is my local pick, the classy See Ya Later Ranch SYL Brut N/V $20 from nearby Okanagan Falls. Finally, the Charles Heidsieck N/V Brut Reserve $61 is my champagne pick for the holidays. Expect a delicious, fresh, crisp, elegant palate with baked apple, pear, cherry and juicy, tropical flavours. It is an impressive, mouth-filling bubble that over-delivers for the price.

Argentine Mendoza malbec continues to entice North American wine drinkers and its prowess is growing daily. Dense, soft, sweet fruit with savoury edges are part of the attraction and it seems to work well with so many grilled meat dishes. Personal favourites include 1884 Reservado Malbec 2009 $17 or the Famiglia Bianchi Malbec 2008 $20. The Show Malbec 2009 $20 is equally easy-sipping with enough alcohol to deal with any seriously inclement weather.

For a sit-down consider the Vistalba Corte C 2008 , $20. This is a malbec/cabernet sauvignon with a spicy mineral-laden nose and super glossy textures. The palate is equally rich and dense with spicy, dried fruits and a floral undercurrent.

Pinot Noir remains difficult to make and to find in the market. Three to look for include the Blue Mountain Pinot Noir 2008, Okanagan Falls $25 and the Nk'Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Pinot Noir 2008 from Osoyoos. Perhaps the slickest and most drinkable today is the Rabbit Ranch Pinot Noir 2007 from Central Otago $25 with its spicy, thyme, mineral, rhubarb, black cherry, orange peel and smoky, garrigue notes.

Two pinot gris that will please the crowds and work with a variety of foods are the amazingly fresh and stylish Bodega Lurton Pinot Gris 2009 , Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina $12.50 and the homegrown Mission Hill Pinot Gris Reserve 2008 $19 from the Okanagan Valley which is awash in citrus/grapefruit, green apple, butter, melon rind - perfect for scallops or sole.

The best of the meaty, scented syrahs with rich smoky, black fruit and mineral flavours include Boekenhoutskloof The Wolftrap 2009 $15 from South Africa, the CedarCreek Platinum 2007 Syrah $40, Okanagan Valley, Glimmer of Hope Shiraz 2008 $15 from South Australia and the value-priced Three Winds Syrah 2008, Languedoc, France $14. All deliver for the price. My latest favourite is the Santa Carolina Coastal Hills Syrah 2009 from Chile $18. Expect a supple and fresh palate with meaty, gamey, peppery, spicy, liquorice, coffee, black cherry flavours. Try this with lamb chops.

If you are a rosé fan and can't wait for warmer weather, three best bets to look for would include Chateau de la Galinière Rosé 2009 , Cotes du Provence $19, La Vieille Ferme Côtes du Ventoux Rosé 2009 , $14 and Torres De Casta Rosé 2009 , Catalunya, Spain $13. Besides their magical colour, they tend to work well with appetizers or the main course.

On the fresh, bright white side both chardonnay and sauvignon blanc have improved immeasurably in the last five years, especially those under screwcap. The Cono Sur Organic Chardonnay 2009 , Valle de San Antonio, Chile $14.50 is simply ridiculously tasty, organic and inexpensive. White Burgundy makes a statement any time you pour it and the William Fèvre Chablis Champs Royaux 2008 $29 would be great with most seafood dishes.

Equally refreshing and palate-cleansing are two super whites - a sauvignon from Francois Lurton Les Fumées Blanches 2008 , Languedoc, France $13 and the crazy food friendly, ultra- hip Telmo Rodriguez Basa Rueda Blanco 2009 , Castilla-Leon, Spain at $19. Shrimp appetizers only get better with these two whites.

To complete your shopping and fulfill the necessary red wine quota most of your guests will crave, I suggest looking to the south of France. The Rhone is having a renaissance of sorts in British Columbia, likely because varietal red wine is losing its shine and these blends really deliver for the price.

Wines like Delas Saint Esprit Cotes du Rhone 2008 , $18 and Longue-Dog Grenache Syrah 2008 , Vin de Pays d'Oc France $13 are dry red blends that ask for food but don't necessarily demand it for every sip. Similarly the Louis Bernard Cotes du Rhone Villages Rouge 2007 $16, the Chapoutier Belleruche Cotes du Rhone 2007 $19 or the Perrin Reserve Côtes-du-Rhone, Rhone Valley 2008 $14, simply shout warm, red and sophisticated and can make the transition from appetizer to main course with ease.

Best of all, in-home entertaining means prices that are half of what you would pay in a restaurant or bar. Happy Holidays!

 

Anthony Gismondi is a globetrotting wine writer who makes his home in West Vancouver, British Columbia. For more of his thoughts on wine log onto www.gismondionwine.com.