There’s no time of year like the holidays to open a great bottle with a loved one, friends, family and colleagues alike. Big dinners, holiday parties, and there’s never a better time for a glass around the house for no occasion at all. With so many reasons comes the need to have a good variety of wine handy in your collection, but spending time hunting around the store for wines for all occasions can be a task.
Before I get into recommending some great wines to have on hand for the season, we must remember the worst part about buying wine this time of year – the dreaded holiday lineups. We have all been there and I even find myself guilty of just grabbing “whatever” to get myself out of the store, but here’s the good news; this can easily be avoided.
Ordering wine from an agent by the case, will not only give you a supply of wine you can’t get at the LCBO, but will efficiently arrive at your home or office with no long holiday lines. Some cases even arrive in 6’s, and if you buy Ontario, you can even mix & match cases, giving the convenience and variety you want to enjoy the time of year in the best way you can.
One of the best agents around for this is WineOnline.ca. founded and run by Aaron Bick. You can give them a call, or simply go online and read tasting notes, reviews, and with a few clicks, wine is at your door. Their portfolio has a huge range of wines from many other agencies as well, from locally produced to international, and from all price ranges.
A recent discovery for me from WineOnline.ca is the ’09 Butterfield Pinot Noir I tasted at The Vintage Conservatory, which is priced at $27.95 per bottle. The Butterfield name should be not a new one to wine collectors, except this one is made by David Butterfield in Burgundy. David’s father is the famed producer at Jadot whose roots don’t go any deeper in the wine world.
My own holiday list includes this very wine which is great for easy drinking on its own or with a Holiday Turkey. Also on my list to have on hand for all Holiday occasions is a great Sparkling from Hinterland which I wrote about in my most recent article about bubbles. This wine is perfect to pop Christmas Eve or for Boxing Day brunch mimosas and of course for the moment we transition to 2013 with more mimosas in the morning.
To round out my Holiday wine list is a great sweet wine for after dinner, or to sip by the fire. I recently sampled a White Port made in Prince Edward County by Karlo Estate and represented by “The Cellar Sisters”. This is one of my favourite finds of the year.
So remember, the Holidays are to enjoy. Let’s keep the Holly in our Jolly and enjoy these times with a great glass in our hand, without having to rush around to source it all. Try an agent to build up a rounded supply for all occasions, parties and family meals, giving you more time ‘neath the mistletoe.
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