There’s a world of wine to choose from any day of the year. Even those who make wine in New York don’t drink only local wine all the time. But, there should always be room on your table for wine from New York’s producers—especially during the holidays.
Those who know the quality and diversity of the wines coming from the Empire State have an opportunity to share them with the people they spend time with over the holidays. But which wines should they share with holiday foods and traditions? It’s hard to go wrong with a New York wine, but some of our wineries have provided guidelines to help make decisions a little easier.
Making Wine Part of the Social Fabric of a Celebration
“Like the holidays, wine throughout the course of history brings people together. When friends and family gather to celebrate the holidays, wine is an important part of that social fabric and celebration,” says Melissa L. Rockwell, director of operations at Sparkling Pointe on the North Fork of Long Island.
As the winery’s name suggests, Sparkling Pointe specializes in bubbly and creates holiday gift sets such as the Sparkling Wine and Chocolate Pairing Box and the 90+ Point Toasting Trio Collection to gift (or keep for yourself).
“Sparkling Wine is a perfect category (for all the time) but especially for the holiday season,” says Rockwell. “No other beverage quite invokes that spirit of celebration and tradition.” With that in mind, she has some suggestions for some pairings.
For an apéritif or the glass you hand guests as they walk through the door, Sparkling Pointe Anniversary Cuvée. “This is a great welcome toast and a classic style to please all guests and amuse the appetite for what is to come,” she says.
For seafood, perhaps along with the Feast of the Seven Fishes: Sparkling Pointe 2019 Blanc de Blancs. Why? She believes, “From shellfish to lobster this wine has the acidity, creaminess, and complexity for all!”
If you’re unsure if bubbles can go with dessert or not, Rockwell assures it does, and for dessert, she suggests Sparkling Pointe Cuvée Carnaval Blancs or Cuvée Carnaval Rouge. “A little sweetness in these two bubblies makes them excel with a sweet dessert,” she says. “I like Cuvée Carnaval Blancs with classic New York Cheesecake and the Rouge is perfect for a more decadent chocolate dessert.”
For New Year’s Eve, any of Sparkling Pointe’s wines would make an excellent toast for ringing in the New Year, but her specific choice for the holiday is the winery’s best seller, Sparkling Pointe 2021 Topaz Impérial Rosé. The wine won a regional championship trophy at the Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships, the most respected, comprehensive, and rigorous international sparkling wine competition in the world.
At the Holidays, Wine Represents a Specific, Place, Time and Group of People
Sparkling wine is incredibly food-friendly, but we can’t forget New York’s wonderful still wines or the people who make them.
“A bottle of wine is a particular time and place and represents all the hard work of many people. Even the most commercial, large-scale wine relies heavily on human hands in the form of vineyard workers, cellar hands, and winemakers,” says Vanessa Hoffman, Winemaker, Knapp Winery on Cayuga Lake. “There are dozens of artisans that spend an entire year growing the grapes and making the bottle of wine that you open at your dinner table.”
She sees a correlation between those year-round efforts and the holidays. Neither, she believes, is just a day on the calendar.
“Holidays are a specific place and time and group of people. Friends and family come together and create more than just a meal. They create a sense memory for their loved ones that we remember all our lives,” says Hoffman. Wine is part of that sense memory captured in a bottle, created “with love for the purpose of sharing,” she believes.
That’s a tall order for liquid in a bottle, but New York wines are up to the challenge, and Hoffman has some suggestions for specific wines for the holidays.
For holiday decorating, “Mulled wine is too often overlooked these days,” says Hoffman. She suggests a rich red wine spiked with brandy (Knapp’s brandy, of course). And bringing a thermos of mulled wine while chopping down a Christmas tree is an experience Hoffman definitely recommends.
For beef such as tenderloin or brisket, “I feel like almost everyone answers with Cabernet Sauvignon, and they are not wrong. It’s classic for a reason,” she says. But, if you want something different, Hoffman suggests the winery’s Saperavi because, like Cab Sauv, it can be a “big wine in terms of tannin structure but more red fruit dominate on the palate, earthy notes that complement beef, and a higher acidity.”
For jerk chicken, Hoffman suggests Siegerrebe, and Knapp is the only winery in the Finger Lakes growing the aromatic white that’s a cross of Gewürztraminer and Madeleine Angevine. “The deeply aromatic citrus and tropical fruit aromas in the Siegerrebe will pair well with the spice profile and floral allspice flavors in the jerk marinade. A small amount of residual sugar in the wine will help cut the spiciness and help refresh the palate,” she says.
For New Year’s Eve, for anyone who wants an alternative to bubbly, Hoffman goes with rosé. “For a glittery holiday like NYE, the most important thing about the food and drink is that it is pretty,” she says, and rosé certainly is pretty.
Wine is About Gathering With Family and Friends
For Amy Opisso, general manager and certified sommelier at Bridge Lane Wine Co. on Long Island’s North Fork “wine is about gathering with family and friends, and there’s no better time to do that than during the holidays.”
At Bridge Lane, the most popular wine during the holidays, and all year round, is White Merlot, and it makes a great gift because “it’s unique and crowd-pleasing.” Visitors to Bridge Lane will find a small holiday celebration on Sat, December 14 at the winery, with live holiday music and Christmas cookies.
Opisso has some specific pairing ideas for the celebrations in wine lovers’ homes.
For Turkey, Opisso goes classic and suggests Bridge Lane’s Pinot Noir. Having a large crowd, the wine comes in a box (as well as in bottle and cans).
For sitting in front of a fire or chilling on the couch watching a movie while taking a break from the hustle and bustle, a “medium-bodied red with cherry and spice notes like a Cabernet Franc would perfectly complete this setting,” says Opisso. Cabernet Franc, of course, abounds in New York.
For New Year’s Eve, it’s pink bubbles. “I toast every New Year with sparkling rosé! It’s my “stranded on a desert island and you can only drink one wine for the rest of your life” wine,” she says. Bridge Lane makes two styles to enjoy: slim cans in 4-packs and a dryer style in traditional bottle.
Don’t Forget, Wine Makes a Great Cocktail Ingredient
For wine lovers, using wine in the signature cocktail of a get-together makes a lot of sense. Try these two holiday-themed cocktails where wine shines.
Crimson Crown from Sparkling Pointe
To a sparkling wine flute add:
- ½ ounce Great Jones Straight Bourbon, or other bourbon
- ½ ounce Heimat Cranberry Liqueur, or other cranberry liqueur
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- Top with 4 ounces Sparkling Pointe Brut
Martini-style Cocktail from Knapp Winery
To a shaker filled with ice, add:
- 1.5 ounces gin
- 1.t ounces St-Germain Elderflower, or other elderflower liqueur
- 1 ounce dry white wine such as Knapp’s Dry Riesling, Dry Vidal Blanc, or Seyval Blanc
- 0.5 ounce Rose’s lime juice
- Juice of half a lime (about 1 ounce)
Shake, then pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with lime peel.
