If Christmas Songs Were Bottles of Wine
Describing a wine’s character through the Yuletide’s Greatest Hits
Sometimes when trying to describe a bottle of wine, the struggle is real. You’re knee-deep in wine-nerd vocabulary (thiols and tannins and terroir, oh my) and when it comes to holiday food and wine pairings you might as well be wandering the desert looking for the North Star. Never fear, there’s room at the inn. How about a modern take on holiday pairings—ones that create harmony between our favorite Christmas songs and the season’s wines?
There is a festive way to relate tones, tannins, and tunes. Wine and song could mirror each other’s sense of tradition (or lack of), or focus on storytelling through winemaking, or even have related nuances from palate to ear—think of a faint triangle ding as that dash of oak spice. Sometimes the tone of a song could match the tone of wine just as if you were casting characters in a Christmas musical. Classic White Burgundy as Bing Crosby’s classic White Christmas, anyone? Perhaps too obvious, but giddy-up! The sleigh ride is just getting started.
There’s no shortage of great (and bad) Christmas music out there. It bombards you from every angle from November 1st until, well, does it ever really stop? In most cases, the same festive ditty has been covered more times than an antique armchair. From tastebuds to earbuds, your favorite holiday wines and Noël numbers possess the magic to propel the season’s festivity.
Frosty the Snowman as Ice Wine or Fortified Wine
A children’s favorite penned back in the 1950s, various versions of the song exist from performers like Nat King Cole to Michael Bublé. Frosty was a snowman that came to life with a magic silk hat and was king for a day, well, until the fun melted away. He “was alive as he could be” and his “jolly happy soul” could defrost any ol’ Grinch. If Frosty even had a nip or two of Boundary Breaks 2017 Riesling Ice Wine (Finger Lakes, NY, $62) or Northern California’s Hawk and Horse Vineyards 2012 Latigo fortified dessert wine ($50, Silver Medal for Best Fortified Red Dessert Wine at 2018 NY International Wine Competition) more shenanigans could come rolling over those hills of snow, all with that strong, sweet finish. Go, Frosty, Go
All I Want For Christmas Is You as Champagne
The modern classic holiday tune could only share the same stage as the all-time royal sparkler: Champagne. Written and recorded by Mariah Carey in the early 1990s, you simply can’t turn a corner during the Christmas season without hearing any rendition of it. Much like the original version of this momentous melody, there’s simply nothing like the grandeur of Champagne.
photo courtesy Champagne Henriot
Champagne Henriot has been crafting the esteemed bubbly since the 1800s with executing a signature house style emphasizing terroir with dazzling precision. Henriot’s Blanc de Blancs NV Brut ($60) is all chardonnay aged from 4-to-5 years from Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards in the Côte des Blancs. It’s like a drinkable version of grandma’s famed Christmas honey-butter brioche.
It’s a beautiful life with Perrier-Jouët’s 2012 vintage Belle Epoque Brut Rosé ($250 avg) and its 750 milliliters of pure extravagance. Since the 1800s, Perrier-Jouët has been committed to excellence and has exceeded in the category. Belle Epoque is a reference to the artistic and cultural excess of Europe in the 19th century. Don’t leave this bountiful bubbly off your Christmas list—because all we want for Christmas is—more of it!
Santa, Baby as Big and Bold Premium New World Red
Hold on to your wallet, honey—sensual, voluptuous New World reds are perfect to sip as you arrange that sable under the tree. The first version of this cheeky number performed by Eartha Kitt shimmied down chimneys in 1953. Flirty and frisky, Santa, Baby has been sung by numerous pop stars (including Madonna) over the years, each looking to cash in on the ditty’s innocent, but brazen, requests for yachts and gifts from Tiffany’s from a well-to-do older gentleman. In this case, Santa.
The indulgent and rare wines of Herencia Del Valle in Napa Valley are gratifying to the very last drop. Crafted with honesty and audacity and with very limited production (200 cases per year), these wines are difficult to get your hands on and constantly sell out. Herencia (meaning “heritage”) Del Valle 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon ($65) is the current cabernet release and has enjoyed much success and was a favorite at the 2019 New York International Wine Competition where it received the gold medal for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $60.01 and higher.
The seductive wines of Australia’s Penfolds winery are a textural experience and are famous for high-quality and innovation since the mid-19th century. Curvy and sumptuous, Penfolds 2016 RWT Barossa Valley Shiraz ($150) has a hint of silky Christmas spice from aging in French Oak. This red is one you need, indeed. We are waiting, Santa.
Jingle Bell Rock as Interesting Blends
An innovative blend of country and rock for the time, Bobby Helms’ 1957 fun and funky Jingle Bell Rock yuletide melody still bridges generations. Who could forget that dancing and prancing scene from the 2004 film Mean Girls?
Wine blends have been made throughout history. Some out of necessity and some out of creativity. However, one goal is common —to showcase how individual grapes contribute to a balance of flavors. Arrington Vineyards, co-owned by country star Kix Brooks, was created in the early 2000s to give everyone a taste of Tennessee’s “wine country”. Arrington’s 2017 Stag’s White Blend ($20) is a unique mixture of American/European hybrids like vidal blanc and traminette with a splash of chardonnay and viognier. The majority of the grapes are grown in Tennessee with the resulting wine being as American as apple pie. The blend was rockin’ and rollin’ at the 2019 New York International Wine Competition where it received the Silver Award for Favorite White Table Blends.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as Orange Wine
Do you recall the most famous (and original) white wine of them all? Skin-fermented white wine ( a.k.a. “Orange”) was originally how white grapes were made (about 8,000 years ago!) into wine before tastes were deferred and the style stopped being popular. Tastes have circled back and orange wine is leading the pack with consumers looking for wines that stand out. (For more info, please read here).
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a classic Christmas story—most famously performed by Burl Ives for the stop-motion cartoon—about Santa’s youngest reindeer who was constantly teased by his peers for having an oddly bright red nose. Thankfully, one inclement Christmas Eve, Santa recognized this “flaw” as an opportunity to help him in a time of need. Well, the rest they say, went down in history.
When talking about historic trailblazers and orange wine, Josko Gravner decided to throw it all the way back to the BCE winemaking practices of the Caucuses. He started making wines in Italy at 16-years-old and eventually decided to skin ferment and amphorae age his wines. A leader in this category, his orange, organic, and biodynamic wines are sometimes released years after production. Gravner’s 2007 Bianco Breg ($80) is a brilliant blend of ribolla gialla, chardonnay, riesling italico and sauvignon that leads the way for a new generation of winemakers.
photo by Steve Halama via Unsplash
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas as Burgundy
Happy golden days of Côte D’Or. You can’t forget the classics, they are reminders of tradition, and sometimes traditional is exactly what’s called for, especially when it comes to pairing Burgundy with Old Hollywood.
One of the definitive Christmas songs Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is from the 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis. Sung by the star of classic Hollywood, Judy Garland, the lyrics remind us to enjoy our time now and that “next year all our troubles will be miles away.''
Pinot noir and chardonnay are the stars of Burgundy and are as classic as Old World wines come. The two sing beautifully in the region’s Côte D’Or fetching some of the highest prices in the world. But, when you want a star, you usually have to pay the price, but not always.
Domaine Rémi Jeanniard is a humble estate in Burgundy’s Côte de Nuits with holdings in Chambolle-Musigny, Gevrey-Chambertin, and Morey-St.-Denis. Jeanniard produces wines of extraordinary measures that play like a symphony. His 2016 Vieilles Vignes bottling from Chambolle-Musigny ($45—a steal for great Burgundy!) is honest and elegant.
For white Burg lovers, Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey fashions stylish mineral-driven chardonnay in Chassagne. Colin-Morey’s 2015 La Maltroie cuvée ($100) will undoubtedly make your Christmas holiday that much merrier. Leaving a glass for Santa may make you a shoo-in for next year’s “nice” list.