Jim Whitaker, owner of Ashland Wine Cellar, pours white wine. [Jamie Lusch/ Mail Tribune]
Josh Kimball stands outside his red wine shop in Jacksonville. [Jamie Lusch/ Mail Tribune]
Kimball’s Craftsmen Wines in Jacksonville concentrates on natural white wines. [Jamie Lusch/ Mail Tribune]
A 2021 Goldback Chenin Blanc (Rogue Valley) for $29.95 is crisp and fruity (pear and apple) with a clean surface. [Jamie Lusch/ Mail Tribune]
Andy Phillips, with Ashland Wine Cellar, recomends a cooled 2021 Teutonic Pinot Meunier with turkey. [Jamie Lusch/ Mail Tribune]
2018 Northbar Cellars Tempranillo sets well with prime rib. [Jamie Lusch/ Mail Tribune]
Josh Kimball says If a prime rib or steak is on the menu, he recommends a Chateau Gueyrosse 2011. [Jamie Lusch/ Mail Tribune]
Around the globe, people will be raising glasses to commemorate the holiday season.
With more than 85 vineyards and nearly as many wineries and tasting spaces in the area, the Rogue Valley is a terrific location to be when choosing a bottle for a special event or to pair with a vacation dinner.
Wine is for drinking, but it’s also for sharing.
Take a bottle with you as a host or person hosting present at celebrations, dinners and other gatherings.
Host a bottle swap by welcoming good friends over for a wine gift exchange. Have your pals bring their preferred bottle of red wine, festively covered. Then draw numbers, white elephant style, and let the exchange begin.
Get your buddies or household together for a holiday white wine tasting, either in the house or at a Rogue Valley tasting room.
Experiment with some recipes for festive white wine mixed drinks or mulled wines.
Talk with winemakers and tasting space professionals for concepts on what white wines to couple with the meal for your holiday banquet
And you don’t require to wait till New Year’s Eve to pop the cork on a bottle of bubbly. Champagne are flexible matching red wines for vacation suppers, and mimosas are a joyful starter for Christmas early morning breakfasts.
When it pertains to red wine pairings, there are the standard choices and basic standards. You may wish to go with a riesling with a roasted bird. The acidity can assist with a dry turkey and can lessen the heaviness of gravy. And a pinot noir can add depth to the gravy’s flavor.
If prime rib is on the menu, remember red wine sets well with any red meat.
If you’re preparing a switch-up to seafood this holiday, sommeliers might advise a dry white to match the spicy or salted flavor of your main.
We talked with professionals from 5 local wine merchants for their red wine pairing ideas and to get their suggestions for gift-worthy wines.
Troon Vineyard
Craig Camp, winegrower at Troon Vineyard, 1475 Kubli Roadway, Grants Pass (in the Applegate Valley), has 2 recommendations for red wines for sure-to-please presents.
“The 2020 Troon Vineyard Syrah simply got 96 points from The White wine Lover Magazine,” he stated. “It retails for $40. It was one of Oregon’s premier white wines in 2022.”
The white wine is produced from estate Biodynamic-certified grapes and is a richly flavored, intricate red wine that, while pleasurable to consume now, will reward with 5 or more years of cellaring, he kept in mind.
“Another gift-worthy white wine is our 2021 Pét tanNat, a champagne which was awarded 92 points and costs $45,” Camp said.
It’s an one-of-a-kind wine produced from Troon’s estate Tannat grapes, unusual in Oregon.
“It will remind you of classic French Champagne with its toasty tastes and ultra-dry style,” he said.
For pairing, Camp advises Troon’s red and white Biodynamic blends, each selling for $25. “The richly flavored white would be perfect with turkey, and the red would be scrumptious with either turkey or prime rib.”
Ashland Wine Rack
Jim Whitaker, proprietor of Ashland Wine rack, 357 E. Main St. in Ashland, has a number of suggestions for gifting.
“A 2018 Domaine Berthel-Capeau Exil des Papes Chaeauneauf-du-Pape of the Rhone Valley has sweet black cherry and black raspberry fruit, incense, camphor and licorice scents,” he stated, “and sells for $43.95. It has huge fruit flavors, stabilized with fresh acids and a long surface. Combine it with lamb.”
When choosing the recipient, Whitaker says bear in mind this red wine ought to mature for twenty years in the cellar.
Another gift concept is the 2018 Ca’del Baio Barbaresco Vallegrande (Piedmont), likewise for $43.95.
“It has mint, black cherry and spice tastes, is rich mid-palate, with dusty tannins and a firm, compact surface,” he stated. It’s best from 2025 through 2042 and can be coupled with brief ribs or boar.
Andy Phillips, at the cellar’s shop, advises the following holiday pairings:
A 2021 Goldback Chenin Blanc (Rogue Valley) for $29.95 is crisp and fruity (pear and apple) with a tidy surface. “Couple with brie, chevre and other fresh cheeses, raw or roasted vegetables and roast turkey,” Phillips encouraged.
With turkey, he recommends a chilled 2021 Teutonic Pinot Meunier (Willamette Valley) for $36.95. “It’s a book T-Day red wine with quite cherry fruit and great acid balance,” he said.
A 3rd pairing tip is a 2018 Northbar Cellars Tempranillo (Rogue Valley). “If you’re having prime rib, this is your white wine,” he stated. “It’s huge, rich and complicated with earth undertones.”
Grizzly Peak Winery
Naomi Fuerte of Grizzly Peak Winery, 1600 E. Nevada St., Ashland, suggests a number of syrahs for the vacations.
“Exceptional when paired with prime rib, our 2017 Syrah ($36) is deep magenta in color, a rosé that radiates scents of ripe black plums, pomegranate, marionberry and caramelized bacon,” she said.
The red wine’s tannins add balance, intricacy and structure when paired with beef, and the fats in the meat make the white wine even smoother.
With turkey, she suggests a lower tannin rosé, a 2020 Syrah at $22.
“Dark and meaningful, this vibrant, ruby red rosé is bursting with tastes that will surprise and please any red wine lover,” she stated.
She says the silky, brilliant, fruity medium body and the stylish brown sugar surface make it an excellent holiday white wine.
“The lower tannin content allows it to combine nicely with leaner meats such as turkey, but it’s still robust enough to stand up to the myriad of flavors that accompany the meal.”
For those looking for a remarkable red wine gift, she suggests Grizzly Peak’s minimal offering of a four-vintage syrah vertical at $140.
“All the red wines have won either gold or double gold,” she stated, “consisting of in this year’s Oregon White wine Experience competitors. A vertical allows cups to taste the effects of growing conditions in different vintages.”
The plan consists of a 2014 Syrah double gold, 2015 Syrah gold, 2016 Syrah double gold, and 2017 Syrah double gold.
Kimball’s Artisan White wines
Josh Kimball, shopkeeper at Kimball’s Craftsmen White wines, 120 S. Third St., Jacksonville, has red wine pairing tips for 3 different holiday dinner meals.
If fowl is on the menu, he suggests a Marcel Deiss 2020 Alsace Complantation (white blend) for $27.
“Alsatian wine is exceptionally crowd-pleasing and specifically food-friendly,” Kimball stated. “Level of acidity, minerality and complex structure make the region’s red wines excellent options for serving with roasted turkey.” Or any bird, for that matter– chicken, goose, duck and Cornish hens.
For video game, he recommends a Guillaume Chanudet 2019 Fleurie La Madone for $24.
“Beaujolais is a wine-producing region in France featuring the scrumptious red wines made from Gamay Noir,” he stated. “The grape has a thin skin, but don’t let that fool you. It’s capable of producing a wide variety of white wine styles, from the fresh and fruity to the focused and complex.”
If prime rib or steak is on the menu, he recommends a Chateau Gueyrosse 2011 Saint-Emillion Grand Cru for $38.
“The huge flavors of roast beef truly ask for red wine,” Kimball stated, “and a husky one at that. Bordeaux is a big-blended red that delivers fruity aromas of plum, cassis and dark cherry, in addition to notes of truffle, dark chocolate and vanilla.”
The contrasting fruit flavors and complicated notes match the smoky and savory flavors of prime rib.
Wooldridge Creek Winery
Steve Grande, wine maker and general manager of Wooldridge Creek Winery, 818 Stage Creek Roadway, Grants Pass (in the Applegate Valley), says bubbles make a fantastic gift and are perfect for commemorating.
“Our 2020 Sparkling Brut ($36) is made from 100% barrel-fermented chardonnay and provides aromas of pear, pineapple and toasted marshmallow,” he stated. “The mouthfeel is lavish and velvety in addition to intense and rejuvenating.”
Another gift-worthy white wine he recommends is their 2017 Warrick Red Reserve ($42), blended from the very best lots of that vintage and then barrel-aged.
“Made up of 50% tempranillo, 40% zinfandel and 10% malbec, it produces a stellar food red wine,” Grande stated.
Matching red wines with big vacation meals can be difficult due to the fact that of the range obviously and flavors, but his go-to for turkey is a pinot noir.
“Our 2019 pinot ($40) shows a mix of bright fruit and cherry soda pop notes, in addition to more mouthwatering fragrances of sage and cigar box, and is the white wine I’ll be setting on my Turkey Day table,” he said.
For prime rib, he suggests a syrah. “Our 2019 ($40) has darker notes of incense and peppercorns that will match the crust of a prime rib while the bright acidity, blueberry and plum tastes will increase to meet the richness of such a tasty cut.”
It’s not too early to stockpile for the holidays.
Visit your favorite Rogue Valley tasting spaces for ideas on wines for your holiday amusing. You can get ideas for food pairings and taste what’s new.
Have a look at the sites of Rogue Valley’s numerous wineries and vineyards for more ideas.
The real spirit of the holiday is hanging out with good friends and enjoyed ones. A fine white wine or a glass of bubbly can include a festive note to your celebrations.
Reach freelance writer Jim Flint at [email protected]