Food & Wine USA - (12)December 2020

74 DECEMBER 2020

BOTTLE SERVICE

WINES AT $25

AND UNDER

2 017 TRIG POINT

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

($25)

Black cherry notes, soft

tannins, and a just-enough

touch of oak make this

affordable Alexander Valley

Cabernet a go-to red wine

pour for the holiday season.

2018 SONOMA-CUTRER

RUSSIAN RIVER RANCHES

CHARDONNAY ($22)

Winemaker Mick Schroeter

and team made a superb

Chardonnay in the 2018 vin-

tage. It’s bright and focused,

with plenty of zippy citrus

and green-apple flavors.

2019 ALOIS LAGEDER

TERRA ALPINA PINOT

BIANCO ($15)

For Pinot Grigio fans, this

Italian white offers more

depth than usual at this

price; for folks tired of overly

oomph-y Chardonnays, it’s a

refreshing shift of style.

2018 CÔTÉ MAS ROUGE

INTENSE ($15/1 LITER)

A big, joyful French red, this

will lift a friend’s spirits in

the heart of winter. Spicy

strawberry aromas from

Grenache and juicy black-

berry fruit from Syrah are

the story here.

2018 EROICA RIESLING

($20)

The 20th vintage of this

Washington state Riesling

is as good as ever, full of

lime zest and mineral notes.

It ages well, too, as the

recently rereleased 2011 vin-

tage ($35) shows.

2018 TENUTA DI FESSINA

ERSE ETNA ROSSO ($25)

The best Etna reds combine

intensity of flavor with a

kind of limpid weightless-

ness; this wine has that, plus

wild red-berry flavors and

a floral spice recalling pink

peppercorns.

NV BROWNE FAMILY

VINEYARDS CABERNET

SAUVIGNON

($15/375-ML. CAN)

Need a stocking stuffer?

This canned Cabernet from

Washington state delivers

plenty of dark, rich fruit bol-

stered by soft tannins.

NV BORGOLUCE LAMPO

PROSECCO ($18)

It’s vital during the holidays

to have a good, affordable

sparkler on hand. This

vivacious, peachy bottling

comes from a family who’s

owned the land their vine-

yards are on since 958 A.D.

NV MONTINORE ESTATE

VIVACÉ ($25)

Oregon’s Montinore is one

of the largest biodynamic

vineyards in the country.

Adventurous gift recipients

will enjoy this crisp, juicy

sparkler, made from a range

of aromatic white grapes.

2017 DASHE CELLARS

DELTA REDS ($24)

The Sacramento–San

Joaquin River Delta is home

to the ancient Zinfandel,

Carignane, and Mourvèdre

vines that provide the grapes

for this robust, blackberry-

rich red.

e Ultimate

Holiday Wine

Gift Guide

For bottles

from $15 to

$150, we’ve

got you.

By Ray Isle

WHAT TO DRINK NOW

GO CASUAL

Crate & Barrel’s Tour

stemless wine glasses

are fun, affordable,

and great for parties.

($10, crateand

barrel.com)