Christmas is a wonderful time to treat your closest family and friends to a tasty bottle of wine. You want to select a wine that is suitable for typical Christmas dishes as well as your giftee’s preferences. There are a number of considerations to keep in mind to find the perfect Christmas wine to gift. Keep reading this guide to select the perfect Christmas wine gift.

What is a good wine for a Christmas gift?

Across most of the US, Christmas falls during a cool and chilly time. The perfect Christmas wine is one that is bold and comforting, while also pairing with the feast. During a chilly holiday season, warm climate red wines like Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec offer some much-needed body and warmth on the palate. Younger wines tend to be fruit forward. When in doubt, a fruity wine is always a great choice for a gift as most people prefer wines with these characteristics.

What wine goes well with a Christmas dinner?

Most Christmas meals center around whole roasted turkey, ham, or prime rib accompanied by various sides, including starchy, green, and sweet dishes. You want to choose a wine that can stand up to the meat, while still pairing with the meal as a whole. Some sides like sweet potato casserole feature baking spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Other sides, like mashed potatoes, are creamy and buttery. Green sides are refreshing and light. Look for wines with a fruit-forward aromatic characteristic and a lot of body to help balance and round out the meal. If the person to whom you’re gifting the wine is enjoying prime rib or ham for Christmas, a fuller bodied wine is best. If the giftee is enjoying turkey, a wine with moderately full body and smoother tannins is the way to go.

How do aromatic characteristics of wine impact pairing choices for Christmas?

Fruity wines are a great choice for Christmas dinner. They play a similar role to a dish like cranberry sauce; they freshen up the palate. You could opt for red fruit driven wines with cranberry, strawberry, and raspberry on the nose if your giftee is partial to tart and ripe aromas. Black fruit driven wines with aromas of blackberry, black current, and plum are also nice. Warmer climate wines tend to showcase jammy or baked fruit conditions on the nose. However, there are always exceptions. When in doubt, read the label! At the end of the day, any fruity notes across the spectrum of tart to baked work beautifully with Christmas dinner; gift according to the giftee’s preferences!

How does wine structure impact pairing choices for Christmas?

During Christmas, an ideal wine is a comforting, bold wine with smooth tannins and some body. You don’t want an overly tannic wine during Christmas as it won’t pair well with lean turkey breast and green sides like green beans and Brussels sprouts. Bold wines with moderately high alcohol and body are great choices because they offer a nice warming quality on the palate, especially on a cold winter night.

Should I seek out organic wines for Christmas?

Organic wines are made with grapes that are organically farmed and carefully selected. The winemaking process is also particularly mindful. No genetically modified yeasts are used. There’s a misconception that organic wines are always more expensive, however you can find tasty organic wines that are great value finds. Organic wines are great for gifting, because the recipient will appreciate the care that went into producing the bottle of wine in their hands.

Punctum Lobetia Tempranillo – An Organic Wine

Featured in The Washington Post and Wine Enthusiast, Lobetia Tempranillo is a wonderful organic Christmas wine. It’s made with 100% Tempranillo grapes celebrating the variety. It’s deep cherry in color. Aromas of red berries and cherry are prominent on the nose, which complement a classic Christmas dinner. Non-fruit characteristics of coco and sweet tobacco offer depth and complexity to the wine. This wine has a bold aromatic profile with a smooth and harmonious finish.

The vineyard is located in the province of Cuenca in central Spain. At an altitude of 800 meters above sea level, it has a continental Mediterranean climate with a lot of sunlight. The clay soil retains water well which allows the grapes to thrive in this warm climate. The grapes are grown organically. No chemical pesticides or herbicides are used. This is no easy feat for a grower! A lot of care goes into growing, harvesting, and winemaking in order to deliver a perfectly balanced and delicious wine to you.

Lobetia Tempranillo is an excellent organic wine to gift to friends or family for Christmas this year. Happy holidays!