Press

With the dawn of a new year, many people are taking on new resolutions. For some, that may be giving up alcohol either for the month or for forever. Or maybe you are the designated driver, expecting a baby, or simply need a night without liquid courage. Whatever the reasoning, just because you give up booze does not mean you still can’t enjoy a little wine, non alcoholic of course. These non-alcoholic spirits, wine-free sangria, summer mocktails, and booze-free beers should do the trick.

Bubbles go with year’s end as surely as Thanksgiving and turkey, and Valentine’s Day and chocolates. Rising prices may make many reluctant to pop a Champagne cork this year, but it doesn’t mean people will drink less sparkling wine. Here are the 12 bottles, from least to most expensive within each category.

The holidays are a time for feasts and sweets. That includes dessert wines, which I confess to thinking of primarily around this time of year. Even more than sparkling wines, stickies are for special occasions. Here are a few of the more common styles of dessert wines, with my favorite labels.

Sarah Favinger, a wine buyer at Smith & Vine, is the perfect expert for this task. Located in Brooklyn, New York, Smith & Vine is a unique wine shop that focuses on women-led wines and small production wineries. The following list are some of Favinger’s favorite wines that you need to be trying right now.

The characteristics that make a bottle great for the holiday work for just about any occasion. These wines not only taste good, they feel good.

The holiday season typically means a lot of get-togethers (both in-person and virtually) that include wine—from reds to whites, and more. But determining which wines to serve that can satisfy a diverse group of guests—from casual wine drinkers to certified sommeliers—can be daunting. You can’t always please everyone, but there are more crowdpleasers out there if you know where to look.

Consumer studies show that most wine purchased in the United States is consumed within weeks after purchase, and that less than 10% of wines purchased are squirreled away for aging. Indeed, most wines are intended to be consumed young, but with a little bit of patience, maturation opens a whole new dimension of enjoyment for wine lovers. Among the best candidates for cellaring are quality German wines.

Did someone say “Sekt?” The holidays are fast approaching, and nothing sets the mood like the sound of a cork being removed from sparkling wine.  It is the quintessential “pop” that signals “let the festivities begin.”