The 12 Wines of Christmas: Local Corks to Pop This Holiday Season

With last week’s Thanksgiving feasting behind us, the season of holiday eating has officially arrived! Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing meals that will run the gamut in terms of flavors and textures, and that means our lineup of wines will need to be just as diverse, to match. Here are 12 wines grown right here on the Central Coast that would be a fine add to any holiday table – a wine shopping list of sorts that’s made up of the best wines I’ve tasted in 2023 and that showcases the awesome diversity of the Central California wine scene.

Brander 2022 Cuvée Natalie ($32): Always a bestseller for Los Olivos vintner Fred Brander and his winemaking team, led by the talented Fabian Bravo, this blend is nearly-equal parts riesling, sauvignon blanc, and pinot gris. Layered and fresh, this wine shows off lovely flower aromas and stone fruit flavors. The name is an homage to Brander’s late daughter. brander.com

Tercero 2022 Picpoul Blanc ($33): One of the few Santa Barbara County winemakers taking on this lovely white variety, which thrives in France’s Rhône region, Larry Schaffer does it right: aromatic, splashy, and refreshing. It was fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel tanks to preserve crispness. Perfect as an aperitif sipper or as a match throughout the meal. tercerowines.com

Thacher 2022 Own-Rooted Chenin Blanc ($35): The fruit for this just-released wine comes from Shell Creek Vineyards in the Paso Robles Highlands District; the vines were planted in 1972. Winemaker Sherman Thacher aged the wine in a combo of terra cotta amphoras and neutral French oak barrels. It’s fresh and brimming with minerality with spicy, honeyed flavors. thacherwinery.com

Happy Mommy Wines 2021 Date Night White ($20): From the playful label by Solvang winemaker Dana Volk, which is squarely marketed to fellow working moms, this chardonnay is simple and approachable – and affordable – by design. Light and bright, with lots of acidity and bounce, it’s a refreshing take on Santa Barbara County’s most prolific white grape. happymommywines.com

Alma Rosa 2020 “Caracol” Pinot Noir ($70): This is a stellar pinot by winemaker Samra Morris, made with fruit from Alma Rosa’s estate El Jabali Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills. It’s full of finesse, yet with an earthy richness and delicious dark cherry and spice box flavors. The name – “snail” in Spanish – refers to the spiral pattern in which this growing plot was planted in 2013 by the legendary Richard Sanford. almarosawinery.com

Pali Wine Co. 2020 “Tower 15” Carignan ($40): Pali’s sister label, focused on small-lot and varietal-driven wines, offers this dusty, layered, savory Rhône wine, with fruit sourced from the famous Camp 4 Vineyard in the eastern stretches of the Santa Ynez Valley. Aged 16 months in mostly neutral French oak barrels by winemaker Aaron Walker, it offers flavors of earth and dark berries, and it pairs beautifully with game. paliwineco.com

Carr 2020 Grenache ($50): One of the best grenache wines I’ve tasted this year, this one, from winemaker Ryan Carr, is dense and intense, with flavors of dark berries, dark cherries, and dark chocolate. It’s refreshingly bouncy, though, with smooth tannins and a graceful mouth feel. The grapes for this one come from the 10-acre Lyons Vineyard in the Los Olivos District AVA. carrwinery.com

J. Wilkes 2021 Cabernet Franc ($60): This just-released bottling from winemaker Jonathan Nagy hails from the Paso Robles Highlands District AVA. This one’s big but elegant, offering deep smoky aromas and flavors of mocha, blackberries, and leather. Intensity on the palate leads to a silky finish, making this wine a perfect pair for rich holiday dishes. jwilkes.com

Lucas & Lewellen 2020 Carmenere ($64): This chewy wine from winemaker Megan McGrath Gates rounds out the brand’s goal to produce wine from all the major Bordeaux grapes. As a blending grape, carménère adds depth. Here, on its own, it’s powerful yet sophisticated, rich yet vibrant. It’s the second vintage from a three-acre carménère planting on the label’s estate Valley View Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley. llwine.com

Le Vigne 2019 Nikiara ($54): Hands down, one of the best Bordeaux blends I tasted all year. A cabernet sauvignon-driven bottling from winemaker Anthony Gallegos that also features merlot, cabernet franc, and petit verdot, this wine from Le Vigne’s Paso Robles estate is luscious, voluptuous, and smooth, with oak and berries on the nose, cherries and plums on the palate, and a deliciously spicy backbone. Great with game. levignewinery.com

McPrice Myers “Hard Working Wines” Right Hand Man ($25): Winemaker McPrice “Mac” Myers delivers value with this sister label to his eponymous brand, but also a premium drinking experience. The Right Hand Man syrah hails from San Lucas, in Central California, and is a beautifully balanced wine, with flavors of mocha, earth, plums, and blueberries. Power down the middle while staying soft around the edges. mcpricemyers.com 

Fess Parker “Traditions” Port-Style Red Wine ($28): This quintessential meal-ender is made from traditional port grapes – almost equal parts Tourigo Nacional, Souzao, Tinta Cao, and Alvarelhao – grown on Eli Parker’s Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley. Delivered in a lovely 500-ml. bottle, it offers tastes of chocolate, cherries, vanilla, and toasted herbs. Licking the bottom of your glass is allowed. fessparker.com

Cheers and happy holidays!