Connor’s Choice Consumption
Red Wine - Chateau Thivin 2018 “Cote du Brouilly” (Beaujolais Wines & Gamay Noir): If you didn’t get to go to the UBG decoration party you missed out on a bottle of this delightful holiday treat! Beaujolais & Gamay Noir wines are always fantastic Holiday choices - they’re affordable, dynamic, and delicious bottles that showcase a great range. If you’re familiar with the style and want some more “attack” this particular vintage showed some really prickly bramble, a touch of tire smoke & burnt clutch, and an irresistible drinkability.
Enjoy chilled alongside Playboi Carti’s “VAMPMUS” banger, and perhaps break from the Turkey, enjoy Duck this year. You earned it.
White Wine - Bodegas Krontiras 2021 “Cosmic Amber” (Exotic Chardonnay oxidative/skin contact): Chardonnay gets a terrible rap these days, all too often it is associated with the buttery oaky “diacetyl” benchmark. Chardonnay is a pretty strong grape and handles exotic treatments & terroirs beautifully. This is Skin Contact (Orange) Chardonnay from Argentina - prepare for some cherry pits & almonds, stone fruit, honeycomb, and the bracing acidity of Quince.
Don’t over think this one, get it chilled and just go to town on a good loaf of bread or maybe even a nice confectionary for contrast, and watch “Joe Pera Talks With You”.
Sparkling Wine - Domaine Overnoy-Crinquand “Cremant Du Jura Blanc” (Cremant/Soarkling Vouvray - or just REAL Champagne - it’s the holidays): If you’re trying to save some money, but still wow and flex with some of the best elements of Champagne - this is a true banger that achieves a lot of Champagne’s finest qualities, from the beautifully coating pallet experience, the glass edged acidity, and beautifully rich honey & toffee aromatic bouquets. If you’re not trying to save, get a bottle of Krug and enjoy!
Sparkling Wine is essential for the holidays, whether it’s the terrible act of popping bottles or just showing and celebrating with elegance - it can’t be beat. Also pls let the “if it’s not from Champagne, it’s just sparkling wine” shtick die.
Dessert Wine - Royal Tokaji Aszu 2017 “5 Puttonyos” (Noble Rot wines): If you have ever had to spend more than 10 minutes talking about wine with me, you know after I gush about acidic fruit driven reds and oxidative treasures, I go straight to Dessert Wines. Obviously, these are sweet - but Tokaji, like Sauternes, is a Noble Rot wine - meaning the grapes are naturally sweetened through a fungus. The result is one of the most important and coveted wines. The acidity is through the roof, there are layers of beautiful fruit tarts, creme brûlée, and Baklava.
Dessert wines work well with sweet obviously and are great alone, but I find there’s little better than a crusty fatty piece of meat with a beautiful glass of Tokaji. Open your mind, and challenge yourself. Sweet does NOT mean cheap.
Festive Cocktail - Flips: Decadence - the fall/winter is a time of cold gloomy weather for us here in the Northwest, so enjoy a decadent fireside treat. Flips are simple cocktails composed of a spirit, good syrup, and AN EGG. No, not just the whites - this is a WHOLE EGG, it’s like Egg Nog gone fancy.
My favorite spirits for these are usually a decadent rum, Rye Whisky, Barrel Proof Bourbons, and obviously - fortified wines, especially Madeira. Use a dark sugar syrup.
Holiday Music Recommendations: Here are 5 “different” Christmas/Holiday albums to check out if you want a different flavor of festive.
Various - Hip Hop + R&B Christmas Gold (Cam’ron & Project Pat Christmas songs, what’s good)
Jesu - Christmas (Post-Metal, Shoegaze, Dream Pop- bittersweet holiday vibes)
Playboi Carti - VAMPMUS 2021 (Holiday classics mashed up with Atl’s Vampire)
Jingle Cats - Merry Christmas (I love cats, I love Christmas music, thanks Jackie!)
Various - Trojan “This Is Christmas” (Reggae & Dub Christmas jams. JAH BLESS US, EVERY ONE! - Tiny Tim)