Stocking Your Wine Cellar or Liquor Cabinet For The Holidays

Whether you plan to entertain guests or just hunker down at home alone during the holidays, in this issue of Elite I’ve been tasked to give you some suggestions for both your wine cellar and your liquor cabinet, so that you will be as prepared as possible. And if you are invited over to a wine or spirit lover’s home, may you be rewarded with a tour of their coveted bottles, and maybe a taste or two! (And don’t forget to bring a bottle to add to their collection!)
For the wine lovers
Sparkling wine always puts almost everyone – except Scrooge – in a celebratory mood. So no matter what holidays you may be looking to make special consider something somewhat new: Rose Prosecco!
The Prosecco Doc allowed Rose to be available for sale in 2021, and this statement is from the Italian governing body, “After many years of discussion, in May the Prosecco DOC Consortium in Italy approved the introduction of Rosé Prosecco DOC. This combines two of the hottest wine trends over the past 10 years – rosé and Prosecco – and should be a big hit among sparkling wine lovers nationwide. The Prosecco Consortium anticipates total production of up to 30 million bottles per year.”
The last Rose Proseccos I personally reviewed and enjoyed included a Villa Sandi Il Fresco Rosé, Treviso DOC, NV, Villa Sandi il Fresco DOC Rosé Millesimato 2021 and Valdo Prosecco DOC Rosé 2020. Fans of the domestic Josh Cellars label can also find that they have a Prosecco Rose from Italy too.
Though I’m not a fan of whiskey barrel aged wines, it’s also a new-ish category that I think people that enjoy a sweeter wine may appreciate. Char, as in the charred barrels used in these wines, add a level of spiciness and sweetness. Added plus: you should be able to find one to try at our local supermarkets.
Or course if Rose (or sweet wine) is not your thing, there are plenty of French Champagnes to choose from, as well as domestic sparkling wine. If you have been saving a special still bottle in your cellar for the holidays – a coveted Pinot Noir, Rhone, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux or any others – now is the time to crack it open with pals or on your own.
For the spirit lovers
It’s cocktail time! As the winter weather calls for more of the warm-colored brown spirit cocktails, search the handy SCV Elite online website for my recipes on those. Many include a yummy Luxardo cherry to add the necessary red color for your holiday! Holidays also call for special spirits such as Cognac. During one Cognac class I learned that unless your home is as cold as a French Chateau a couple of hundred years ago: chill your Cognac. After that lesson I now keep my Cognac in the freezer, and enjoy in a chilled coupe. The aromas and flavors don’t close up, and the liquid itself takes on richness, in my opinion, when chilled over serving at room temperature.
How about trying something that may be new to you like a single malt or blended scotch in a Mizunara Japanese oak cask? I’m a fan of the lighter barrel that was used during World War II when Japan couldn’t get Kentucky bourbon barrels for their whisky. To me, it’s a completely different taste. And recently our very own Elite publisher, Moe Hafizi, turned me on to the blended whisky using Mizunara oak made by Chivas Regal that I fell in love with.
You can also support family-owned businesses this holiday season by frequenting our local restaurants, wineries and bars. Let’s make the holidays nice for everyone in our support.
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Proof Awards, Cellarmasters, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

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