Top Ten Wines’ Drinking & Gift Guide for the Holidays

If you’re pouring your heart into holiday meals for your loved ones this year, don’t settle for anything less than the perfect wine pairing. In years past, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners may have had upwards of a dozen people, warranting several open bottles of wine at the table. This year, many gatherings will be much smaller, and potentially even limited to immediate family members. Don’t let that limit the quality of the wine accompanying your meal! A meal with a smaller menu allows for an even more specific, ideal wine pairing. Keep reading for a little advice when shopping for your wine this holiday season.

The general expectation is that hearty holiday meals, especially with traditional entrées like turkey and ham, are high in fat and salt. We’re not here to judge — it’s just the truth! For this reason, Paul recommends choosing unoaked wines, which tends to be lighter, fresher and fruitier. “Oaked” wine typically refers to wines that have been aged in oak barrels. This process can influence the wine’s flavor, color and aroma. While this may benefit some wines, consider the lighter, unoaked options for traditional holiday dinners.

According to Paul, the wine everyone should be drinking over the holidays is Beaujolais. This light red wine is made with Gamay grapes and originates from the French wine region of Beaujolais, which is considered part of Burgundy. The high acidity of this light-bodied wine makes it great to pair with roasted white meats like turkey and salads. To shop this versatile wine for your holiday meals, stop by Top Ten Wines in downtown Columbia, MO.

Many people associate champagne with a pre-dinner or midnight toast, but actually sipping it with dinner can bring out unique flavors in your meal and offer a lighter, crisper alternative to other wines. In other words, don’t sleep on the bubbly! Every summer, Paul orders several varieties of sparkling wine from around the world in preparation for the rest of the year. When you shop local at Top Ten, your sparkling wines come straight from the chateau. Whether you have a particular taste for champagne, prosecco or cava, don’t underestimate the power of a great sparkling wine to pair with your holiday meals this year.

Holiday shopping can be stressful, but when the person you’re shopping for is a wine aficionado, finding the right gift can actually be quite simple. Top Ten Wines is offering holiday packaging on a variety of wines, and have already prepackaged dozens of bottles in festive wrapping to make shopping even easier this year. Swing by the store to find the perfect holiday gift for your loved ones, colleagues or clients.

We all love wine, but spirits make incredible gifts, too. If you’re shopping for bourbon and cocktail lovers, you’re in luck: Top Ten Wines is releasing a variety of Tasting Kits containing samples of some of the most rare, sought-after bourbons. Keep reading for more details about the three Tasting Kits currently available. Please note inventory is limited, and availability is subject to change.

Tasting Kit #1: Rare Bourbon

Price: $50.00

Quantity: Five 1-ounce samples

This collection contains the most requested bourbons in the shop. While Top Ten doesn’t have the inventory to sell them by the bottle, they can offer coveted samples, perfect for gift giving. These iconic bourbons (listed below) are all produced at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Franklin County, Kentucky by the Sazerac Company. This kit includes:

A. Weller, Wheated Bourbon, 12 Year, 90 Proof

B. Eagle Rare, Straight Bourbon, 10 Year, 90 Proof

C. E.H. Taylor, Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 100 Proof

D. Stagg Jr., Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 128.4 Proof

E. Blanton's, Single Barrel Bourbon, 93 Proof

Tasting Kit #2: Vermouth Red

Price: $35.00

Quantity: Five 2-ounce bottles

This tasting kit includes several types of vermouths, perfect for making cocktails. To make a great Manhattan, use 2 ounces of bourbon, 1 ounce of a vermouth and a couple dashes of good aromatic bitters. Stir, don’t shake, and serve over ice. This kit contains:

A. Trincheri, Vermouth Rosso, California

B. 1757, Vermouth di Torino Rosso, Italy

C. Routin, Vermouth Original Rouge, France

D. Lacuesta, Vermouth Rojo, Spain

E. Cocchi, Vermouth di Torino Rosso, Italy

Tasting Kit #3: First Editions Single Barrel Malt

Price: $80.00

Quantity: Five 1-ounce bottles

These malts are true single barrels. They are unfiltered, non-chill filtered, and have no added color. Each single barrel selected by First Editions shows the best expression of scotch from each house. These are delicious and very rare — in fact, less than 306 of each are made. This collection includes:

A. Glengoyne, Highlands, 18 Year, Refill Bourbon Cask Single Barrel

B. Glen Garioch, Highlands, 24 Year, Refill Bourbon Cask Single Barrel

C. Inchgrower, Speyside, 24 Year, Single Bourbon Cask

D. Tobermory, Island, 18 Year, Refill Bourbon Cask

E. Macallan, “Author’s Series” Highlands, 21 Year, Single Bourbon Cask

To find the perfect gift or holiday dinner wine pairing, call or stop by  Top Ten Wines  in Columbia, MO. As the owner and wine retailer for over 20 years, Paul is happy to answer your questions and assist you in finding the perfect wine for your occasion. Top Ten is taking all necessary measures to make your shopping experience safe, including offering curbside pickup. Visit the store at 111 S. 9th St. or give Paul a call at (573) 442-2207.