The holiday season brings many gifts—actual physical presents, the gift of family and, if you’re lucky, the welcome gift of free alcohol lovingly poured for you by a wide variety of long lost friends and rarely seen relatives.
I drank a more than the respectable amount of free wine and the occasional beer this holiday season and took careful note of each one. (Note: If you try four different wines in one night and want to remember them all this is a good idea.)
The following list includes all the highlights of my holiday alcohol consumption in chronological order from the first drink of Christmas cheer to the final gulp of New Years revelry.
Momo Sauvignon Blanc (2013)
As an unapologetic fan of Avatar the Last Airbender—the television series, not the wretched film—the thought of drinking a wine called “Momo,” immediately won me over. Fans of particularly fruity wines will be won over too—as a friend of mine noted, this tasted a great deal like strong grape juice: citrus infused and very sweet.
Peelee Island Shiraz Cabernet
When your friend offers to “mull you some Peelee Island Shiraz Cabernet” always, always, always say “yes.” While on its own this red wine is has a lovely spice and cherry flavor, combined with anise or your own choice of herbs it tastes even more amazing.
How does one mull wine you ask? Essentially, you just put a desired amount of wine and sugar in a pot with some herbs and spices—anise, nutmeg, and cinnamon for instance—and then heat the wine up. It tastes like a bolder, more bodacious version of apple cider. It’s like a warm spicy hug in a cup. Try it, I implore you!
Walkerville Brewery Milk Stout
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if your cold coffee was also somehow beer? Me neither, but I found out anyway by drinking a large glass of what looked like polluted lake water that my cousin handed to me at a family Christmas party in Windsor. It was actually Walkerville Brewery’s extremely dark and bitter Milk Stout, a beer that is absolutely worth tasting simply for the experience.
Delaforce Tinto Douro (2011)
This wine was unlike any red wine I’ve tasted before. Think of the transition from a light beer to a stout. It’s dark and earthy and deep. Have this with some left over Christmas ham and turkey and enjoy an unusually soulful kind of foodgasm.
Jackson Triggs Cabernet Sauvignon
Every year at Christmas the all-familiar box of Jackson Triggs is purchased for the entire family to enjoy together. It is indeed a wine for the whole family, sure to please everyone, from your 89-year-old granddad to your wine connoisseur uncle. It’s medium bodied, fruity and great with seafood—so if you have a glass be sure to lurk around the nearest shrimp tray.
Trius Red VQA Vintage 2012
This is one of my absolute favorites. It’s subtle and dry and smooth with an extremely pleasant aftertaste, or “long finish.” Some wines are even better with food but this one is perfect on its own. Drink it on your birthday like I did and feel sophisticated.
Coffin Ridge Forbidden Artisanal Hard Cider
As much as I wanted to taste the stars on New Years’ Eve I couldn’t bring myself to spend the money on good champagne. Instead I went for something else that sparkles, this intense dry cider. I’m not a huge cider fan but Coffin Ridge has a special place in my heart for its crisply sweet taste and incredibly cool label design.
