Holiday Wine Tips From Korbel

The Easy, Economical Guide to Holiday Entertaining With Wine

SONOMA, Calif., Dec 04, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- With the holidays almost here, 'tis the season to entertain. Whether your holiday plans include a party, a casual get-together, guests dropping by or simply a toast to the New Year, wine is always in fashion. Fortunately, it's easy to have wine at the ready for every holiday eventuality and still make every dollar count by following these helpful tips.
December is the best month of the year to buy wine and Heck Estates has some tips on selecting the perfect wine for any occasion. For supermarkets and wine shops, this is when they offer their lowest prices. Because so many raise a glass of bubbly to toast the New Year, champagne often is an especially good deal. For example, Korbel Brut often can be found for less than $10 a bottle; a super price for a premium California methode champenoise champagne. Add discounts for quantity purchases and the holiday season becomes a buying opportunity hard to resist.
For a large party, choose wines with broad appeal and keep it simple by offering one white, one red and a sparkler.
-- For the casual wine drinker, two versatile choices are Kenwood
Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot.
-- If your guests are wine savvy, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon from
Kenwood Vineyards can be served with confidence.
-- Korbel Natural is perfect with hors d'oeuvres, while Korbel Extra Dry
pairs beautifully with dinner party desserts.

Wine can add spark to a casual holiday get-together, so take the opportunity to be adventurous with your selections.
-- Choose wines from small producers like Lake Sonoma Winery or Valley of
the Moon Winery.
-- Try something unusual like Pinot Gris or Sangiovese.
-- If bubbly is the beverage of choice, serve Korbel Blanc de Noirs, a
scrumptious sparkler with just a hint of blush color.

Be prepared as people often drop by with little or no notice during the holidays.
-- Since it's usually only one or two couples, one bottle of wine will
often suffice. A standard 750ml bottle contains six glasses. For a
simple toast, one bottle of champagne will serve six.
-- A "mini-cellar" consisting of one bottle of white, one red and a
champagne, assures you'll have the right wine to please your guests.
-- Keep the white wine and the champagne in the refrigerator and the red
wine at room temperature in a nearby kitchen cabinet.
-- Again, choose wines with broad appeal, such as Valley of the Moon
Unoaked Chardonnay, Kenwood Pinot Noir, Lake Sonoma Zinfandel and
Korbel Brut.
-- Having a bottle of Korbel California Brandy or V.S.O.P. on hand is
also a good idea; it's great for making brandy alexanders and brandy
eggnog, or to enjoy neat as a warming after-dinner drink.

For that toast to the New Year a Blanc de Noirs champagne sets a romantic mood, Brut and Natural champagnes go well with a midnight snack, and Extra Dry champagne is slightly sweet and very seductive. Whichever you choose, chill the bottle thoroughly, open it carefully by grasping the cork firmly and easing it out while slowly rotating the bottle and enjoy.
Last, but not least, please always celebrate responsibly. Happy Holidays!
SOURCE Heck Estates
http://www.korbel.com