No holiday season is complete without a few festive bottles of wine, though the pressure of choosing the perfect bottles can often feel overwhelming—which is why we’re keeping it simple and letting the pros take the reins. This year, we’ve enlisted the help of our friends at Flatiron Wines to recommend four versatile bottles of wine that promise to cover all of your holiday bases, as well as please a variety of specific preferences.
Whether hosting a gathering, shopping for gifts, or simply looking for a few go-to picks to keep on hand, look no further than these four delicious, budget-friendly bottles of French wine. To view the experts sharing anecdotes about their picks within the charming Flatiron shop in New York, click here.
Sparkling
Josh Cohen, co-founder of Flatiron Wines & Spirits, reveals that crémants are made using the exact same method used in Champagne, just within alternative regions—Loire, Burgundy, and Bordeaux, for example—which in turn, render the wines a lot more affordable. This tasty bottle from Pascal Bouchard is crafted from a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and is aged for 16 months on the lees prior to release. “The wine costs a lot less, but it’s got the same beautiful bubbles and crisp minerality,” he says.
🍷 Pascal Bouchard Crémant de Bourgogne NV, $27.99
White
For a still white that’s both elegant and versatile, look no further than this varietal Chenin Blanc from Le Rocher des Violettes. Crafted from a four-hectare parcel of organically-farmed, 35+ year old vines in the Loire Valley, this crowd-pleasing wine was fermented with native yeasts and aged in a variety of old barrels. “This 100% Chenin comes from silex on chalk soils and is crisp, fresh, and mineral driven,” says Dan Weber of Flatiron Wine & Spirits. “It has some roundness and some body—perfect pairing for all of those rich, intense holiday foods,” he says.
🍷 Le Rocher des Violettes (Xavier Weisskopf), Montlouis-sur-Loire Touche-Mitaine 2022, $27.99
Red
No holiday meal is complete without a beautiful bottle of red, though reaching for one that’s bright—and above all, not too heavy—is key. “This 100% Syrah cuvée comes from a beautiful biodynamic estate in Provence,” says Weber, describing it as a crunchy, fresh, and energizing red pick perfect for sipping amongst family and friends. Fruit for this wine comes from 25-year-old (average) vines rooted in clay and sandstone soils. The grapes are hand harvested, whole berry fermented in steel, and aged for six months in demi-muids prior to bottling.
🍷 Domaine de Sulauze Vin de France Les Amis Rouge 2022, $26.99
Lightly Sweet / Fizzy
For a bright and refreshing way to kick off your holiday meal, look no further than this pleasantly effervescent, slightly sweet wine from Bugey Cerdon. “Unlike the crémant (above), this wine is made in a pét-nat style, so the alcohol is a bit lower,” explains Cohen. Made from an organically-farmed blend of Gamay (70%) and Poulsard (30%), the wine is fermented until it reaches approximately 6% alcohol and is then bottled, where the remaining active yeasts finish fermentation and leave the final wine at around 7-8% alcohol. “It’s fruity, it’s delicious, and it’s pink!” Cohen exclaims. “It’s hard to imagine anything more festive before or after a holiday meal.”
🍷 Renardat-Fache Bugey Cerdon Rose Methode Ancestrale 2023, $27.99
From our Taste France Magazine family to yours, we wish you a joyful, wine-filled holiday season!
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