| Christmas Wine |
| by Shawn O'Connor |
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Every year I look forward to buying the wine for the Christmas dinner. My
family has a large formal dinner of about twenty to thirty people that starts
with appetizers around 5 p.m. and then a large traditional meal at 8 and
then finally a dessert at around 10:30 and finishing with coffee and then
maybe a port at midnight. It is a very extravagant affair and the wine is a
key component. This is one of my wonderful “have to do” things at the
holidays. I have four rules and requirements for a great Xmas wine.
The first rule is out of respect for my Father, the wine I choose must not
be from California. My Father doesn’t enjoy California wines because
they tend to give him a headache. Since Christmas is about family and my
father is the head of the family I have decided that this was the best
course of action. So in the days of Xmas past we have been enjoying great
French, Spanish, and Australian wines, but very few have been Cabernet
Sauvignons or Merlots. We have mostly had Grenaches, Tempernillo, and
Pinot Noir.
The second requirement is my favorite one. The wine must taste great. So
starting in September I start with a lot of different wines and I begin
tasting. I take detailed notes and I start to narrow down the selection. In
other words I suffer greatly. I take on this burden on myself because I do
not want to put a burden on anyone else. I may review these wines with
friends and family, but I still make the final choice.
The third requirement is that the wine must be red. I think a white wine is
nice for appetizers and light entrees but this is not the case with this heavy
meal. I think white wine lends itself to more summer-time activities,
whereas red wine comforts on those great winter nights. It warms as it
goes down and always brings cheer. I just love red wine and I think most of
the people at our big dinners enjoy red wine. White wine lacks the depth of
most red wine and the great white wines tend to break the next rule.
The last rule falls under the heading of the true meaning of Christmas. The
wine must be inexpensive. I always donate money to my church and to
charity and I feel an expensive wine may take away from that. The idea is
to enjoy the holiday without forgetting what it is really about. I want to
wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Shawn O’Connor
P.S. This year’s wine is…Red Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon 2003. It is a
medium body wine with a rich fruit forward flavor but smooth because
there are no tannins. It is 7.99$ a bottle and it goes so well with turkey.
family has a large formal dinner of about twenty to thirty people that starts
with appetizers around 5 p.m. and then a large traditional meal at 8 and
then finally a dessert at around 10:30 and finishing with coffee and then
maybe a port at midnight. It is a very extravagant affair and the wine is a
key component. This is one of my wonderful “have to do” things at the
holidays. I have four rules and requirements for a great Xmas wine.
The first rule is out of respect for my Father, the wine I choose must not
be from California. My Father doesn’t enjoy California wines because
they tend to give him a headache. Since Christmas is about family and my
father is the head of the family I have decided that this was the best
course of action. So in the days of Xmas past we have been enjoying great
French, Spanish, and Australian wines, but very few have been Cabernet
Sauvignons or Merlots. We have mostly had Grenaches, Tempernillo, and
Pinot Noir.
The second requirement is my favorite one. The wine must taste great. So
starting in September I start with a lot of different wines and I begin
tasting. I take detailed notes and I start to narrow down the selection. In
other words I suffer greatly. I take on this burden on myself because I do
not want to put a burden on anyone else. I may review these wines with
friends and family, but I still make the final choice.
The third requirement is that the wine must be red. I think a white wine is
nice for appetizers and light entrees but this is not the case with this heavy
meal. I think white wine lends itself to more summer-time activities,
whereas red wine comforts on those great winter nights. It warms as it
goes down and always brings cheer. I just love red wine and I think most of
the people at our big dinners enjoy red wine. White wine lacks the depth of
most red wine and the great white wines tend to break the next rule.
The last rule falls under the heading of the true meaning of Christmas. The
wine must be inexpensive. I always donate money to my church and to
charity and I feel an expensive wine may take away from that. The idea is
to enjoy the holiday without forgetting what it is really about. I want to
wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Shawn O’Connor
P.S. This year’s wine is…Red Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon 2003. It is a
medium body wine with a rich fruit forward flavor but smooth because
there are no tannins. It is 7.99$ a bottle and it goes so well with turkey.
