Hello and happy wine Wednesday to you!

The frenetic holiday energy is alive and well as I see long lines queuing up for the grocery store, liquor store, post office and parking lots.

So, to save you some of that all too valuable time, here is a handy shopping list for the white wine lovers on your list:

• Chapoutier ‘Bila Haut’ Roussillon Blanc Languedoc/Roussillon France 2016 – Here is a great little wine from the south of France that is an interesting blend of grapes not commonly seen on our liquor store shelves.  Bila Haut is a charming blend of Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris and Macabeau grapes. It may sound a bit too obscure for some but it is a great entertaining wine. It is not overly complicated yet has a juicy flavour profile made up of zesty citrus and apricot notes. $14.99
• Tinhorn Creek Gewürztraminer BC VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia 2016 – I have to admit, I was late to arrive at the Gewürztraminer fan club. It took me a few years to understand how glorious this variety can be when done right and Tinhorn Creek does it perfectly. This ‘off dry’ wine is sumptuous and simmering with exotic notes of candied ginger, papaya, orange blossom and honey. $15.49
• Kris Pinot Grigio Elle Venezie, Italy 2016 – We all have someone in our life who is wild for Pinot Grigio and pretty much won’t drink anything else.  I suggest Kris Pinot Grigio from the Veneto in Italy.  The label is pretty and the flavour profile is uplifting and full of Golden Delicious apple and a dusting of honey.  $15.99
• Poplar Grove Pinot Gris BC VQA Penticton, British Columbia 2016 – For the B.C. wine lover on your list, here is a great example of why Pinot Gris is British Columbia’s most grown white grape.  I haven’t met a person who doesn’t like this Pinot Gris – fruit forward and loaded with sun-kissed orchard fruit. It is a bright and delicious Pinot Gris to sip, savour and share over the holiday season. $18.49
• Pfaffenheim Pinot Gris Pfaff, Alsace, France 2015 – So, you have a Pinot Gris drinker who is ready to raise the bar?  May I present Pfaffenheim’s Pinot Gris from Alsace. This wine leaves most Pinot Grigio’s back at the starting line. Bursting with complex notes of jasmine, cinnamon, baked apple pie and a hint of lemon meringue – this Pinot Gris is a great example of what an ‘off dry’ Alsatian wine tastes like. $18.99
• Giocato Primorska Sauvignon Blanc Goriska Brda, Slovenia 2015 – Do you have a wine adventurist on your list? This delightful Sauvignon Blanc from Slovenia is a great option.  Full of tropical fruit flavours such as kiwi and honeydew melon, it is a well-crafted wine that will earn you top marks! $21.99
• CedarCreek Estate Winery Platinum ‘Haynes Creek’ Viognier BC VQA, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia 2016 – This is a beautiful ‘winter white’ for you to enjoy during the holiday season. Loaded with succulent floral aromas and tasting like fresh honey and apricot cobbler, nestle into your favourite chair, sip slowly as you watch the snow fall and count your blessings.  $31.99
• Domaine Drouhin ‘Arthur’ Chardonnay Dundee Hills, Oregon 2015 – ‘French soul. Oregon soil’ – this was one of my favourite wineries to visit when I did a Willamette Valley and surrounding area tour in 2014.  Here is a 100% Dijon clone Chardonnay alive with vibrant acidity and bursting with bright, crisp flavours of Granny Smith apple, fresh nectarine, jasmine and a whiff of hazelnut.  A cellar-worthy wine, you can save this beauty for 4 – 5 years. $37.99
• Rombauer Chardonnay Carneros, California 2016 – One of the most recognized and delicious Chardonnays to come out of California, Rombauer’s expression is lush and luxurious.  This wine is not for the faint of heart – it is an opulent wine and everything you would want from a full-bodied Chardonnay.  Complete with baked peaches and vanilla cream, mango, nutmeg and whipped butter, I am in my happy place when I see this bottle. Hardcore #Chardcore. $56.99

I certainly hope this list assists you in your holiday shopping and takes some of the guesswork out of what to buy for whom.

I will be back next week with your ‘Red Wine’ shopping list for this 2017 holiday season.

Enjoy!

XO
C