Certain wines are a perfect match for the holidays

Whether you are hosting a holiday dinner or just a party, find the right wine for the occasion.

The holiday season officially begins Friday. Besides all the shopping that folks will be doing, there'll also be a lot of holiday parties and entertaining taking place.

It's a festive time of year, when people are generally full of good cheer, so the wines you enjoy should reflect the sense of the season. Whether it's a party you're hosting, or a family dinner with the relatives, there are certain wines that lend themselves to the occasion.

I spoke with several local wine shop owners about wines for the holidays.

I received a number of excellent suggestions which are listed below, and I've added a couple of my own.

HOLIDAY PARTY WINES

If you're hosting a party or large get-together of friends and/or family, you'll want to have some value-oriented wines on hand to keep the cost under control.

You'll never go wrong serving a sparkling wine at your event. No wine is more festive in appearance than a sparkling wine, with its effervescing bubbles rising to the top of a fluted glass.

Ste. Chapelle Sparkling Riesling ($8) is my recommendation, especially because it's made right here in Idaho. It's so affordable, and so delightfully good with a touch of sweetness, that's there's no excuse not to have it on hand.

Regarding regular white wine, I start with a recommendation for the slightly sweet Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling ($7) from the Columbia River Valley. It's bursting with the crispness of the Riesling grape.

For those who prefer drier whites, Ilene Dudunake of A New Vintage Wine Shop in Meridian suggests River Heights Chardonnay ($12), a new product on her shelves from a Meridian-based winery that has a nice crispness and wonderful notes of citrus and green apples.

A dry white I recommend because of its value is Woodbridge Chardonnay ($15) in the 1.5 liter bottles from California. Its crispness and touch of oak will match up well with many of the hors d'oueves you serve.

Shifting gears to red party wines, Dudunake recommends Hill of Contact NV ($16), a non-vintage sparkling Shiraz from Australia. There's absolutely nothing more festive in appearance than a red sparkling wine, and it's sure to be a conversation piece with your guests.

The two best value non-sparkling reds I can think of for a large group are Ste. Chapelle Soft Red ($7), a semi-sweet wine anyone can enjoy while snacking, and Woodbridge Merlot ($15 in 1.5 liter size), a drier red wine that nicely balances red fruits flavors with light tannins.

Another dry red that Brian Erikson of Erikson Fine Wines in Eagle recommends is Fraser Syrah ($19) for its lush fruit balanced with peppery spice.

WINES FOR HOLIDAY DINNERS

Now let's take a look at some recommendations for really notable dinner wine. Although the cost will often be more, your group size will probably be smaller than for a party. Besides, it's the annual holiday dinner, right? Let's bump the price up a little and enjoy some fantastic wine.

Considering whites first, Erikson is excited about Terra Dora Falanghina 2007 ($16) from Italy. "It has a little bit of a tropical character," he said. "It's unoaked, fresh, and lively. Wine Spectator Magazine gave it 90 points."

Dudunake suggested two whites. The first is Line Shack Roussanne 2007 ($15) from the San Antonio Valley in California and a varietal most Americans are not familiar with. She described its character as "big and rich with some spiciness. It would go great with turkey."

The other white she suggests is Ramey Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($39). "It has wonderful oak on the nose and palate, and there's nice acid on the finish."

Christophe Lucet of Bacquet's in Boise likes a Chardonnay from Burgundy called Clos du Chteau 2005 ($30) from the Domaine du Chteau de Meursault. He said its fruity and elegant characteristics are a nice change of pace from American Chardonnays.

Switching gears to reds, there are lots of choices. "You need to go on the lighter side and serve a more delicate red," in order to not overpower the food, Erikson said.

His choice is Calera Central Coast Pinot Noir 2006 ($23). "It's a light-bodied, fruity Pinot," he said. "Pinot Noirs from the Central Coast are a nice alternative to Oregon Pinots that tend to be fuller-bodied..."

Dudunake likes Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2005 ($31). When I expressed surprise at her choice of a Cab for Christmas dinner, she replied, "It's full of red and black fruit, and the oak is not overpowering. Plus, it has a wonderful, long, drawn-out finish."

I think Beaujolais is one of the best wines for the holiday table. It is light-bodied, fruity, and has such a delightful holiday-red color. I asked Franck Bacquet for a recommendation. He gave me two and offered a taste of both.

The first is P. Ferraud & Fils Beaujolais Villages 2006 ($15). I found it to be light-bodied with a fruity, floral nose. The taste was soft - definitely not dry at all - and with hints of bubble gum. This would be a good wine for someone who doesn't like dry red wines.

The second Beaujolais was P. Ferraud & Fils Cote-de-Brouilly 2006 ($25). This wine is classified as a Cru, meaning it is one of the best quality Beaujolais.

I found it to have an earthy nose and, again, very soft on the palate with lots of red fruit. Brighter and a bit more acidic than the Villages, this also would be an excellent red wine for anyone at the table.

TASTING TIPS

This weekend affords you the once-in-a-year opportunity to visit almost any Idaho winery or tasting room and receive special treatment.