Holiday Wine Shopping

You may not know what you’ll be drinking this holiday season, but your wine merchant does. 

Deals to secure shelf space have been signed and sealed for months; deliveries are now rolling from local warehouses into your favorite wine shop. With about half of Chicago’s annual wine income tallied up in the year’s final quarter, our wine trade is united in two goals:

1. To push as much product through the sales pipeline as fast as possible, and
2. Get paid for it.

Whether you prefer to avoid the crush, or crave the thrill of last-minute, panic buying, you can take advantage of the year’s best prices with these holiday shopping tips.

That’s Amore!

Keep a bottle or two of Prosecco on hand for breakfast, lunch or dinner and points in between. Italy’s fabulous fizz captivated the world palate with soft sparkle, refreshing flavors and affordable pricing. The Prosecco region has managed this popularity with guarantees of quality (DOCG), as well as protection of its unique landscape with recognition as a UNESCO Heritage site. To enjoy during our culinary classes or to take home, The Chopping Block offers:

Prosecco Superiore, Adami, "Bosco di Gica”, 2020, valdobiadenne, italy, $26.00:  Delicate, dry, and refreshing to pair with international antipasti and light dishes. Guaranteed to add festivity to any occasion. 

To taste this staff favorite as well as four other sparkling wines (including Grand Cru Champagne!), join us for A Toast to the Holidays: A Celebration of Champagne and Bubbles on Friday, November 22 at 6:30pm.

What Are We Eating?

Food comes first when thinking about wine for at-home meals, to BYO or to contribute to a gathering. If you’re not drinking bubbly, here are some of my time-tested guidelines:

• For butter-based dishes, cow’s milk cheese and/or mushrooms, choose Chardonnay.
• For olive oil-based dishes, goat’s milk cheese and/or veggies, choose Sauvignon Blanc.
• For light red meats, rich poultry (turkey!) and rich seafood, choose Pinot Noir, Beaujolais-Villages or other light reds.
• Rich, red meats pair with rich red wine, like Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec.
• Spicy cuisines pair with delicately sweet wine, such as off-dry Vouvray or Riesling.
• Sweets pair with sweet wine, like Moscato d’Asti.

Crowd Pleasers

Serve safe bets for large gatherings. 

Chardonnay maintains her long reign as our favorite white grape, selling nearly triple that of #2 Pinot Grigio. At TCB, we favor low- to no- oak contact for cocktails and to enhance cuisine. 

Chardonnay, Raeburn, 2022, SONOMA COUNTY, CAlifornia, $25: Delicately oaked to highlight layers of tree fruit and vanilla flavors.  Serve as a satisfying cocktail and complement to rich appetizers and seafood, vegetables and meats, especially prepared with butter. 

Cabernet remains king of U.S. red wine sales. Our TCB selection:

Cabernet Sauvignon, Requiem, 2020, Columbia Valley, Washington, $27.50: Substantial, ripe, complex flavors, outlined by firm tannin. For meat, the richest poultry and vegetarian dishes. 

Sauvignon Blanc is our #3 selling white wine grape, but it’s the only grape that’s grown in sales over 2023. TCB offers:

Sauvignon Blanc "Leyda Valley", Boya, 2021, Aconcagua, Chile, $28.00:   Vibrant, dry, and direct flavors for a dynamic cocktail and complement to dishes prepared with olive oil, herbs or citrus, including seafood, veggie cuisine and even meat.

Make it Easy on Yourself

The best way to de-stress holiday wine shopping is by working with a trusted wine merchant, who will get to know your palate and pocketbook.

And, to learn about the wines that you enjoy, join us on for our most popular class How to Bluff Your Way thru Wine. On this Friday, October 18 at 6:30pm, we’ll explore the four simple variables that determine the flavors of every wine. Tasting includes 5 wines and noshes. This class is a must for entry-level wine drinkers and a fun refresher to begin your holiday wine shopping.