Uncorking and unscrewing together makes the festive season taste even more charming – wine and pleasure moments simply connect. I’ve put together a small selection of festive wines for 5 categories – from sparkling aperitifs to adventurous red wines and elegant finishes.
Always on fire for new wine adventures. Especially during the festive season, we consciously uncork special moments.
Festive wines: the idea
For me, every little adventure, no matter how small, is a celebration, because you always discover something new, learn something new and take away inspiration. Sharing beautiful discoveries with others has become a great hobby – or side job – of mine. The origin of this blog is to inspire people with what inspires me. In the meantime, the family has also been infected by the wine and spirits discovery Indiana Jones vibe, and pouring adventures in a glass together is just that little bit cooler. Especially during the festive season: if you’re cooking up an ambitious feast, you can also use the finest cutlery in the glass. That’s why I’ve put together a small selection of festive wines that come in the right dress code, both inside and out. Divided into five categories for five different situations, from prelude to finale – all tasted by myself, of course, and therefore festively recommended.
Sparkling aperitif: sparkling wine craftsmanship for connoisseurs
Schloss Vaux l’Artiste Sekt Brut (Germany)
150 years of experience in traditional bottle fermentation, French and German sparkling wine expertise – that must surely beam a sparkling wine adventure into glass space: The sparkling wine manufacturer Vaux has uncorked a classy bubble duet with two new sparkling wines bearing the name l’Artiste. If this house bar flirt had a CV, it would say: Hand-picked, mostly Riesling and spontaneously fermented, aged in wood, amphorae and stainless steel, traditional bottle fermentation, at least 48 months on the lees. Facts that can be used to score points, but in the end it’s always the character that counts – the inner values. And these are exactly what the classy, charming and creatively vibrant bottle dress code sends out as flirtatious signals. Festive wines and perlage poetry go together.
The X as an element for combining tradition and a look to the future? In any case, the classy bottle dress code of the Vaux l’Artiste Brut matches my summer shirt.
The first whiff of scent, the first fleeting tickle of the nose, sends a message like Gandalf’s rescue at Helm’s Deep: Expect my coming, at the first light of the fifth day. Ok, you only have to wait a few seconds to realize that something big is about to happen. What immediately impressed me was the clarity of this sparkling wine, the precision of a Formula 1 driver on the racetrack.
There is a clear pattern to the Vaux Sekt l’Artiste Brut: Checkmating mainstream tastes with craftsmanship and good humor.
Citrus peel and citrus fillets dance with a croissant drizzled with brown butter in such a determined move on the dancefloor that you are amazed and breathe repeatedly into the glass to see that this was not a one-hit wonder. Can I spoil it: every whiff, every sip delivers like Taylor Swift in the album charts. There are also aromas of hay flowers and herbs, but everything is so straightforward and elegant. The realization: wow, there’s craftsmanship at work here, just like when laying parquet flooring. On the palate, the Vaux Sekt l’Artiste is yeasty and at the same time taut, always delicate, but so clear in its nuances, so clear in its perlage, which mousses over the tongue like a wellness treatment. A sparkling wine with a genuinely dry sense of humor that is simply captivating. It is often said: Don’t fill your mouth so full! With this Champions League sparkling wine, however, I – or rather we – are very happy to resist. And for me personally, it’s the best sparkling wine I’ve tasted this year.
Vaux Sekt l’Artiste Brut, Price: around 35 euros, via www.schloss-vaux.de
White wine enjoyment with depth
Gut Hermannsberg Niederhausen Riesling 2019 GG (Nahe, Germany)
I recommended Gut Hermannsberg to myself because it focuses entirely on white wines and regularly hosts cool gourmet events such as wine tasting weekends, which made me particularly curious. Forgive the lovely play on words with the river meandering past, the wines more than make up for it, believe me. The 30 hectares of vineyards on this historic estate are all classified as GROSSE.LAGEN (VDP). Depending on the soil conditions, the now seven GGs are matured for different lengths of time before they are released onto the market. This is precisely the focus of Gut Hermannsberg: to transport the authentic characteristics of the top vineyards unadulterated into the bottle. And what could be a better adventure than taking a closer look at this ageing process with the curious family? That’s why there was an exciting candlelit pouring at Advent, which really delighted everyone.
Perfect timing: The Nahe Rieslings from Gut Hermannsberg are allowed to mature until they are just right. This is also demonstrated by the Gut Hermannsberg 2019 Hermannsberg Niederhausen Riesling GG.
The Hermannsberg monopollage is less than 200 meters away from the legendary Kupfergrube site, but its characteristics could hardly be more different: clay slate in the subsoil, overlaid with loess, which has literally been blown here by the winds. When the wines are allowed to age, they go all botanical in spring: they blossom. GG Reserve wines such as the Hermannsberg Niederhausen GG Reserve are harvested by hand, fermented spontaneously after a short maceration period and then allowed to mature on the lees in barrels for two years before being bottled and stored in the cellar for a further three years to mature in the bottle. As soon as I tasted the wine and took my first sip, my parents were curious and eager to sit in the lounge chair, like a truffle dog sniffing out a jewel. I have to say up front: I didn’t tell my parents what they had in their glass, but took an interested look at their reactions. And it quickly becomes clear: there’s great cinema in the glass. My dad, a beer sommelier, approves with a pithy: Oha. Oha. Wait, what’s going on here?
A multi-layered Riesling that snuggles elegantly into the glass with fine, charming twists – and takes you on a classy journey.
You get the feeling that the lights are going out, like in the movies, a spotlight shines on the wine and you are enveloped in a slightly drizzly, peachy, misty morning by the river. On the palate? Incredibly smooth. The acidity takes you by the hand. This Riesling is a wine that grows, develops and reveals more and more in the process – like the recent series Die Toten von Marnow Part 2. You know the culprit is a Riesling, but you are tense deluxe as Inspector Hermannsberg solves this case. Grapefruit and mango play a role, then the Riesling dives back into the fog, no airs and graces, absolute elegance and sure-footedness. A wine that takes you on a journey in which new twists and turns await behind every sip – with every breath you take. In keeping with the Christmas thriller: you can join in the mystery. Multi-layered, juicy, then candied fruit again, the filigree acidity remains the common thread in the Riesling script, with the minerality becoming more and more apparent. A clear case: you want a sequel.
Gut Hermannsberg Niederhausen Riesling 2019 GG, Price: around 75 euros, via gut-hermannsberg.de
Weingut Manincor Sophie (Alto Adige)
Manincor is one of my absolute favorite wineries in my love region of South Tyrol – and the Cuvée Sophien is such a super charming wine to indulge in. I like to remember the view from the winery’s tasting terrace overlooking Lake Kaltern, where a glass of this wine really becomes a distant soundtrack. Sophie is a tasty white wine triad of Chardonnay (92%), Viognier (4%) and Sauvignon Blanc (4%). The facts in brief: Half of the grapes for the Cuvée Sophie come from Terlan Lieben Aich and half from Kaltern Mazzon. Lieben Aich is a warm, west-facing slope at 300 meters above sea level. Chardonnay and Sauvignon are grown here on loamy sandy soil interspersed with weathered porphyry rock. Chardonnay and Viognier on Mazzon form the steepest vineyard, the so-called Leiten, with a gradient of up to 100% and calcareous, loamy loess soil.
Pure elegance with gallant charm: the Sophie cuvée from the South Tyrolean Manincor winery made from Chardonnay (92%), Viognier (4%) and Sauvignon Blanc (4%).
In the glass: For me, the wine has the flair of a Kitchen Impossible episode. You go on an adventure, entertaining, intriguing, but everything is super elegant, cultivated and classy. A white wine, elegant and dense, charming and powerful – a journey by the glass that you should take the time to enjoy. Perfect for the festive season, isn’t it? Tip: decant and serve in Burgundy glasses. Then this sea voyage made from a fruity blend of apricots, oranges, acacia and lime blossom, with an anchor of fine minerality, will really come into its own. A wine that takes you on a journey of pleasure with character – but always smooth and classy – while retaining a delicate filigree quality, graceful but with power.
A South Tyrolean white wine that you should definitely try.
Weingut Manincor Sophie, Price: around 40 euros, via www.manincor.com/de
Light, elegant red wine
Pinot Noir, Weingut Lisa Bunn (Germany)
Now you’re swiping to the right again on Wine Tinder, especially for the cozy red wine soundtracks – fitting, because Pinot Noirs are sending me flirt signals right now. And even more fitting that the Lisa Bunn winery from Rheinhessen specializes in such Pinot-Oho moments, among other things.
Understatement on the label, drinkability in the glass: the entry-level Pinot Noir from the Lisa Bunn winery.
The Pinot Noir with its short and sweet title for just under 12 euros is almost understated – but only on the label, we can assure you. The grape Tinder bio states: 100% Pinot Noir, 31-year-old vines, limestone with a loess layer, hand-picked, 12 months in French oak barriques. For me, this is the kind of wine that makes you feel a little shy, but actually quickly gives you an idea that there is top-quality character craftsmanship under the sheep’s clothing. Unbelievably elegant, enveloping, the tones of redcurrant, sweet cherry and co. remind me of an ultra-matt aubergine-plum-colored car paint, the thing glides smoothly and cruises through the palate with a really sexy juicy suppleness. A classy, cheeky little fruit that accompanies the first appetizers or small talk extremely casually! A good Pinot Noir cannot start the festive menu early enough.
Elegantly clean: juicy, casual notes of redcurrant and sweet cherry become a fine interweaving of flavors.
Weingut Lisa Bunn Pinot Noir, Price: around 12 euros, via weingut-bunn.de/produkt/2021-pinot-noir
Claus Preisinger Puszta Libre (Austria)
Wow. My first thought when I tried the Puszta Libre! I dared to try it. Until then, natural wine and I hadn’t quite hit it off. But the new Zalto Denk’Art Balance wine glass has changed that. And what Burgenland winemaker Claus Preisinger mixes into the glass is pure berry party.
Claus Preisinger’s Puszta Libre is a light, uncomplicated, juicy red wine made predominantly from Zweigelt, a little Pinot and Sankt Laurent – please drink chilled!
A light, uncomplicated, juicy red wine made predominantly from Zweigelt, a little Pinot and Sankt Laurent, somewhat reminiscent of a light, fresh Beaujolais. In other words, it can and should be drunk pleasantly chilled. Puszta Libre! is pure drinking pleasure, where you can switch off your head with a clear conscience. Very delicate, juicy tannins ensure a succulent glide, accompanied by this beautiful acidity like a catchy tune. Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries – how much exactly? Who cares. It reminds me of an adult interpretation of KiBa – cherry-banana juice in red wine style. This cheeky fruit salad has no speed limit and no brakes, because every sip immediately makes you want to repeat it. Easy drinking rethought – try it, dare it, have fun! But be careful: it makes you want a second bottle.
A natural wine charmer that reminds me of a juicy party of sour cherry, blackberry and cherry-banana.
Claus Preisinger Puszta Libre, Price: around 13 euros, for example via www.gute-weine.de
Cozy red wine for explorers
Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz (Australia)
Adventure trip down under! Penfolds is undoubtedly one of the most renowned wine houses in the southern hemisphere. With its flagship “Grange”, this winery has been producing one of the most sought-after red wines in the world since 1952. But Penfolds doesn’t just stand for Champions League wine moments, it also produces outstanding everyday wines in the more price-friendly segment. So far I’ve had dates with the cool Koonunga Hill series (beginner-friendly for around 12 euros) and the Penfolds Max Cabernet (around 20 euros). For the festive season, I took the escalator up another floor.
The first ‘Kalimna’ was pressed in 1962. It was named after the famous vineyard in the Barossa Valley, which Penfolds acquired in 1945 and which was originally the exclusive supplier of grapes for the wine. Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz is now also a typical ‘multi-regional blend’ made from grapes from different vineyards, which blend very harmoniously into a densely concentrated varietal wine. With clearly defined, sweet ripe fruit in its youth, only minimal wood influence and excellent ageing potential. I just didn’t have the patience for an adventure like this, so I uncorked it straight away.
Comes with the right red wine dress code for the festive season: the Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz.
Even from a distance, the Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz gives off the scent of adventure as if it had been rubbed from a magic lamp. Deep, tart, spicy, the first thing you wish for is a fireplace. If the flavor were a dress code, it would be a John Wick suit of dark berries, black cherries, plums, smoked ham or tobacco. On the palate, the explorer red wine cruises along with delicate martial arts moves, smooth, elegantly cut, interspersed with fine pinches of spice. The elegant acidity is immediately noticeable, a kind of blackcurrant shadow that engages in a thrilling duel with the spiciness – or almost dances together. The fruitiness is complemented by hints of chocolate and dried figs. Not a powerful wine, but an intense ride that takes every bend, has grip and becomes smoother and more complex with more air – but always retains a delicate poise.
Festive wines Down Under. In the Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz, a delicate blackcurrant acidity dances with a fine spiciness.
Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz, Price: around 40 euros, for example via www.hawesko.de
Cuvée rot Ried Bärnreisser 1ÖTW, Weingut Grassl (Austria)
Chronicles from the 17th century tell that witches once wreaked havoc in the “Pernreisern”. Today, this location in Austria stands for a down-to-earth, enchanting premium cuvée made from Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from vines up to 60 years old – that much can already be revealed.
Clean label, clean tactics: The Ried Bärnreiser from the Grassl winery invites you on a red wine aroma safari.
Let’s take a brief and concise look at the life cycle: Controlled fermentation by natural yeasts in wooden fermentation vats at max. 28 – 30°C by gentle punching down and flooding the cap, maceration for 18 to 25 days. Subsequent malolactic fermentation in 40% new and used small wooden barrels and 500-liter French oak barrels. Clarification with a single rack and sedimentation, 18 months of maturation until bottling in July 2024. And then the Austrian red wine takes you on a long journey into the sweetness and aroma store. Juicy, jammy, deep berry, vanilla, dark, ripe wild berries, cassis, blackberry and herbal spice – this wine shifts straight into third gear. What exactly is my style? These whisky vibes – dried fruit, vanilla, wood, light nougat tones.
Reduced label, maximum fun by the glass: this red wine brings chocolate into the wine glass.
And these are precisely the common thread in this wine, from which an elegant and exciting vineyard outfit is spun. The more breaths the Grassl Ried Bärnreiser is allowed to take, the more a dark chocolate flair burrows its way to the surface like a vintner’s mole. This is fun for me, who can’t really stand bitterness, because an animated, berry juiciness comes into the aroma sandbox to play along. This thing glides over the tongue like Marco Arnautovic used to do on the Bremen autobahn at night, dark currants flirt with fine acidity, my first thought: Give me a fireplace and a second bottle, the night may be longer than the long night in Game of Thrones. This red wine is as strong as a dragon. It has its budget, of course, but it’s better to go on a real glass adventure once than half-heartedly several times – this is especially true for festive wines.
Cuvée rot Ried Bärnreiser 1ÖTW, Weingut Grassl, Price: around 34 euros, via www.grassl.wine
A gallant nightcap: brandy & co
Weinbrand Likör Heinrichswerk, Destillerie Heinrich (Germany)
How to interpret family traditions? In our family, one has arisen from my hobby: I always play a bit of home bar Indiana Jones, especially when traveling, and look for wine, beer, brandy and other discoveries, which I then present to the family. This brandy liqueur from the edge of the Black Forest was approved for something long-lasting. The Heinrichs distillery in Ortenau has been distilling for over 150 years, and you can taste it. I’m really not a fan of liqueurs – they’re often too sweet and sticky for me. But if there’s anything on the Heinrichswerk, it’s the Genussabenteuer label – and the festive wine criterion is also fulfilled.
Liqueur, yes, but according to a really fine pattern: the Heinrichswerk tends more towards smooth brandy.
Selected, fully ripe Riesling grapes are stored in barrels for at least 5 years after distillation to round off the sensory experience and then processed into a liqueur. Very classy, straightforward, not too heavy and at the end the wine shines through impressively like Gandalf at the first light of the fifth day in Helm’s Deep. My parents enjoyed the first liqueur date so much that they ordered another bottle straight away. And the jury is now really demanding in the best sense of the word.
Very classy, straightforward, not too heavy and the wine used as a base always has an elegant presence in the Heinrichswerk.
Destillerie Heinrich Heinrichswerk Weinbrand Likör, Price: around 33 euros, via www.heinrichs-destillerie.de
Selva Negra (Germany)
Curiosity is one of the driving forces behind my blog, and I’m particularly happy when my inner Indiana Jones gets new food. Especially when this food is made in Germany – you’re often really surprised by the tasty flirts we produce in our country. The packaging of Selva Negra Spirits alone, which I discovered at the Hotel Ritter Durbach, is a feast for the eyes – Black Forest meets Mexico in tattoo style. Swaggy. Is that tequila or mezcal? I would say: let’s call it agave spirit.
Tequila and mezcal vibes from the Black Forest? Selva Negra rethinks agave adventure.
A direct extract of the wild agave Salmiana is fermented into agave wine and then distilled twice. How can this pass as a festive wine? I had to stretch the regulations a bit, but a special wine yeast is used – and that brings us back to the game, doesn’t it? The highlight: a maceration process adds the aroma of Black Forest spruce – plus its distinctive smoke. This tastes so smoothly elegant in the glass, as if you can smell a ham smoking in the distance, while the pithy vibe of the agave caresses the palate. Unusual, different, but therefore extremely intriguing!
Using the rare Salmiana agave from central Mexico, a unique spirit adventure is created with the help of a special wine yeast, Black Forest water, Black Forest spruce and the smoke of regional woods.
Selva Negra Classico, Price: around 65 euros, via www.selvanegraspirits.com
