December Wines (and pairings)

AKA Wine Club: The BEST Gift :)

Hello! If you are just picking up the Grape to Table newsletter, thanks so much for joining to learn more about wine, food, and life. There’s lots to read – from my origin story (click here to read) to fun content focused on meaningful time at the table with delicious wine and food like my holiday tips! For now, my newsletter is free and you can find all the content by clicking here – basically a little Grape to Table website created by the great folks at Substack. I did realize recently that you only see the various categories of past newsletters if you open this link in a browser (rather than the Substack app). It’s a shame because the categories make it easy to find content you might be interested in…so here are some more embedded links! Click here for Wine Tips. Click here for Recipes. Click here for Q & As. As always I really appreciate when you hit the like button as it helps get the content in front of more people :) and spread the joy of wine and food!

This is my edition of the newsletter where I fill you in on my current wine club offerings, which I think is apropos for Cyber Monday (insert laughter) and which I think you will enjoy even if you have no interest in signing up for the club and/or don’t live in Charleston. It’s a nice little look into wines that I think pair well with this time of the year and the stories behind them AND pairing ideas. Perhaps you can even find these wines at your own local wine shop! I will include the brass tacks about my wine club below in case you are interested in signing up (I do appreciate the support). But feel free to scroll down to my December wine picks if you are just here for the reading!

I am honored to host my wine club out of Wine & Company (a bottle shop and wine bar) at 441 Meeting Street, corner of Meeting and Spring, in downtown Charleston, SC. That’s where you will pick up your wine if you sign up :) With the holidays approaching and per my Cyber Monday reference, let me just say that this here wine club makes a great gift for friends/family :) It’s easy for me to set it up for you to just be billed for 2 or 3 or however many months if you want to gift it. And I have a cute certificate for you to give the recipient. Just email me if interested – sarah@grapetotable.com :)

About the wine… this is a wine club that celebrates the magic of wine and food through an exploration of small, family-run wineries and detailed pairing suggestions! I definitely draw heavily from the old world (Europe!) with an occasional new world gem thrown into the mix. All of the wines are sustainably farmed with some producers going the extra mile with organic and biodynamic practices.

The GTT wine club is $70/month for 3 bottles that are available for pick-up on the first of each month. You can choose between my seasonal mix, all white, or all red. But the seasonal mix is the MOST popular option for good reason!!

Most importantly – wine club is a great way to learn about new grape varieties and styles that you might not reach for yourself! If you want to join: sign up is easy and secure by clicking here!

Cheers! And happy holidaze, Sarah

Now about December’s seasonal mix offerings:

Gueguen Aligoté
Grape: Aligoté
Region: Just outside of Chablis, Burgundy, France
Story: Here, we have what I always lovingly refer to as “the other” white grape of Burgundy – Aligoté! Yes, it’s related to Chardonnay and has some commonalities with the great mineral driven Chardonnay of this iconic region. It used to be a bit overlooked, but these days you see more examples – some quite expensive! That’s why this well priced deliciousness from the Gueguen family is a blessing. They are based in the hamlet of Préhy, just southwest of Chablis. Céline and Frédéric both worked for large wine estates in Chablis for 15 years before setting up their own domaine in 2013. They respect the fragility of their amazing terroir and practice sustainable agriculture. They are also passionate about sharing their knowledge with visitors and have set up a B&B in their home! (Sign me up!)
Pairing: Winter is definitely the time of the year when I start to look back at forgotten cooking goals – like Pissaladiere! This Provencal tart is so simple and seductive (primarily onions and anchovies!). And it would pair wonderfully with this mineral driven white! So how have I not made it? Looking at recipes for the millionth time I came across one from the New York Times (Melissa Clark) that calls for a yeasted dough, which makes it a bit like pizza (or flatbread). Some recipes call for puff pastry (so rich) or a tart dough (fine, but not as exciting as pizza!). This version also happens to look like it would be great for a casual holiday party – just cut into bite size pieces and voila! (Alternatively, I definitely know this wine would go great with my oyster stew, which happens to be on my newsletter website, and is SUPER easy!).

Agostino Pavia Grignolino
Grape: Grignolino
Region: Asti, Piedmont, Italy
Story: If you have hung around me long enough then chances are you have heard of this lesser known Piedmontese grape – Grignolino! It shares similarities with Nebbiolo (the more famed Piedmontese variety) but is thought to be more approachable in its youth! Agostino Pavia has been making wine since the 50s and with the help of his sons Mauro and Giuseppe continues to make classic Piedmont wines. They practice sustainable farming.
Pairing: The crunchy red fruit and dry earth character of this wine make it a fast favorite for me and perfect for holiday pairing. Put a slight chill on it, and it’s a lovely pairing partner for turkey or ham. Beyond those festive classics, the possibilities are endless… Pizza – yes! Pasta – yes! Burgers – yes! But I have a dish in mind from my latest favorite cookbook (you know me!) – Fagioli: The Bean Cuisine of Italy by Judith Barrett. There are so many recipes in here I want to try, but here’s a pretty easy one that jumped out – Pasta with Chickpeas and Spinach – since I have a ton of Rancho Gordo chickpeas and a garden full of greens! You do need to cook your chickpeas in advance til tender or you can use canned (I won’t tell anyone). Then you brown pancetta with some garlic, saute your greens, add your chickpeas, and then add some of the pasta cooking water! Cook all of this until a nice creaminess is achieved and then go in with your cooked pasta (she recommends a small pasta to complement the chickpeas). Finish with grated Parm and EVO. That’s the quick rundown, but you get the picture :)

Ricochet Red Blend
Grapes: 50% Pinot Noir, 30% Syrah and 20% Tempranillo
Region: Willamette Valley & Rogue Valley, Oregon
Story: Here’s a seriously FEEL GOOD story to end your year. Erich Berg started off in Oregon wine – working at Domaine Serene for a number of years. But after major surgery he left the wine industry and became a teacher. Six years of teaching left him with an anxiety disorder and a desire to get back to wine. Stints working for his friends at Illahe and Day Wines set him up to start his own brand Ricochet (the name says it all – to bounce back!). Berg donates 5% of his annual earnings to non-profit social justice organizations that help local community members in need. Berg sources from sustainably farmed vineyards, preferably using organic methods.
Pairing: This is an unusual blend but somehow perfect for the end of the year. It has a nice dark fruit/dark earth profile that would make it pair well with all sorts of winter stews (if it ever gets cold LOL!) or perhaps a festive piece of grilled beef! But I just realized that it’s been so long since I made one of my all time fave New Orleans dishes – Grillades and Grits. This is an awesome recipe for the holidays as it totally impresses and also freezes well so you can make it in advance (as it is an involved process!). The version in the cookbook from my first (and only!) restaurant (the Glass Onion) features braised pork (but others call for veal). I stand by this version, and I am happy to email it to you if you desire or you can still buy that cookbook on Amazon! It’s the one with deviled eggs on the cover. (Btw, you know I usually always promote buying books at your own local book store or at bookshop.org – but we actually self published this book through Amazon – so definitely the easiest way to get your hands on it! I tested all the recipes in my tiny studio apartment kitchen so needless to say they are all quite manageable.)