Let the holiday season begin! It’s already November and with Thanksgiving and Black Friday quickly approaching, the time has come to plan those holiday dinners and parties. It just so happens that the team at City Vineyard is ready to make your holiday party planning and shopping as easy as can be. Ready for our quick tips to take the hassle out of the holidays?

3 Ideas to Make Your Guests Happy This Holiday Season

Pre-Made Holiday Gift Baskets

We can help you shop for everyone on your list with custom gift baskets and gifts that will fit any budget. You can even order in advance and pick up when you’re ready, or we can put your gifts together while you wait and enjoy a glass of wine or beer in the lounge. In a hurry? We have plenty of pre-made baskets ready to go.

Artisan Cheeses & Gourmet Snacks

As your guests gather around and anticipate the feast that awaits them, calm their hungry appetites with artisan cheese and accoutrements. Our market is brimming with exotic selections and classic favorites. Cheese is the perfect addition to any holiday table. It also makes a simple meal for the after shopping frenzy. City Vineyard also offers custom meat and cheese trays that will excite any group of revelers. We can custom create each board to serve any number of people in a wide variety of textures and flavors! Stop in or call for more information.

Wine & Beer

And you can’t forget about the wine and beer! If you’re scratching your head wondering what to serve with your labor of love meals this holiday or you’re just looking for something special to share with your loved one, the team at City Vineyard can make great recommendations for every budget and appetite. We love pairing the perfect wines and beers to go with everything from a simple dinner of pizza to a five-course turkey extravaganza.

Whatever it is you need, let City Vineyard make the holidays easy! Head to the store to check what we have on hand and get our expert advice on what to grab to make your holiday season the best one ever!

Thanksgiving, the ultimate feast! Friends and family crammed into small, hectic, delicious smelling kitchens. To start, let’s get one thing out of the way:  There’s not a “right” or a “wrong” wine to sip with your stuffing. We like to say, “If you like it, drink it”- but there are wines that just might be more likely to send you to sensory elation. Keep reading for some our favorite holiday wine pairings!

Holiday Wine to Make Your Party One for the Books

For tried and true classic pairings to serve with Thanksgiving dinner, we recommend living by the “high acid rule.” You want a wine with decent levels of acidity, to cleanse your mouth of all those rich and buttery flavors. A touch of sweetness wouldn’t be a horrible thing either. Austrian Grüner Veltliner, German Riesling, or southern French Grenache blends would all be great options.

Since Thanksgiving is an American holiday, we thought we should offer a couple domestic options to celebrate with as well. The domestic varieties we recommend for Thanksgiving are sparkling wines, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel.

Holiday get-togethers are often started off with a toast. But did you know that keeping those sparkling wine corks popping throughout your meal could be the perfect complement to your bird? Especially if you’re one of those households that fries your turkey. Here at City Vineyard we love J Vineyards Sparkling Cuvée. The high acid in this great sparkling wine will help cut through the richness of a fried fowl. But because of the versatility of bubbles, it’s actually a wine choice that will last through every course.

Riesling is a top pick for a white to drink on turkey day. Riesling innate flavors of apple, apricot, honey and its clarifying acidity give it a significant edge against other wines to drink alongside sweet potatoes, turkey meat and spice-laden or herb-filled stuffing. Penner-Ash’s off dry Riesling is a great wine to get you from the appetizers to that last bite of mashed potatoes and gravy.

If it’s a red you’re after, the most popular pairing for Thanksgiving Day dinner is Pinot Noir, lighter in body and softer on the palate than something like a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Merlot. The areas that reign supreme for Pinot Noir in America are California and Oregon. California Pinot Noir’s plush, easy berry fruit is just the right match for poultry and all your T-day fixins.

But not to be outdone on this holiday, Pinot Noir from Oregon is also a fantastic match as there’s a touch more earthiness than their sister to the south, and that can really play well with savory turkey trimmings. Try Love Oregon or J. Christopher from the Willamette Valley for stellar turkey day options that will have you stopping by City Vineyard for another bottle. To accommodate any last minute Thanksgiving Day wine, beer, or gourmet market needs, City Vineyard will be here for you throughout the holidays.

In the end, Thanksgiving is about celebrating our blessings. So whatever variety of holiday wine or beverage ends up on your table, raise your glass and toast to friends and family!