It’s Not Too Late To Scoop Up Holiday Wines!

Lifestyle
Written By Nicole Jones

Yes, the holiday season is upon us and if you haven't had a moment to think about what you are drinking at your gatherings and are feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available at your local wine store, we’ve got you. Here is a list of our top holiday wine recommendations (sparkling and red) available right down the road at Mae's Market & Cafe.

Sparkling

Domaine de la Bergerie Crémant de Loire Brut NV, $25: For Champagne lovers on a budget or entertaining a crowd: this is a beautiful Cremant from Anne Girard, the 2nd generation to tend this vineyard and make these wines. Chardonnay and Chenin; complex aromatics, with white peach and pear, a subtle zestiness, generous fruit and delicate bubbles.

Les Pierres Écrites Touraine Sparkling Rosé "Les Pierres en Bulles" NV, $32: Delicate pink fairy dance of a wine: the softest blush color, with a hint of raspberry and cranberry fruit. The most delicate, persistent bubbles. From a woman owned winery in Touraine, Loire -- after years of working for other people, she finally has her own winery and this is the gorgeous result.

Vilmart & Cie Champagne Brut 1er Cru "Grand Cellier" NV, $95: Vilmart & Cie is a 5th generation family run Champagne House. This is one of the greatest grower champagnes available, and on par with many of the large houses, like Billecart-Salmon. The meticulous care Laurent takes in the vineyard and in the cellar is reflected in every bottle.  Pure joy. (Premier Cru, 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir)

Red Wine

Julien Sunier Fleurie Beaujoalis 2021, $41: Beaujolais gets all the love at Thanksgiving, but the fact is, it's a perfect Holiday wine: medium weight, beautiful layered tannins that complement whatever is on your dinner table, rich, elegant, but also charming wine. Organically farmed and naturally made.

Chateau Falfas Bordeaux Côtes de Bourg 2016, $35: Veroniqué helped restore this historic Right Bank estate when her father bought it in the 80s, and has been running it since his death in 2009. Biodynamically farmed, and made with the utmost care, this wine is old world perfection -- big, rich, dusty -- your prime-rib, White Christmas pairing.

Early Mountain Vineyards Virginia Red "Eluvium" 2020, $45: It has been so thrilling to see Early Mountain winemaker Maya Hood White come into her own and take their meticulously crafted wines to the next level. Eluvium is a jewel of a Virginia wine --  a wonderful gift to show of what we can do!

No matter what your wine preferences are, we hope this list of holiday wine recommendations helps you find the perfect bottle to enjoy with your loved ones this holiday season. Cheers!

Nicole Jones

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Head Janitor, Chef, and Proprietor | Modest Bread

Nicole’s cooking style is rooted in, but not limited to, her love of southern biscuits and her diverse culinary upbringing. A military brat, she spent her childhood in the Chicago suburbs enjoying her great-grandmother Mae’s Lithuanian cooking. As a tween, she moved to Paulding County, Ga. where she begrudgingly fell in love with the charmingly perplex small towns of the Deep South. She fondly remembers grubbing on Martin’s biscuits, late-night Waffle House debauchery and cooking with her family. 

After graduating from the University of Georgia, Nicole started a marketing career at an art nonprofit in Atlanta. At 25 years old, she became the youngest executive at the local Atlanta NPR affiliate. Chasing her dreams, she moved to Alexandria, VA where she took a short post in the Whole Foods marketing department. Realizing that cooking had been her true love all along, she began night courses at L’Academie de Cuisine. She completed her apprenticeship at Blue Duck Tavern where she was promoted to a line cook after graduation. From there, Nicole worked as a private chef for busy Washington D.C. executives and their families.

As grown-ups tend to do, Nicole realized something about her childhood -- the best parts were enjoying small town communities, cooking with her great-grandmother and sharing meals with family and friends. She opened Stomping Ground (now Rubia’s) to build a safe and welcoming community around yummy, handmade food from local sources. As her first foray running her own kitchen, she has shamelessly hired better, smarter cooks to fill her kitchen and your bellies. 

Modest Bread is a collection of idiosyncratic neighborhood restaurants devoted to hospitality in Northern Virginia and includes Rubia’s, Bagel Uprising, Mae’s Market & Cafe, and Virginia’s Darling.

www.modestbread.com

2309 Mt Vernon Avenue

Alexandria, VA 22301

703.664.0445

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