It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
We are in the midst of the Christmas holidays.
Wednesday was Christmas Eve, the most important day in Sweden; yesterday was the 25th, which is celebrated in many other countries, and today is the Feast of Saint Stephen.
I have always loved Christmas, and I still do.
When I was little, Christmas Eve was an evening when generations and relatives came together to eat, drink, laugh, and, late at night, play cards or a board game.
When I started playing the trumpet in middle school, it became a tradition: my grandfather would ask me to play something on Christmas Eve.
He always requested a Prussian march.
He had to settle for something classical or a Christmas carol, and that seemed to satisfy him. LOL
Today, it is still a moment to spend with family. However, the joy you had as a child has turned into a light buzz of contentment, cherishing the time together.
Where’s the wine then in all this?
Well, nowadays I always bring a good bottle to Christmas dinner, so there’s something I like. The others are not that into wine. It is either soft drinks, beer or snaps for them.
However, some of them are curious to taste the wine.
December is a month where everyone makes endless lists of the best wines tasted during the year, the cheapest, the most expensive, the most…. something wines. I find these lists very boring.
I decided to mention three wines that give me good vibes and are appreciated by family and friends.
- Vale 2022, Fiano wine from Lenza Viticoltori, close to Salerno in Campania. My Swedish friends had stored a bottle since they bought it a few years ago. It had developed a beautiful structure, aromas, and taste. It is a feel-good wine that makes me think of Campania and home in Sweden, too.
- Chakra Rosato from Giovanni Aiello in Valle d’Itria, Puglia. Giovanni writes on his website that he makes wines with love, and his wines also feel like home. I used to travel to Puglia a lot, so for some time it felt like a second home. His 100% Primitivo rosé is lovely. I managed to go to Puglia for a couple of days early this summer for Radici del Sud, which focused on Primitivo from Gioia del Colle. Wineries like Fatalone, Pietraventosa, and Giovanni Aiello are “old friends” by now—other “newer acquaintances” like Plantamura and Masseria Ninni.
- The wine I always keep a bottle of at home in Sweden is the Montefioralle Chianti Classico from the small artisanal Montefioralle Winery in Tuscany. It was one of the first wineries I visited years ago during my Fisar sommelier course, when the owner, Lorenzo Sieni, was president of the local section of the association. I have been writing content and handling most of the winery’s social media posting for several years. The winery and its wines truly feel like home by now.
Merry Christmas!
Sign up for my newsletter below if you liked the content.
