The Best Bottles to Gift or Drink This Holiday Season

Whether for a host, a friend, or a family member, a well-chosen bottle of wine or spirits rarely fails to impress as a holiday gift. The only problem? Just how hard choosing well can be. Between red and white, whisky and gin, there are countless delicious bottles begging to be bought, gifted, and drunk this holiday season. Below, NUVO has done the hard work for you, rounding up seven of the best wines and spirits to make merry gifting and drinking this holiday season.

Culmina Family Estate Winery–Hypothesis 2018

While it may be one of Canada’s warmest regions, the Okanagan Valley can produce big red wines tailor-made for pairing with hearty and warming winter meals. Culmina Family Estate Winery’s 2018 Hypothesis, a blend of cabernet franc (32 per cent), cabernet sauvignon (31 per cent), merlot (25 per cent), petit verdot (6.5 per cent), and malbec (5.5 per cent), packs the type of heat that pairs well with holiday classics like roast beef and tourtière.

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The Dalmore–12 Year Old

For those not springing for a holiday in the Highlands this winter, a scotch whisky like The Dalmore 12-year–old offers much of the Scottish charm with less of a hassle and a bit more of a buzz. From the north of Scotland, where the winds that blow off the North Sea make for a brutally frigid climate, The Dalmore makes whisky to warm both body and spirit. The 12-year-old is the brand’s most popular offering and for good reason—loaded with dried fruit, toffee, and Christmas spice flavours, it provides a festive feast all by itself.

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Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers–Cranberry Gin

With its typical floral and citrus botanicals, gin can sometimes be pigeonholed as a summer spirit. However, apart from juniper, there are exactly zero regulations concerning what can be added to a recipe, and so gin is also the ideal liquor for seasonal variation. This one from Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers in Lincoln, Ontario, is infused with cranberries and winter spices, and is a delightful addition in any festive spins on gin-based cocktails over the holidays. Just don’t forget the gingerbread garnish.

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Mason Vineyard–The Landed Cabernet Franc 2022

Much has been made of gamay’s ability to pair with turkey dinner, but Ontario cabernet franc is every bit the do-it-all grape as its more popular cousin. This one from Niagara’s Mason Vineyard, the eponymous project of star vintner Kelly Mason, is light enough on its feet to deftly handle white meats and mashed potatoes but rich enough that it wouldn’t be out of place with a chocolatey dessert.

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Nk’Mip Cellars–Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay 2021

One of the world’s most widely planted wine grapes for a reason, a good bottle of chardonnay will satisfy the palates of everyone on your list, naughty or nice. The 2021 Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay from Nk’Mip Cellars, the first Indigenous-owned winery in North America, deliciously showcases the ingenuity of the Osoyoos Indian Band’s centuries-long stewardship of its ancestral land. For a limited time, any Nk’Mip wine purchase will also come with holiday ornaments symbolizing the Four Food Chiefs, paramount figures in Syilx culture.

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Rodney Strong–Alexander’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Every holiday gathering needs its crown jewel, and the 2019 Alexander’s Crown from Rodney Strong Vineyards is just that. Made with fruit sourced from the vineyard bearing the same name, a 63-acre property in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley appellation that is cooled by its elevation and adjacency to the Pacific Ocean, Alexander’s Crown combines California power with old-world finesse.

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Tenuta Luce–Luce 2021

Sometimes, the wine we need in the deepest, darkest part of winter is the one that evokes the brilliancy of the sun. Super Tuscans from the famous central Italian region are well-known for harnessing solar power to produce wines that meld structure and vivacity. Luce from Tenuta Luce comes in a bottle emblazoned with an image of the sun and is among the best at providing a luminous drinking experience. Combing the rustic, broad-shouldered sangiovese with velvety merlot, the 2021 vintage of Luce is both big and comfortable, made for curling up with as the winter weather rages on outside.

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