Champagne is a sommelier favorite for many reasons. One being how incredibly food friendly it is. Furthermore (with or without the party this NYE), Champagne is celebratory and festive. In other words, when in doubt … bubbles!

Here are some of our favorite pairings with Champagne and some fun ideas for your NYE celebration, or throughout the year:

The winner: Fried chicken! Whether we’re talking a fried chicken sandwich or traditional, straightforward fried chicken, this is an all time favorite combination. Anything fried alongside Champagne is a match made in heaven. The acidity from the Champagne paired with savory fried chicken is hard to beat! Given fried chicken is well…fried, Champagne is the perfect compliment because of it’s palate cleansing qualities. It’s refreshing and prepares you for your next bite. You can learn more about the magic that is fried chicken & Champagne with our Food & Wine Pairing Kit.

Runner up: Again with the fried foods, french fries is up there when it comes to Champagne’s soulmate. For the same reasons outlined above, greasy and crispy are two adjectives that marry well with Champagne’s qualities. There is also something about the informality of friend foods like french fries that we love so much in contrast to the notion that Champagne is fancy and a ‘special occasion’ type beverage. We campaign for Champagne as an everyday wine. Something to be enjoyed whenever and wherever if the price is right.  

Other notable pairings to try:

• Sushi
• Lobster
• Caviar (classic)
• Oysters
• Potato Chips
• Fried Olives
• Fish Tacos

We’ve made it easy for you to get the party started on NYE with our Champagne 2-Pack featuring Champagne Delavenne. If you’re salivating after reading our thoughts on Champagne and what to pair, you’ll enjoy reading about everyday food & wine pairings in Vanessa Price’s book Big Macs & Burgundy. 

Rosé is synonymous with summertime festivities. Light pink hues compliment a delicately frosted chalice on a white tablecloth on a beachside veranda. Maybe there’s a few raspberries bobbing in the glass to make the scene picture perfect for your Instagram. Hashtag summer lovin’. 

And rosés can often get jumbled into an overwhelming category of pale, poundable wines released in the spring and summer. These tend to be light-bodied, sweet and best served chilled to give you a chance to stave off the scorching solar rays. They pair well with white sand, Abba and salted watermelon. 

However, rosés can be so much more than a sunshine-party beverage if you’re willing to give them a chance. Gravitating towards a bottle of rosé in the winter can be a great excuse to try those slightly darker colored wines that might fall into a heftier weight class. There are so many great rosé wines out there that have more structure and character than your typical summer go-to’s.  

The perfect wintertime pink will have a fuller body than its fair-weather friends, and may express richer flavors that complement the heartier foods we tend to gravitate towards during the chillier season. Here are some of my favorite rosés from the Argaux collection that definitely fit the bill. 

2020 Château Barbebelle Aix-en-Provence ‘Héritage’ Rosé – $28

If you get no further down this list than the Heritage, I understand completely. This wine is truly special, and a libation for all seasons, from solstice to solstice. 

Chateau Barbebelle sits on storied soil originally tilled by Roman hands. And the quintessential terroir of Provence shines through the flavors in this bottle, solidly earning it the Heritage title. It is made using the blended technique, and combines Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Syrah for an elegant and truly unique experience. 

This dry rosé pushes summertime flavors with balanced notes of fresh strawberries, red berries, white peach, apricot, peonies and honeysuckle. But a medium body and a distinct richness gives it the oomph to carry you through the winter months. 

One of the reasons I also love this wine for winter is that it’s truly a gastronomic rosé that pairs well with classic wintertime fare. I love to have this on hand at any and all holiday get-togethers with family and friends, as it’s proven to be a crowd pleaser.  

The consensed favorite winter pairing at Argaux for this rosé is my homemade Thai Green Curry.

2019 Château de Calavon Provence Rosé – $25

A wine magazine (who shall remain nameless) said to steer clear of Provence rosés during the winter months. Obviously I disagree. So here is Provence number 2 on our list for today.  

There is something about the practices and soil of the region that offers notes of wisdom to even their younger wines. Especially bottles that come out of vineyards like Cavalon, which has been run by the Audibert family for no less than 5 generations. 

And this histoire shifts the youthful flavors of the Provence Rosé into a deeper experience that carries through when the weather outside is frightful. 

Blending Cinsault, Carignan & Grenache, we get a light-bodied wine with a palate full of white peach, ripe melon, grapefruit, and Meyer lemon. The citrus-forward flavors make this rosé an ideal base for this mulled pink wine recipe. 

2020 Storm Watch Hill Vineyard Grenache Rosé – $28

Counter to what many people who live outside the state think, California does indeed see its fair share of nasty weather. And, as the name of this SoCal vineyard implies, it is the perfect wine for watching the wilder wintertime waves along the Golden State coast. 

The Grenache grapes that went into this delicious rosé are grown in the Mediterranean climate of the Los Alamos valley, making them comparable to grapes you might find on the Med itself. And Storm Watch vineyards do their best to observe traditional and time-tested practices in old-world winemaking, bolstered by new world techniques.

The Grenache’s palate is dry and thirst-quenching, but with a hidden depth provided by the old-growth vines from which it was harvested. We can easily imagine enjoying a glass of this next to a roaring fire with a cornucopic  wintertime charcuterie to pair. 

2019 Clos Signadore ‘A Mandria’ Patrimonio Rosé – $40

Clos Signadore is one of the younger Old World wineries in the Argaux collection, however the grapes are still grown on 40 year old vines planted in ancient Corsican soil.

And the vineyard’s sustainability practices closely match ancient growing practices which would have been absolutely the norm when the land was first tilled: Christopher Ferrandis uses no chemical pesticides or weedkillers during the growing process which may otherwise affect the quality and flavor of the end product.

The A Mandria Patrimonio is a light and dry rosé with a deep and rich color that makes it a constant companion in both the summer and winter months. Summery notes of sweet cherry and wild strawberry are matched with wintertime flavors of blood orange and allspice. Another food-friendly libation, serve it alongside your favorite roasted root-veggie spread and a slice of Christmas ham. 

More wintertime treats from Argaux

If you’re still searching for the perfect present for the wine-passionate people in your life, check out our selection of gift boxes from the Argaux collection. We offer a variety of packs to suit all tastes and interests, from a selection of our favorite Champagnes, to a kit that will help you find the right pairing for your bag of hot cheetos. Or, pick out a bottle you know they’ll love and we’ll wrap it for you. 

Did that rosé mulling recipe make your moth water? Then we think you’ll get a lot out of our other blog: Best wines for mulling.

Dyed-in-the-wool oenophiles love to talk about the wine aging process. An inherent aspect of crafting this timeless fermented libation, aging your best bottles can help to bring out deeper, more complex notes not afforded by younger wines. 

But how does it work? What do you do? And can you subject just any old bottle of Barefoot or 2-Buck Chuck to years in the dark of your cellar? If you’re ready to move into the aging part of your wine journey, we are here with some advice, and a few time-friendly bottles from the Argaux collection we think you’ll love. 

How to age wine

As with all fermented foods and beverages, wine is made through a process of “controlled rot” — yeasts and beneficial bacterias consume and transform the sugars in wine’s originating grape juice into alcohol, creating new flavors along the way. And as long as these critters are kept alive and happy, the process can continue. 

Usually what this means is keeping your aging bottles away from harmful warmth and sunlight, such as in a wine cellar. Ideally your bottles won’t budge while they’re in late-stage fermentation, as too much jostling before their time can disrupt the chemistry going on inside.

If you’re a wine enthusiast of the digital era, there are also a number of purpose-built wine fridges made especially for aging that allow you to control the temperature and humidity in which your bottles are stored until you are ready to uncork them. Natural fluctuations in traditional storage spaces have proven to be problematic in the past. 

Heat and light are the enemies of wine aging, but you also don’t want to full-on refrigerate your bottles as this can slow the process way, way down. Experts recommend storing your wines in an environment between 45 and 65 degrees fahrenheit. 

How long can you age wine?

The precise aging period recommended will depend on the varietal of wine you wish to age. And that’s because different grapes have different sugar contents which affect how quickly a bottle goes from juice, to vino, to vinegar. 

But it’s also because different wines are made to express specific flavor profiles, and you will lose the characteristic feel and flavor if a bottle is opened too early, or left too long. 

In general, you can get away with aging red wines much longer than whites. Sweet reds like Port and Nebbiolo can stay bottled for 40 – 50 years and achieve a delicious and highly alcoholic profile. Chardonnay on the other hand is one of the more age-friendly white varietals, but should be uncorked after 10 years.

And you don’t always have to take your aged bottles to the end of their course. You might find that you prefer a 5 year Cab Sauv to a 20 year, and it’s up to you to decide how long something should remain in your cellar. We recommend tasting as many vintages as you can to see what works best for you.

Best wines for aging

Some wines (we won’t name names) are less than ideal for aging. The process of extended fermentation just doesn’t seem to work for them. Those wines are the libations of youth, and should be sipped in the spring of their time before the wizening of time sets it. 

That being said, here are a few of the most age-friendly wines we currently have in our cellars. Salute!

Best red wines for aging

• 2017 Domaine Rougeot Volnay-Santenots Premier Cru – $125
  No matter how long you let this beautiful Burgundy rest, give her an hour or two upon uncorking to breathe (she’s slow to wake up, but oh-so delightful when she does.) A bold flavor that is at once fruity, earthy, herbaceous and floral, smooth tannins will only get smoother the longer you wait.  
• 2019 San Giorgio a Lapi Sangiovese Rosso – $22
  Red, red, red. Ruby color, with notes of red fruits and red flowers to coat your palate. But expect the blush tones and acidic notes of red cherry, red cranberry, red rose, and leaf from a red tomato to give way to a brickier tone and sweeter taste as it ages. Place this wine in your cellar now, and pull out in 10 years to enjoy with your favorite charcuterie spread.

• Emidio Pepe Vertical  featuring 2001, 2002, 2003 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

Emidio Pepe has a cult following for his non-conventional winemaking techniques that have made the estate and wines legendary. Major wine publications have anticipated that this wine will reach its peak drinking window from 2013-2031 – meaning now’s the time to jump! Prior to release, bottles are opened and decanted one by one by Rosa Pepe, the family matriarch, into new bottles after which they are re-corked, labeled by hand and shipped. There is no fining, filtration, or SO2 added during the second bottling.

Emidio Pepe is a singular producer creating amazingly complex age-worthy reds and whites in a region of mass produced, overly engineered versions of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Though the family has been producing wines here since the end of the 19th Century, the winemaking process has remained philosophically unchanged since Emidio Pepe took over the estate in 1964. The business and wine production has been in the hands of the fourth generation of the Pepe family with sisters, Daniela and Sofia, since 1997. And more recently, the dynamic Chiara de Iulis Pepe has joined the estate as the fifth generation!

Best white wines for aging

• 2018 Domaine De Oliveira Lecestre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos – $95
  White Burgundies are some of the best light aging wines, and this one tops the charts in our collection. Delicate mineral aromas and the summer scent of white fruits and flowers deepen over time. The strong and youthful body becomes softer and sweeter with age, developing tropical notes of citrus, stone fruit, and royal pineapple.  
• 2016 Wonderland Project ‘White Queen’ Sonoma Chardonnay – $25
  Expect this light-and-fruity lemon tart Chardonnay to darken, sweeten, and develop an even more voluptuous body over the next couple of years. The aging process for the White Queen began partially in French oak barrels, lending a mature spiciness to the experience.

For aging or for drinking immediately at your Solstice soireé, we at Argaux are offering a seasonal 6 pack that will let you sip your way through the darker months and learn more about some of our favorite fall vintages. Cozy up to the fire, host a sophisticated tailgate, and stash some away to see what wonders age can work on your bottles.

Christmas is coming up fast, and it’s time to start gathering gifts for the beloveds in your life. And different would-be Santas employ different strategies for present procurement. Serious shoppers probably know exactly what their friends and family want, and are cross-referencing to make sure there aren’t any duplicates. More laid-back gift givers might choose something off the shelves that anyone would be sure to love. Wherever you fall on this spectrum, there’s one positively impeccable present that works for both passionate oenophiles and casual folks who happen to own stemmed glasses: a nice bottle of wine. 

We love gift giving at Argaux, and so we’ve put together a pile of pre-selected possible presents that are sure to be a hit with whoever finds it beneath the tree (just make sure you get them to share it with you.) Let’s dive in!

‘Gaux-to series

Our ‘Gaux-To destination gift boxes feature 2 to 4 bottles of hand-selected wines from our collections, giving a special nod to bottles from various wine capitals around the world. 

California

California is a long, long state with a wild number of different microclimates stretched along its beachy, forested, mountainous body, from San Diego all the way to the Oregon border. And each of those microclimates have at least a few vineyards in them, each offering a unique taste of California terroir. 

Our ‘Gaux-to California box offers either all red or mixed wines, and may include the following bottles:

• 2019 Wonderland Project No. 9 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: A dense, deep and delectable Cab Sauv from the heart of iconic California wine country.
  

• 2018 Pec & Burl ‘A Tale of Two Dudes’ Red Blend: A sophisticated table wine produced by two Enology students in Paso Robles.
  

• 2019 No Name Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir: No name because this classic Pinot will leave you speechless after one sip.
  

• 2019 No Name Santa Barbara County Chardonnay: A quintessential Chard with all the sensuousness of a French patisserie — but on the border of Mexico. 

Champagne

“If it’s not from Champagne it’s just sparkling wine.” Well, the contents of this gift box is Champagne, as well as the perfect gift for the beloved bubbly snob in your life. Grab yourself a box too, while you’re at it, and tuck it away for New Years. 

Our ‘Gaux-to Champagne box offers the following bottles from iconic winemaker Champagne Delavenne:

• NV Champagne Delavenne Père & Fils Brut Nature Grand Cru

• NV Champagne Delavenne Père & Fils Brut Rosé Grand Cru

France

There is a certain sacredness about wines produced in France. Wine may not have originated in France, and it may no longer be the baby darling of the wine world (that’s what we’re going to call California from now on) but it still somehow remains the heart of wine culture, owing to ancient and romantic viticultural traditions that are synonymous with the country itself. 

Our ‘Gaux to France box offers a selection of hand-picked red or mixed wines from our vast collection of French bottles at Argaux. Allow us to surprise you!

Italy

One pictures Roman villas, sweeping hills dotted with cypress trees, a canopy of olive branches, and vineyards as far as the eye can see if they’re asked to think of a winery. Italian viticultural communities have centuries-old roots that are carried forward on long-tilled earth with utterly contemporary practices. 

Our ‘Gaux to Italy box offers a selection of hand-picked red or mixed wines from our collection of Italian bottles at Argaux. And of course, every one of them pairs with something delicious, so we’ve thrown in a bottle of Ottomani Olive Oil with each kit to help you get started. 

The Med

Sunshine and white sand beaches and blue-domed villas and charcuterie and vintage fishing boats and — whew, we got carried away there. And if you’re lucky enough to get carried away to the Mediterranean this winter, take one of these kits with you to help integrate the views with the flavors of that blue, blue water. If you’re staying in the states, you can take a med staycation with a taste from Corsica. 

Our ‘Gaux to The Med box offers the following wines from winemaker Christopher Ferrandis:

• 2019 Clos Signadore ‘A Mandria’ Patrimonio Rosé

• 2018 Clos Signadore ‘A Mandria’ Patrimonio Rouge

Interactive tasting sets

Food & Wine Pairing

This kit makes the perfect gift for both newbie wine drinkers and seasoned oenophiles. We partnered with Vanessa Price, author of Big Macs & Burgundy, to bring you a box that comes with 2 to 4 bottles of premium or standard wine along with a copy of Vanessa’s book to help you learn the basics of pairing wine with food — everything from gold-leaf caviar to your favorite fast food french fries. 

Old World vs. New World

Where the grapes are grown, how and where they are stored, the practices traditional to the winemakers of that place — location is vitally important to understanding different kinds of wine. And understanding the difference between wines made in Europe versus the U.S. is a fundamental piece all wine lovers should get. This kit will teach you everything you need to know about California and Oregon vs. France and Italy with 2 to 4 bottles comparing the delicious traditions of each locale.

Blind Tasting Kit

Learn the basics of distinguishing wine and have fun doing it with our blind tasting kit. This gift is great to bring to a party or pull out after the stockings have all been emptied for some educational libations. Kit comes with 2 to 4 bottles of red, white or mixed wines that are wrapped to conceal the label, along with an easy guide to wine tasting that will grow your tasting skills and help you deduce which mystery bottles we’ve included. 

Spritz Kit: Holiday Edition

For the wine curious who need a little push, or the wine-savvy who love a little something extra in their glass, this fun holiday cocktail kit is sure to spice up any party. Prepare to be transported to a 1920’s flapper club with a bottle of our go-to bubbly for spritzers, Sorelle Bronca Prosecco, and the delicious, sustainably made Volume Primo Vermouth.

Special edition gift kits

Year of Firsts

The “gift that keeps on giving” for betrothed combining their happy day with Christmas. Newlyweds can count the happy memories made each month after their wedding with 6 to 12 bottles of hand-selected wines from our collection. Choose from red, white or mixed bottles, or, if the couple have any special favorites, leave a note specifying the bottle of choice at check out. 

Chez Argaux

It’s not wine! But it’s still delicious. For your sober foodie friends or wine lovers who want to take their pairing to the next level with these edible additions, the Chez Argaux kit  includes a bundle of kitchen essentials from sustainable companies we love. 

In the box you’ll find:

• 2020 Ottomani Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Jacobsen Salt Co. Flake Finishing Finishing Sea Salt

• Jacobsen Salt Co. Classic Whole Grain Mustard

• Jacobsen Salt Co. Rare Wildflower Honey

• NAKED Grandma Pepper Jam

Natural Wine Tasting Kit

Are you looking for a gift for the nature nerd who also loves to sip in your life? Or are you trying to convince a die-hard sulfite freak that natural wines actually can be truly delicious? Either way, we’ve got your back. Our natural wine tasting kit comes with two bottles from our cellars that were made with nothing but grapes, native yeast and time. 

What else Argaux can do for you

If you prefer to pick out your own bottles, Argaux can send you your selection hand-wrapped in sophisticated packaging that saves you the trouble of shopping for wine-themed wrapping paper. Or if you prefer to let your beloveds select their own gifts, treat them to an Argaux gift certificate so they can find the small-batch wine that best suits their taste. 

Is it your turn to bring the wine to the holiday feast this year? Check out or Best Wine for Christmas piece to find out what wines for Christmas dinner Argaux has in stock.

Ham, like wine, is a single-word descriptor for an entire genre of edible delights that come in all manner of colors, flavors and preparations. And ham, like wine, can serve as either a festive centerpiece at a holiday dinner, or a casual weekday snack. 

Throughout the year, ham has graced our lunches as a welcome protein accompaniment to white bread and baby carrots. And with the winter months upcoming, ham begins to take on a more formal guise, donning all manner of michelin-star-ready glazes, presentations and sides to get it picture-ready for your Christmas party ‘gram posts. 

You know what we’re going to say next: however you take this iconic cut of pork, there’s a unique bottle of wine to go with it — whether whole-roasted on an open fire, or sliced up at the deli counter and served on rye with mustard. 

How to pair wine with ham

In thinking about ham, you’re pairing your wine more with the preparation rather than the meat itself. Pork is a not-quite-light, not-quite-dark meat that does have a distinctive flavor all its own. However that flavor is still subject to the curing and cooking process, and that will influence your viticultural selections more than anything else. 

Salty, dry hams like prosciutto or iberico are typically quite heavy and bold, however they’re served, and love being balanced out by something light, dry and bubbly. Prosecco is a good go-to, but you might also reach for a bottle of effervescent Lambrusco.

Smoked hams like black forest or the ones you bake at home are going to be more succulent and a little less saline, and go very well with a sweeter red like a Pinot, or a Grenache-based rosé.

Sweet hams, like the glazed hock that will be making the rounds this December, are well met by fruit-forward wines that also skew a little dry, such as a Merlot or Chenin Blanc. 

And if that wasn’t enough guidance for you, here are a few favorites from the Argaux collection that were destined for porcine pairing. Cheers!

Best red wine for ham

• 2017 Produttori del Barbaresco DOCG – $52
  A warm and fruitful experience, just like the year in which it was made. This Barbaresco is deep, dark, fruity, full, and utterly royal feeling at all points in the tasting journey. Pairs incredibly with a bowl of this rustic Pasta Alla Papalina.

• 2019 Gouchas Luján de Cuyo Malbec – $22
  Jammy, fruity, with a little bit of chocolate and tobacco on the palate, this delicious Malbec — served chilled — could grace your table as a special delight at a dinner party, or take a place in your pantry as your go-to accompaniment for your weekly ham and swiss.

• 2018 Tenuta Ornellaia ‘Ornellaia’ Bolgheri – $240
  Sprinkle some gold leaf on your ham once it emerges from the oven, because this auspicious Italian wine is a big deal, and everyone needs to know. Made from hand-picked grapes and aged for a total of 36 months before it becomes available to you, this masterpiece of balance across both taste and texture should be the centerpiece this holiday season, with whatever elaborate chef-made ham you acquire as a side.

• 2020 Cargaux Syrah – $45
  Our collaborative Syrah with Chase Carhartt and Storm Wines invites the imbiber in through the nose with aromas of coffee, blackberry, pepper and delicate flowers. Once you take a sip, you’ll stay for the meatiness, the cedar tones, the cranberries and the herbs. Grown, pressed and barrelled in South Africa, we think it would pair perfectly with this South African Glazed Gammon.

• 2018 Girolamo Russo ‘A Rina’ Etna Rosso – $42
  A volcanic terrier you can taste through notes of sweet cherry and plum as well as smoky leather and tobacco. It makes us think of nibbling Dolce di Ciliegie in your grandparent’s living room after filling up on Penne Alla Valdostana.

• 2019 Sandlands Lodi Red Table Wine – $38
  This small (small, small) production wine is at once gritty, smooth, acidic and fruity, and just waiting to make its debut at your next meal, whether a holiday feast or a midnight munch. Pairs well with, well, anything, really. But we think it really shines next to a Croissant au Jambon.

Best white wine for ham

• 2018 Domaine Rougeot ‘Clos des 6 Ouvrées’ Bourgogne Blanc – $38
  This beautiful — affordable — Burgundy Blanc tastes expensive and indulgent with juicy and long-lasting notes of green fruits, baking spices and flowers. In reality it is utterly accessible and would make an excellent toasting wine for the next small holiday gathering with yourself and a few friends.

• 2019 Tenuta di Castellaro Bianco Porticello – $21
  Refreshing, summery, and with a delightful structure owed to its volcanic minerality. This wine pairs well with fresh veggies, hard cheeses, and especially a cheap and cheesy Hawaiian pizza. 

Best rosé wine for ham

• 2020 Chateau Barbebelle Aix-en-Provence ‘Héritage’ Rosé – $28
  Everything about this rosé screams elegance and delicacy — from the perfume fragrance, to the fruity-and-floral palate, to the voluptuous shape of that gorgeous bottle. But don’t let her pale color and feminine finesse fool you. This wine loves food, and it’s powerful enough to elevate any glazed ham you set before her. 

How Argaux can help

There’s so much pressure around the holidays to lay out foodie feats with new and inspired gastronomic adventure dishes that have pre-selected rockstar vintages to go alongside them. The truth is that wine is just as at home next to a store-bought spiral ham as it is with that 20-step recipe you got off of Bon Appetit.

Vanessa Price figured that out way before the rest of us, and then wrote a book about it. Her book, Bigs Macs & Burgundy, was the inspiration behind our Food and Wine Pairing 101 Kit, which teaches budding oenophiles to pair wines with their favorite weekday treats. So whatever you’re putting on the table this winter, Argaux can help you pick a wine to go with it (plus you’ll get a copy of Vanessa’s book!) Check out this and other amazing wine gifts today.

Hot, sweet and spicy wine is the drink of the season in my home. As soon as the weather gets cold, that’s when the cloves, cinnamon sticks and orange slices come out to begin the wintertime culinary potion making. For cozy nights by the fire, for small gatherings with my closest friends, or for bigger family gatherings, nothing says “holiday cheer” quite like a generous mugful of mulled wine. 

To some of you purist oenophiles out there, the idea of cooking a bottle of Bordeaux may seem sacrilegious. And admittedly, when I’m hosting a truly tremendous gathering I tend to reach for the 3-liter cardboard to fill my Christmas cauldron. But believe me when I say, like everything else, mulled wine is that much better when you use high quality ingredients — such as delicious small-batch wine. 

What is mulled wine?

Mulled wine, spicewine, Gluhwein and glogg are all terms used to describe a hot drink made principally using traditionally red wine and a collection of “mulling spices” like cinnamon, cloves, star anise and black peppercorns. Depending on your tastes, you can also add ginger, orange juice, orange zest and honey to the mix, topping it all off with a healthy pour of brandy, orange liqueur or vodka if you prefer a fortified experience. 

It is a delicious wintertime drink that has many iterations all over the world, and is popular as a walk-and-sip beverage at Christmas street fairs, especially in western Europe. 

Most recipes call for red wine, as heftier tannins and fuller bodies stand up to heat and strong spices better. However if you select your additives carefully, white or rose wine can be just as delicious a base. So here are a few labels from the Argaux collection that promise to make a delicious wintertime drink. 

Best red wine for mulling

• 2019 Wonderland Project No. 9 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – $50
  A full body with hints of dark fruits, tobacco, leather and other mature tons that will transport you immediately to Mr. Bennett’s study, this Cab Sauv is wonderfully spice-friendly and promises to be a constant companion through the winter months. We think cinnamon, orange zest, and a shot of dark rum will take this already delicious wine over the top.  

• 2018 Pec & Burl ‘A Tale of Two Dudes’ Red Blend – $60
  “Yeah man, we’re mulling?” the red blend seems to say. “Right on.” We imagine spicing up this rebellious young vino over a campfire and pouring it into a big, green thermos to take with us on a bundled-up beach hike. Notes of overripe blackberry and blueberry feel like scrambling through a wet bramble to get to the dunes, and a finish of chocolate and peppercorns feel like clinking travel mugs while taking in the fog. This is just the wine to keep you warm.  

• 2018 Chateau des Antonins AOC Bordeaux Supérieur La Réserve du Couvent – $60
  Repeat after me: it is okay to cook Bordeaux. And if you’re going to, it should be this one. A full bodied beauty with dark fruits, almonds and vanilla that will stand up to the strong flavors introduced by cloves and cranberries. For this wine, match the almond notes by making glogg — a scandinavian take on mulled wine that introduces raisins and nuts to the mix. 

Best white wine for mulling

• 2019 No Name Santa Barbara County Chardonnay – $30
  Chardonnays are the ideal white wine for mulling because they come practically prespiced. Demurely buttery, delightfully fruity, with a smooth but full mouthfeel, this wine wants to be mulled with fresh ginger, lemon zest, ceylon cinnamon and granny smith apple rounds.  

• 2020 Von Winning Sauvignon Blanc II – $24
  Make sure you pick up two bottles of this unexpected diamond — one for making mulled wine, and the other for sipping while you’re making the mulled wine. This German gem has a boldness of flavor to match the wild swirls on the label. It’s citrus-forward with an herbaceous and floral background. And those flavors yearn to be paired with the myriad spices from this white mulled wine recipe (although we recommend swapping the sugar out for honey.)

Best rose wine for mulling

• 2019 Chateau de Calavon Provence Rosé MAGNUM – $45
  Grenache is the recommended red for mulling, and this Grenache/Rolle/Syrah blend is the perfect pink wine for spicing up this holiday season. Utterly summery notes of peach, watermelon and meyer lemon pair surprisingly well with the wintery spices in this mulled rose wine recipe. Pink peppercorns, pink grapefruit, and the inclusion of triple sec in your final product will elevate this wine to a whole new level. Invite us over when it’s ready, would you? 

• 2019 Clos Signadore ‘A Mandria’ Patrimonio Rosé MAGNUM – $45
  You might consider approaching this wine more like a sangria, including strawberries, cherries and allspice to the mix to match and elevate the notes of cherries, strawberries and allspice already on the palate. This wine is light bodied and dry, meaning it’s capable of holding itself up in the face of citrus and cinnamon inclusions. Plus, the bigger bottle means more to go around at your Christmas party. 

A gift from Argaux

If you’re still looking for the perfect present for the oenophile in your life, why not get them a box full of wine?

Our gift kits promise to transport the drinker to the wine capitals of the world, like California, Champagne and Italia, while also teaching them how to taste and distinguish wines of the world. Or, if your viticultural pal is more of a homebody, grab one of our Food and Wine Pairing 101 kits to help them figure out what wines go with their favorite snacks.

A charcuterie board can be a fun and creative way to display a selection of sophisticated snacks, whether you’re hosting (or attending!) a summer gathering, or just feel like dressing up your food a little before a night on the couch.

‘Charcuterie’ is a French term originally used to describe cured meats. But a contemporary spread can include just about anything your heart desires, from classics like meat and cheese to fun and funky additions such as pickled fruits or edible flowers! 

Because of the variability of the modern charcuterie board, knowing what wine to pick for your platter is a tricky business. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you find the perfect pairings for your next spread. 

How to pair wine with charcuterie

Unless you’re planning on choosing a unique and individual wine to go with every element of your charcuterie board (far be it from us to tell you ‘no,’) you’re going to want to generalize a little bit. 

For the purposes of this post, we’re going to operate on the assumption that cured meats and vibrant cheeses will be making up the base of your board. The easiest thing to do in this case is to pair your wine with protein, and maybe narrow your selection of 100-wines-that-go-with-brie to 2 or 3 by matching subtler tasting notes to the other aspects of your platter. 

Fatty pork products like prosciutto are uplifted by crisp whites like Chenin Blanc or Riesling. Duck products, such as rillettes or paté, love a lighter bodied red like a Pinot Noir (most aspects of a charcuterie like a Pinot, to be honest.) Spicy meats, and cheeses including Bries, Camemberts, surface-ripened goat cheeses and many semi-hard varieties, are well complemented by drier whites and high-acid but low-tannic reds. 

Now let’s get into the specifics. Here is a selection from the Argaux cellars to match your charcuterie array. 

Best red wine for charcuterie

2021 Piaggia Sangiovese ‘Pietranera’ Toscana – $25

This wine is so smooth and an absolute pleasure to drink. It is an unparalleled value for the level of quality and our new gaux-to weeknight Italian sipper. Sangiovese is generally higher in acidity with hints of local earth and herbs including roasted tomato, balsamic and oregano making this wine a great match for you guessed it: all things tomato! This specific Sangiovese has notes of red raspberry, strawberry, forest jam, sweet spices, cocoa, dusty rose, and sage. Pair it with your classic Italian cheeses such as Pecorino and olives, or Focaccia with roasted tomatoes and sage.

2020 Gouchas Lujan de Cuyo Malbec – $22
A Beaujolais is a classic staple of any charcuterie picnic. But, if you don’t have Beaujolais, why not go for something made in a similar fashion? This Beaujolais-inspired Malbec is exciting and oh so fresh. Fair warning, this could be your new favorite chillable red – seriously, we would drink a lot more Malbec if they all tasted like this. Think blueberry, black cherry, cranberry ocean spray, cocoa, leather, cigar box.

• 2019 No Name Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir – $35
  This Pinot is perfectly balanced. With regards to Burgundian Pinot Noir, this wine is rather Volnay-like, and finishes with stony minerality and soft tannins. This Pinot is the quintessential libation for enjoying with a platter of prosciutto, dried apricots, spicy cornichons, Crottin de Chavignol and pork paté. Yum. We know what we’re having for lunch.  

• 2020 Les Athlètes du Vin Touraine Pinot Noir – $25
  A bouncy and accessible Pinot that gives your fresh berries, cherries, and cherry blossoms with every sip. If you’ve invited this wine to the party, serve it chilled and make sure to include crostini with ricotta and sour cherry preserves as well as a generous shave of Jamon Iberico on your board. 

Best white wine for charcuterie

• 2020 Les Athlètes du Vin Sauvignon Blanc – $25
  Tart, acidic and totally delicious, this refreshing wine is an athletic and energizing delight during a hot summer day. Enjoy on a white tablecloth loaded with smoked salmon, goat cheese, burrata and rosemary-roasted marcona almonds.  

• NV Doyard Vendemiaire 1er Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut – $24
  This delicious bottle of bubbles is produced by the Bronca sisters in the Valdobbiadene zone of Prosecco. The wine is refreshing, light and mineral-driven – the perfect staple bottle of bubbles for the house, plus it’s great in a spritz! Produced using organic farming practices, woman-owned and operated. Pair it with Camembert, Halloumi or aged Cheddar, summer sausage, and chicken liver mousse. 

• 2019 Pedralonga Rias Baixas Albariño – $24
  Wild, floral and aromatic, we want to take this wine with us on a bicycling tour of her native Spain, stopping for tapas and sunbathing at every opportunity we can find. If you can’t make it to the Iberian peninsula just yet, open this Albarino with feta, garlic-stuffed olives, and Soppressata.  

• 2015 Champagne Delavenne Pere Fils Brut Millesime Grand Cru Champagne  – $135
  Something about charcuterie just begs to be paired with Champagne that tastes like a bakery. This elegant, effervescent, citrus-tart forward bottle is not the drink for a casual picnic in the park, but there’s no reason you can’t dress up your board to match the auspiciousness of whatever occasion would give you cause to pop this cork. Think caviar, duck Foie Gras, and the freshest Mozz you can get your hands on. 

Best rose wine for charcuterie

• 2020 Chateau Barbebelle Aix-en-Provence ‘Cuvée Madeleine’ Rosé – $25
  Rich, friendly and utterly delicious, this fruity and floral rosé is a summer staple made using sustainable farming practices at a woman-owned winery in the heart of Provence. With this wine on your table, you should think about loading your charcuterie with fresh fruit, semi-hard cheeses and dry-cured salamis.

How Argaux can help

If you want to learn more about wine, and especially about pairing wine with day-to-day vittles, check out our Wine 101 Tasting Kit and the book Big Macs & Burgundy, Wine Pairings For The Real World. Vanessa Price, foodie and author extraordinaire, put together a guide to wine pairings that covers viticultural matches for everything from fast food burgers to grilled swordfish. With this book in hand, as well as a few select bottles from the Argaux collection, you’ll be ready for whatever a charcuterie board has to throw at you, no matter how chaotic things get.

The Jewish Festival of Lights is a wonderful autumnal gift-giving opportunity, as well as a time to celebrate life with dear friends, family, and fare around a traditional menorah. Wine and Judaism have a rich and intertwining mutual history, and there’s no better present you can give to the kosher oenophiles in your life than a beautiful bottle of wholly natural viticultural libations. 

So let’s take a look at some of the best kosher wines we have to offer from our collection here at Argaux. 

What is kosher?

Whether you’re a non-Jewish person trying to give a thoughtful gift to your Jewish loved ones, or are non-practicing and need a refresher, it’s a good idea to have a solid grasp on what “kosher” actually means before you start shopping. 

Kosher is an important dietary tradition for many members of Jewish communities around the world. In the strictest sense, kosher foods can only be deemed as much if they have been exclusively handled by Shabbat-observant Jewish individuals from cultivation to production to packaging. Additionally, kosher foods must fit within a certain set of guidelines which define specific additives, sources, animal parts, or practices that may or may not be used. 

Kosher wine is most typically made exclusively by Shabbat-observant Jews, except in the case that it is Meshuval, sterilized using a flash-pasteurization technique. In this case it may be handled by non-observant or non-Jewish winemakers. 

Kosher wine is also made without certain additives which are sometimes introduced during the winemaking process as preservatives, stabilizers, or stimulators of fermentation. These additives, called “fining agents,” include both kosher ingredients such as bentonite clay and egg whites, as well as non-kosher ingredients like casein, animal gelatin and isinglass. 

You can identify kosher wine in the store by a mark on the label, most typically a K, KSA, or an encircled U. 

Best kosher wine for Hanukkah

The two kosher wines we have in our collection come from the Golan Heights Winery, a wine making giant both internationally and of their home country Israel. These grapes, grown in the volcanic earth of the Galilee mountains, have been instrumental in putting Israel on the wine map since their first planting in 1983. 

But the viticultural history of their landscape is much, much older, dating back at least 2,000 years. Golan Heights is continuing the ancient and storied tradition of Israeli wine making with sustainable farming practices, and even earned the first internationally-recognized sustainability certification through the LODI RULES organization. 

Their Yarden wines, named for the Yiddish translation of the River Jordan, are wholly kosher, eco-conscious, and wholly affordable. Not to mention they taste divine. 

• 2022 Yarden Galilee Chardonnay – $34
  A delightfully crisp Chardonnay that defies the genre’s typical butteriness and instead pushes lemon, pear, and apricot for a fruity finish. Floral notes, a hint of spice, and an obligatory dollop of cream add intrigue and a distinct silkiness to this vino’s delectable palate and offer an utterly drinkable experience. Pair with seared ahi tuna steaks or your favorite Sufganiyot.
  

• 2016 Yarden Galilee Cabernet Sauvignon – $43
  This delicious, earthy Cab Sauv is a triumph of the vintage. Dry and tart, with deep notes of ripe red fruit, subtle herbaceousness, and oaky tannins, it is perfectly palatable and leaves a lasting delectability that will carry you through the dark nights of the winter. A food-friendly kosher beverage, we recommend pairing this with your traditional Hanukkah brisket. 

Best natural wine for Hanukkah

As the global production of kosher wines continues to grow, we hope to add more to our collection. In the meantime, we’d like to offer a few more labels which, while not officiated as kosher, are made using sustainable farming practices and with zero additives. 

The “natural” wines in the Argaux cellars are consciously grown, and fermented using only the fruit, airborne yeasts, and the magic of time. Here are a few of our favorites. 

• 2018 Flâneur Willamette Valley Chardonnay – $28
  Another beautiful, deep, and fruity Chard to grace your table this holiday. The color alone inspires a honey-rich warmth and comfort to match the sentiments of the season. Lemon, almond, and spice on the tongue formulate flavors of a quintessential Chardonnay, white stone fruit and white flowers in the nose reminisce warmer weather. Organically grown and made with native yeast fermentation and without filtering and fining in the Willamette Valley, Oregon.
  

• 2019 Domaine de la Bonne Tonne ‘Cuvée Cléa’ Regnie Beaujolais – $50
  Something dark and earthy to compliment the weather, if you happen to be in a part of the northern hemisphere that sees rain. But this almost-black red wine, featuring red fruits, black berries, and a generous splash of spice, is as lively as they come, promising to be a light in the dark of winter. Organically grown and made with native yeast fermentation and without filtering and fining in Burgundy, France.
  

• 2020 Purity Wine Co “The Estates” Pet Nat – $26
  This delicious fruit punch of a pink wine is made with sustainable farming practices that actually give back to the land on which the grapes were grown. Patrons of this particular bottle are rewarded for the Purity Wine Co’s good deeds with a delightful blend of stone fruit, citrus, and strawberry sorbet. Organically and regeneratively grown and made with native yeast fermentation and without filtering and fining in Mendocino County, California.

A gift from Argaux

If you’re giving the gift of wine this season, Argaux offers a number of pre-packed collections that allow you to taste your way around the world from the comfort of your own home. Our baskets include the ‘Gaux to France Gift Box, including some of our favorite French libations, and our Food and Wine Pairing Kit that teaches budding oenophiles how to pair wines with their favorite everyday snacks.

Or, if you prefer to select your own bottles, we’ll wrap them up for you in sophisticated nesting boxes that are almost as beautiful as the labels themselves.

Everyone has one staple Thanksgiving dish that is their die-hard, go-to, there-will-be-no-leftovers favorite. And whether yours is mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans, or the centerpiece turkey itself, there’s a wine that will make it even better. 

When making your viticultural selections for this food-oriented holiday, it can be tempting to graph the cheapest, most abundant bottle on the shelf (especially if you have a long list of wine-drinking guests.) And while wine isn’t the main course, it can still make or break an enjoyable Thanksgiving meal. 

As always, don’t get too bogged down in the details. The important thing is that you like the wine you’re serving. If all else fails, get a case of your favorite and trust that you made the right decision. But if you want a little more guidance, here is a brief manual for selecting well-matched wines for your cornucopia, and a few bottles from Argaux that are just begging to come to dinner. 

How to Choose the Best Wine for a  Thanksgiving Feast

Thanksgiving meals are abundant, diverse, and can look wildly different depending on what part of the country you’re in. Especially if you’re taking the potluck approach to this meal, selecting the right wine can be tricky. 

So here’s how we recommend you do it: 

One, go for broke, choose a wide variety of different wines you know you like and let your guests be their own guide on this foodie adventure. 

Or, two, match your wines to either one central item on the table, or the general flavor profile if your cooking is more of a cultural experience. For example, if your family fries its turkey and smothers the mash with cheese, lean into a fat-friendly pairing with sparkling wines or drier whites such as a Sauvignon Blanc. 

Three, if you’re the chef de cuisine year in and year out, pick one or two bottles carefully selected to match the feel of each course. You can even assign a bottle for each of your guests to bring for better cost-effectiveness. 

Best Red Wine for Thanksgiving

• NV Anthill Farms North Coast Pinot Noir – $28
  A staple at every Thanksgiving banquet, this beautiful Pinot Noir is Autumn personified with notes of dark fruit, cinnamon stick, and crispy apple skin. Smooth and balanced, this wine pairs perfectly with poultry and simply must be sipped alongside your main course.

• 2018 Domaine Alain Burguet Gevrey-Chambertin ‘Mes Favorites’ – $105
  Drink this Burgundy at Thanksgiving 2021, or keep it in your cellar to drink in 10 years time. A truly exquisite wine, this Pinot is lush, deep, fruity, earthy, yet still entirely approachable and drinkable. Pairs wonderfully with any meat dish, or quiet post-dinner conversation.

Best White Wine for Thanksgiving

• 2020 Dominique Roger ‘Domaine du Carrou’ Sancerre – $31
  Bright and refreshing, this white wine is the ideal pairing for some of your fattier sides, or as a pre-meal aperitif. Subtle but with distinct notes of citrus, peach, and pear, sip alongside a buttery, cheesy mash for an elevated experience.

• 2019 Francois Mikulski Bourgogne Blanc – $44
  If your guests tend to go for breast and always have a glass of Chardonnay in their hand, this is the wine for them. Oaky, fruity, and nutty, this wine can either pair with the lighter bits of the turkey, or be consumed as a dessert in and of itself. 

Best Rosé Wine for Thanksgiving

• 2020 Chateau Barbebelle Aix-en-Provence ‘Héritage’ Rosé – $28
  Just look at that bottle. This Rose runs the risk of stealing the role of centerpiece at your next thanksgiving meal. Light, acidic, fruity, and floral, it is an excellent wine for cutting through some of the heavier dishes you might have at your table. 

Best Sparkling Wine for Thanksgiving

• NV Sorelle Bronca Extra Dry Prosecco – $22
  If you have nothing else at your banquet table, have Prosecco. Bubbles are always welcome next to an unctuous and carb-heavy plate, and this wine is particularly light and refreshing with notes of white peach, almonds, and just a hint of salinity. It’s also great in mixed drinks!

• NV Champagne Delavenne Pere & Fils Brut Tradition Grand Cru Champagne – $50
  True Champagne for an intimate and worry-free friendsgiving. A bubbling baked good on the tongue with notes of brioche, apple, and lemon, raise a glass of this exquisite non-vintage to toast health, friendship, and an amazing Thanksgiving meal.

Best Cheap Wine for Thanksgiving

• 2018 Quinta do Ameal Vinho Verde Loureiro – $22
  Light, tart, and savory, this budget-friendly wine is surprisingly powerful and strong enough to stand up against pricier bottles. Clean and refreshing, sip before or after dinner, as an aperitif or digestive.

• 2017 Jim Barry Cover Drive Cabernet Sauvignon – $18
  An exquisite display of Australian terroir for its price point, this delicious Cab Sauv is a wild mix of Eucalyptus, cola, vanilla, mint and dark fruit and presents a delightful challenge in identification for the oenophiles at your table.

How Argaux can Help

Here at Argaux, we believe that knowledge is power. And so we’ve made it our mission to help make learning about wine as easy as possible. We’ve put together a Blind Tasting kit for budding sommeliers who want to hone their skills and show off to friends and family this holiday season. Choose from our 2, 3, or 4-bottle box option and receive hand-selected, hand-wrapped wines from the Argaux collection, along with a comprehensive guide to the world of wine tasting.

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