Your Guide to the Best Wines this Holiday Season

If you’re not carving the turkey this holiday season, chances are you’re bringing the wine. From Thanksgiving dinner to yuletide gatherings and all the festive parties in between, there’s plenty of occasions that tempt revelers to throw up their hands in search of the "perfect" bottle of vine-ripened goodness. Popping the cork on your most intimate wine questions, San Diego Wine & Beer Company owner, Matt Francke, is sharing his fool-proof guide to get through the holidays, one glass at a time.

A San Diego native, Matt launched his career at a local San Diego winery, immersing himself in the art and business of the wine industry. It wasn't long before his entrepreneurial spirit led him to start San Diego Wine & Beer Company. 14 years later, San Diego Wine & Beer Company is the highest grossing wine and craft beer shop in town, known for their approachability and passion.

Matt and his team are curating and managing a selection of nearly 1,000 different wineries from all over the globe, alongside a local and imported craft beer inventory consisting of nearly 1,000 selections. Matt’s unique approach to the wine business allows him to carry inventory that is both rare & priced lower than almost every retailer on the market.

When planning for what’s arguably the most food-centric time of the year, Matt is excited to share a few nuggets of his barrel-aged wisdom, including:

+ THANKSGIVING: The perfect time to show off stellar West Coast grapes to those visiting from out of town, Thanksgiving hosts should plan to uncork around eight bottles of wine for every twelve people – four white and four red. Play around with full-bodied red blends and Pinot Noirs from Oregon, and big, juicy Chardonnays from California – these wines will help forgive a slightly dry turkey and add extra pizzazz to the traditional T-Giving spread.

+  CHRISTMAS: Use Christmas dinner as an opportunity to unleash your inner sommelier and get creative with your wine pairings. Using the rich flavors of seasoned lamb, fresh seafood or a more traditional roast as your jumping off point, don’t be afraid to uncork something unique and new to pair alongside. Spanish Tempranillos give guests that full-bodied experience, while Italian Nebbiolo appears delicate to the nose, but taste more robust than their Pinot Noir counterpart. Lastly, a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (I know not as unique), because who doesn’t enjoy a big, rich, flavorful Cabernet Sauvignon with a juicy roast! All three wines provide texture to your Christmas meal and will have guests lingering over their glasses long after dinner ends.

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