Intro to the 12 Essential Wines of Christmas
Good Wine Gal’s Guide to the 12 Essential Wines of Christmas was created (politically incorrect and all) to honor my history and offer up some joy in celebration. My forefathers were immigrants from Hungary, Scotland and Italy. My culture was a solid mix of Catholics, Protestants, Atheists, whisky, food and the occasional bottle of wine. It was a blessing and definitely a mixed bag yet delicious and memorable.​

Why you should read the guide
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​If you read the “guide” you may recall that I have a formula for wines for the holidays – a formula that suggests there are about a dozen bottles that are essential to capture the main celebrations. The last blog post shared red wine recommendations that bring comfort. This post recommends wines that bring joy! It also pays tribute to the great meals and noshing occasions that require the perfect bottle of wine to accompany the flavours and fun.​

Creating this wine order guide was fun and difficult. The fun was shopping the wine shelves, considering the bottle options. Perhaps it’s a similar feeling a book-lover has in a book store. Excitement and overwhelm. How could I choose just a few bottles of red wine with so many amazing bottles available? The question can be answered by another question: what is this wine going to be paired with? Whether it’s a turkey with the trimmings, a prime rib roast with Yorkshire pudding or an emotional phone call with the family, I chose red wines for this guide that resonated with me as I imagined the sensual pleasure of that first sip and the flavors and textures that would play a role in my enjoyment – yes even the phone call.