Raise a Glass to Christmas and New Year with Festive Reds from California. Peter Morrell gets a taste of this year’s celebrations

As autumn fades into evenings of frosty air, twinkling lights, and the joy of festive gatherings, the spirit of the season comes alive. Embrace the celebrations with a collection of festive reds crafted to suit every palate and occasion. After all, there’s no better way to gather, toast, and create lasting memories than with a glass of wine in hand.

From a cosy evening with friends over lasagne and a glass of Dark Horse Merlot to a gathering with the silky Apothic Red, paired with indulgent chocolate treats, these wines are made for celebrating. Looking ahead to New Year’s feasts, delight guests with Mark West Pinot Noir, the perfect match for tender roasted pork or a wild mushroom Wellington, while the ever-popular Barefoot Merlot offers great value and crowd-pleasing appeal to kick off the celebrations.

Whatever your plans, these delicious Californian reds are sure to bring vibrant flavours, a smooth finish, and festive spirit to every occasion.

Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon

RRP £10, available from retailers nationwide

Intense yet balanced. This award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon is rich with notes of black cherry, plum, and warm toasted oak for a smooth finish, thanks to a unique French and Hungarian oak ageing technique. Its richness is the perfect complement to an indulgent winter warmer meal with friends and family. Try it with a juicy steak, roast beef or even alongside a cheeseboard.

Apothic Red

RRP £10.00, available from retailers nationwide

Apothic Red offers a tantalising texture and rich layers, with much to enjoy. Leading with Zinfandel, with deep dark fruit notes and subtle hints of spice, notes of blueberries and blackberries are brought to the bottle by the seductive Syrah, while its bold and beautiful structure comes from Merlot. This wine should be your go to for Christmas hosting, and pairs exceptionally well with indulgent chocolate desserts.

Mark West Pinot Noir

RRP £12.00, available from Tesco, Sainsburys and Ocado

Peter Morrell, Editor comments “I’ve recently tasted the Mark West Pinot Noir, and it is an ideal, versatile wine that will suit many events over the festive season. The wine pours a ruby red with flashes of garnet. The nose is a basketful of cherry and strawberry aromas with notes of cedar wood. In the mouth the wine is silky smooth, medium bodied and has a touch of acidity making it a good match for food.

“On the palate there are lively red fruit flavours together with smoke, vanilla and warming spices. The finish is deep and earthy with spicy touches and light floral tones. As a predominantly red wine drink I would chill it slightly and pair it with turkey. It’s also a good party wines and would also be a good match with cold cuts.”

Barefoot Merlot

RRP £8, available from retailers nationwide

The popular classic is the #1 selling Merlot in the country! It is full of cherry, raspberry and chocolate notes, with a smoky vanilla-oak after-tone. This merlot is medium-bodied and can be paired perfectly with beef bourguignon or mushroom stroganoff to enhance those rich flavours, or simply on its own. Enjoy this crowd-pleaser with friends and family.

About:

Dark Horse
Working side-by-side with 400 of California’s finest grape growers to earn the first pick of their harvest, Dark Horse brings you exceptionally crafted and well-balanced wine that over-delivers on your expectations. The wines are tasted 100 times before they are approved.

Apothic
Apothic blends Old World intrigue with modern sophistication to create exceptionally smooth wines. The winemaker lets the character and flavour of each grape variety guide the shape of these wines, creating enchanting blends that are bold in style and taste.

Mark West
Founded in 1978, Mark West wines have always aimed to crafting remarkable wines that deliver exceptional quality. Since their beginnings they’ve been devoted to Pinot Noir, drawing their inspiration from the world-famous winemakers of Burgundy to showcase the aromas, flavours and textures that make their wines unique.

Barefoot
Barefoot Wine & Bubbly started up in California in the 1960s. Its founders believed that wine should be more fun and less serious and created a wine that could be enjoyed by everyone from first-time wine drinkers to hard-core aficionados. Barefoot is the most awarded and No. 1 wine brand in the US and was introduced to the UK in 2009. The one thing the brand is serious about is making good wine and it has won over 2,000 awards for its range of wines worldwide. Staying true to its grassroots beginnings, Barefoot Wine & Bubbly gives back to local non-profit groups through charitable wine donors. Barefoot has also been an ally to the LGBT community for over 30 years!