Looking for the perfect wine to impress your guests this holiday season? Discover 10 French holiday wines that are guaranteed to delight—even if you’re not a wine expert!

10 French Holiday Wines That Are Sure To Please

Beginning with Thanksgiving, the holiday season is perfect for enjoying fine French holiday wines with friends. Ample holiday dinners go well with substantial wines; it is the season for champagne. You also want a bottle or two to bring to a dinner as a guest – definitely, something not last minute.

Here are 10 French Holiday Wines to serve or offer your host:

• Simonnet-Febvre Chablis
• Albrecht Pinot Blanc Reserve cuvée Balthazar
• Château Canon 2002
• Châteauneuf du Pape Sablon (Roger) Reserve
• Bastor Lamontagne
• Courvoisier Exclusif
• Taittinger “La Française” 
• Pol Roger
• Cedre “Heritage” Cahors
• Rocher Figeac St. Emilion 

All this takes some planning, so let’s chart the occasions for which French wines will be enjoyed. There will be three festive dinners – Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Add champagne for New Year’s Eve, a fine Sauternes to finish the holiday dinners and Cognac or Armagnac of course.

Holiday Wines-Perfect for Any Meal

• You’ll want several bottles of chilled Chablis to begin these three festive dinners. I suggest three bottles of Simonnet-Febvre, for a festive touch. Recently bought by Latour, Simonnet-Febvre is living up to its promise now, and the prices haven’t risen yet to match the value.
• This is the perfect season to savor golden Sauternes wine with dessert. A little goes a long way, and I’ve found that a well-stored bottle will last throughout the season, with desserts (not too sweet) for all three festive meals. I suggest a bottle of Bastor Lamontagne.
• And of course, you’ll want some Cognac. Try a Courvoisier Exclusif, a long aged VSOP.
• You will of course be going to a friend’s house for dinner during the season. Bring a bottle of Rocher Figeac St. Emilion and ensure you’re welcome!

Holiday Wines-Thanksgiving

A perfect French wine choice for Thanksgiving is a matter of individual taste. Roast turkey probably doesn’t go well with red wines, and many whites wouldn’t have the heft. My choice is a fine Alsatian wine, an Albrecht Pinot Blanc Reserve cuvée Balthazar.

Holiday Wines-Christmas/New Year’s

• Christmas on the other hand usually features succulent roast beef, and Bordeaux is the logical choice.
• I’ve found a well-aged St. Emilion premier grand cru, a Château Canon.
• For New Year’s Day, perhaps you’ll be serving game, duck, or goose. Here a fine Châteauneuf du Pape is called for, perhaps a magnum of Sablon (Roger) Reserve. Nothing says festive occasion like one of these double bottles!
• Your champagne for New Year’s Eve is a matter of individual taste. The major Champagne houses have a selection of fine quality non-vintage champagnes. The one you choose should be your preference (light, such as Taittinger, or more full-bodied, such as Pol Roger). Let’s choose a bottle of Taittinger “La Française”.

One of my seasonal treats is to make a real Cassoulet, a classic dish from Toulouse, with leftover goose or duck simmered for hours with spices and white beans in the slow cooker. It goes perfectly with a fine Cahors from the Southwest, say a Cedre “Heritage” Cahors.

That makes 10 delicious French Holiday Wines and many memorable occasions.  With luck, if you buy a case of mixed wines, ask your retailer if there will be a per-bottle discount. We’ll never tell you got a bargain!