<a href="http://myplanetavino.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/cava-elisabet-raventos-2002.jpg" title="cava-elisabet-raventos-2002.JPG"></a><a href="http://myplanetavino.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/cava-on-ice1.jpg" title="Cava chilling on ice"><img align="left" src="http://myplanetavino.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/cava-on-ice1.jpg" alt="Cava chilling on ice" /></a>The holiday season, with its lengthy and varied meals, is the perfect moment to try many different styles of wines.  Holiday meals also offer a challenge with regards to wine matching:  it's tricky to find a wine to match so many flavours. 

During the holiday season, I'm going to rate the wines I'm choosing for my clients and my family.   The holidays here in Spain are like a marathon, the festivities don't end on New Years…we have a whole other round of big meals for the Epiphany holiday on 6 January!  The flavors for the holiday meals are different here, but just as challenging….fish and lamb are common, though you can find turkey as well.  Shellfish, cured meats, and foie all play important roles.  

There are two categories of wines that lend themselves especially well to the holiday season, both in the US and in Spain:  sparkling wines and dessert wines.  I'll be focusing on these two categories a lot…but they'll be plenty of holiday reds well!

Below I'm briefly recommending some of my favorites…look out for full tasting notes and more holiday wines!

Sparkling wines….I think it is a shame that many people see these as wines to toast with.  They are actually some of the most versatile wines when it comes to matching, and there is nothing I like better than to drink a great sparkler throughout a holiday meal! 

<a href="http://myplanetavino.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/cava-elisabet-raventos-2002.jpg" title="cava-elisabet-raventos-2002.JPG"><img align="right" src="http://myplanetavino.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/cava-elisabet-raventos-2002.jpg" alt="cava-elisabet-raventos-2002.JPG" /></a>Medium priced cavas (around 10-20 euros) are high quality wines that are just as much wines as sparkling.  They offer complex aromas from careful and long aging as well as an elegant and well integrated bubble.  They have little in common with the lesser cavas offered at reception and parties for toasts!  These cheaper cavass (8 euros or less) offer simpler, sappier flavors with a very agressive bubble (more similar to Coca.cola!) Two high quality cavas I recommend that are very good value are the Gramona Brut Imperial Gran Reserva 2003 (14€) and the Raventos i Blanc Cuvée Elisabet Raventos Gran Reserva 2002 (16€).    

Cava is one of the worlds best value, quality sparkling wines but sometimes you just have to have champagne!   But I often despair at the prices charged by the large producers for their basic brut champagnes….champagnes that are often mediocre at best.  Here in Madrid most of the large houses offer their wines at 30-40 euros!  I much prefer to stick to some of the smaller producers, which can be tricky to find here.  Some that are great value and easy to find are the champagnes of Pierre Gimmonet…they are all sold at Lavinia for 22-26 euros, and are fantastic!  Though I usually prefer champagnes made from black grapes, these Blanc de Blancs have become some of my favorites!

Next up:  Spanish dessert wines for the holidays….