Ready or not, the holidays are upon us. Our favorite thing about the end-of-year season… food + wine! This season, give them something they actually want. So gather your tinsel and bows, get your yuletide spirit warm and let’s dive into the holiday provisions our Cellar Rat elves have prepared for you. 

The Texas Wine Club

This is the gist that keeps on giving. The Texas Wine Club curates the greatest Texas wines you haven’t heard of. They pull together reserves, secret stashes and club-only wines for a box of pure bliss, delivered to your door quarterly. It’s a great way to discover wines you may never have a chance to taste otherwise. It beats the Jelly of the Month Club, hands down. 

Learn More About The Texas Wine Club

Gift Certificates

There’s no better gift than a lifelong memory. Gift Certificates are an excellent option for those that already have everything. All wineries, breweries and distilleries in the Texas Hill Country sell them. The receiver can use them however they want (a gift with options?! Yes, please). Redeem towards a tasting, maybe an elevated experience or even just some bottles of wine ordered online. 

Better yet, buy them a ride with the best – Cellar Rat, duh! We have gift certificates for all of our tours as well as a dollar amount, if you want to give them full control of their plans. 

Order Your Gift Certificate Here

One of the most important aspects of holidays celebrations is, of course, the food and wine. Here are a few ideas to kick off your meal pairing plans. 

Appetizers

Bubbles. Starting a meal off with a light sparkler is always a good way to commence a meal. This year try a sparkling rosé. 

Turkey

It’s often misconstrued that only white wines pair with holiday turkey. Luckily for us that prefer reds, there are many varieties that match up well. Try your turkey with these: dry Riesling, Carignan, Sangiovese or a Zinfandel. 

Ham

To match the sweet and salty pork goodness of ham you need something with plenty of acid and fruit. Try a moscato if you lean sweet, Chenin Blanc, Rosé or a Zinfandel. 

Desserts

You’ve made it through your meal now it’s onto the sweets. This year play around with pairings such as sugar cookies with Gewürztraminer, a smooth port with your pecan pie or a Black de Blanc with your gingerbread. 

100% Texas

Here are a few of our favorite local producers you need to incorporate into your holiday menu:

• Pebble Rock Cellars
• French Connection Wines
• Lewis Wines
• Ab Astris Winery

For more inspiration, Joyful Healthy Eats put together a great list of foods that pair well with popular wine varieties. Read more here. 

Want to impress Uncle Charles? Grab a knife and saber all your bottles!

So basically, we recommend planning your holidays around wine this year. Drink plenty along the way. Cheers my dears!