“Whoever receives friends and does not participate in the preparation of their meal does not deserve to have friends.” – Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
During the holidays, everyone wants to talk about what to drink along with dinner. We are bombarded with recommendations for Cru Beaujolais with Thanksgiving turkey, Champagne with New Years, and robust red wines with a Christmas roast. But an equally important question is what should one drink while preparing these holiday feasts? What’s the perfect holiday daytime drink?
I bring this up because there is a perfect holiday wine, and it’s one that not nearly enough people know about. This piece, in short, is an ode to a wine from the tiny French appellation of Bugey-Cérdon, historically known as a “Christmas wine” and one of the most versatile, quaffable wines around.