Best Rhone-style white wines for the holidays

Posted: 10:20 am, November 26, 2015 by Publisher Scott Brennan

Click here to check out our current 2016 recommendations

With the holidays just around the corner we put a call out to local wineries for their top holiday wine recommendations. They did not disappoint. When you celebrate the season, throw holiday parties, and plan your Christmas dinner consider pouring some of these tasty Rhone-style white wines.

We received so many excellent white wines we decided to showcase the Rhone-style white wines in one story and share the other top white wines in another installment of our best holiday wines series.

From the dozens of wines submitted, below are the best Rhone-style white wines we recommend. They are in alphabetical order. Serve them chilled.

Top Paso Robles Rhone-style white wines

Brecon Estate 2014 Viognier-Grenache Blanc – $27
This crisp and refreshing Rhone-style white earned 91 points from Wine Enthusiast. The score is well deserved. The blend has pleasant flavors of stone fruits.

Castoro Cellars 2013 Stone’s Throw Vigonier – $18
This wine is soft, delicious and very drinkable. An extended, cold fermentation in a stainless steel tank retained the distinct orange blossom, honeysuckle, and caramelized pear aromas typical in a Paso Robles viognier.

Cass 2014 Viognier – $24
This wine was cold fermented in stainless tanks to retain the varietal’s true character. It offers flavors of pear and honeysuckle. It’s a great wine to start a holiday party.

Derby 2011 Fifteen 10 White – $24
This blend has a floral smell with a juicy and well-balanced flavor. It’s a tad sweet; like biting into an apple. It’s a blend of marsanne, roussanne, grenache blanc, viognier, and picpoul blanc. It will pair well with fish, chicken, turkey, or vegetable dishes.

Eberle Winery 2014 Viognier – $23
This viognier is sure to be a crowd pleaser with its full-bodied fruity flavors and yet still dry. It will pair well with salads, pasta, and grilled fish.

J Lohr Gesture RVG – $35
This white wine blend of roussanne, grenache blanc and viognier has an almost effervescent quality to it. Hints of seawater, melon, and pear make for a refreshing and unexpected blend. Would pair well with poultry dishes. 4 stars.

Michael Gill Cellars 2013 Fleur de Xel Viognier – $32
This gold medal winner has aromas of white peach, hints of Meyer lemon and a creamy citrus finish. This viognier will pair beautifully with cheeses, appetizers and seafood dishes.

Powell Mountain 2013 Viognier – $28
This is a tangy, lightly fruity wine that’s light, smooth, and easy drinking. Its has notes of honeysuckle and citrus. It will pair well with fish or chicken dishes.

San Antonio Winery San Simeon 2013 Viognier – $18.95
This viognier is fruity but not tangy. Notes of honey and pineapple stand out in this easy-drinking wine with a remarkably smooth finish. A great go-to white for holiday gatherings, this Viognier is not sweet, but instead very fruit forward and well balanced.

SummerWood 2013 Diosa Blanc – $45
This Rhone-style white blend leads with viognier and marsanne. It has peach and mango aromas, rich peach and vanilla flavors and a hint of holiday spice.

Tablas Creek 2013 Esprit Blanc – $45
This is the winery’s signature white wine and always delivers. It’s a blend heavy in roussane with grenache blanc. It’s a fruity wine with a hint of spiciness.

Treana White 2013 – $24
This 50/50 marsanne and viognier blend is a delightful white Rhone blend. It rich gold color presents aromas and flavors of honeysuckle, blood orange and apricots.

Victor Hugo 2014 Estate Viognier – $20
From the aroma to the flavor, this is a classic viognier. With a bright aroma of honeysuckle and white peaches mixed with a light finish of oak, it is a wine that would compliment a seafood course, perhaps a salmon or swordfish dish.

Vina Robles White 4, 2014 – $16
Vina Robles proves a winery can deliver a solid wine at a reasonable price. This Paso Robles blend is viognier, vermentino, verdelho and sauvignon blanc. It has pear flavors with a touch of sweetness.

Additional wine recommendations

Publisher’s note: For the second year in a row we thought it would be a great idea to recommend local wines for upcoming holiday parties and meals. Once again, I had no idea how much participation we would receive from our local wineries. Over the last few weeks we received more than 100 entries. I was originally planning a list of 10 or so of the best wines, but after tasting and tasting and tasting, there were just too many solid, well-made wines to recommend. So we decided to break up the list of top local wines into categories. The recommended wines are in alphabetical order.