It’s one of the true blessings, and major stresses, of the holiday season: entertaining, especially when dinner is involved. Two-inch-thick grass-fed organic Cariboo ribeyes from Windsor Meats? Check. Pre-dinner cocktails, with the smart money being a perfectly executed Last Word built around crazy-good Glendalough Wild Botanical Irish Gin? No-brainer. Housemade Turtle Pie for dessert, made with real Turtles (the chocolates, not the reptiles)? Absolutely, because few things in this world are more delicious than the Johnson’s Candy Company’s 1918 invention. 

The only things left to worry about, besides the inevitable hangover? That would be the wine. We’re here to help with a six-pack of suggestions, three white and three red.

Finally, remember it’s the music that helps make a great dinner party. Start with Sufjan Stevens’ “Barcarola (You Must Be a Christmas Tree)”, the Good Lovelies’ “Auld Lang Syne”, and Titus Turner’s “Christmas Morning Blues”. And when you get to the inevitable point in the evening when everyone’s crying while singing “Fairytale of New York”, don’t forget that sometimes it’s okay to cry, especially when you’re happy. 

The Whites

Solvero Pinot Gris 2022

For a sign that Summerland-based Solvero has taken its entry this year into the BC wine market seriously, one need only start with the back label on its Pinot Gris 2022. Sometimes words say a lot, that being the case with “using minimally-invasive farming techniques, we strive to make a wine that is representative of the natural environment that surrounds us. Truth in product. Truth in nature. Truth in science. Truth in soil.” This first commercial release from Solvero, where award-winning winemaker Alison Moyes steers the ship, starts with grapes harvested from 22-year-old vines, and then fermented in neutral French oak barrels and stainless steel. The minerality is definitely pronounced, with ripe pineapple, fresh lychee, and floral jasmine adding colour. Mildly acidic yet offering a welcoming softness, Solvero Pinot Gris 2022 is perfect for those dinners where you decide to spring for Dungeness crab, knowing you’ve blown your entire Christmas bonus in one shot. (More info: solverowines.ca)

Township 7 7 Blanc 2022

Part of Township 7’s Provenance Series, this bright and zingy white required some crowdsourcing, grapes coming not only from the Naramata winery’s vinyards, but also from Raju Vineyard in Osoyoos and Fool’s Gold and Hidden Terrace in Oliver. A blend of riesling, pinot gris, gewürztraminer, chardonnay, and viognier, 7 Blanc doesn’t lack for bright and brash character, bursting with freshly-sliced reimer red pear, passionfruit, and grapefruit zest. The long and silky finish makes this one somewhat dangerous, right from the first sweet—but not too sweet—sip. (More info: township7.com)

Chronos Sauvignon Blanc 2022

Gorgeously light and airy yet still flavour-packed and juicy, Chronos Sauvignon Blanc 2022 starts with hand-harvested and hand-sorted grapes sourced from vines between Penticton and Okanagan Falls. The tropical notes are strong—green Ataúlfo mango, mandarin orange peel, and tart kiwi—with green apple and ripe wild gooseberry providing additional snap. You know how you’ve got that one friend who’s elegant enough for white-napkin dinner parties, but can rip up the dancefloor the second they hear the opening of Run-D.M.C. “Christmas in Hollis”? Chronos Sauvignon Blanc 2022 is a lot like that. (More info: timewines.com)

The Reds

Nk’Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Syrah 2019

What hits you first is the way that the Qwam Qwmt Syrah announces itself in the glass—all deep and beautifully jammy blackberries, cracked black pepper, and earthy licorice root. The colour, meanwhile, is a gorgeously regal midnight purple. If you’re predisposed to loving the sweet fruit-bomb classics of Australia, you might want to prep yourself for a slightly different experience. Medium-dry and quietly intense are starting points for Nk’Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Syrah 2019—the wine heavy with earthy tobacco leaf, smoke-whisped cedar, dried plum, and toasted allspice. Bold is indeed beautiful, as proven again by this complex, big-character triumph. (More info: nkmipcellars.com)

See Ya Later Ranch Rover Shiraz Viognier 2020

For a wine with such a huge, bold nose—think peppery Black Splendor plums—the Rover is surprisingly smooth on the palate, the oaky bass notes given a fruity tinge by the inspired addition of viognier. The winery that sits high above the Okanagan Valley coferments the shiraz with the white grape, that creating the Rover’s bright colour and aromatics. Whatever the magic that comes out of that mix, this is a wine with the muscle to pair with pork crown roast or rosemary-crusted holiday beef tenderloin, but not so much that it weighs a legit King Arthur-style feast down. And check out that distinct lingering peppery aftertaste. (More info: sylranch.com)

Blasted Church Small Blessings Mourvedre Syrah Grenache 2021

This classic Rhône-inspired blend of three southern grape varieties lives up to the promise of its gorgeous, festive ruby hue. Perfectly balancing the acidity, the Church manages to marry a fresh and fruity vibe that conjures fresh Nîmes strawberries with serious hints of leather and chocolate. More than anything it’s smooth and vibrant, the new best friend for your party olives and charcuterie. The usual handsome, cloud-emblazoned Blasted Church label makes it an artful house-warming gift. And, really, does any winery in BC have a greater name than Blasted Church? Savour a genuinely uplifting glass or two, and it’ll be all you want for Christmas. (More info: blastedchurch.com)