Hollywood Sommeliers Pick the Wines to Drink, Gift and Collect This Holiday Season

Not every Hollywoodite can be expected to be as discerning in their wine selections as Miles Raymond, the infamously opinionated oenophile played by Paul Giamatti in 2004’s Sideways, the little indie that upended the industry. Thankfully, the town and its environs are full of sommeliers and other wine authorities only too eager to share their recommendations for year-end revelry, holiday gifting, and serious collecting.

“The holidays are always a fun time for wine,” says Thatcher Baker-Briggs, sommelier and owner of Thatcher’s Wine in Brentwood. “Although for me personally, I would have Champagne throughout the entire meal.” Baker-Briggs points to two smaller producers who grow their own grapes. “One of the most talked about and sought after is La Rogerie which is 100 percent Chardonnay and from a husband-and-wife team in their early 30’s who have skyrocketed into stardom.” Amaury Beaufort is his other pick. “It’s organically farmed which is hard to find in Champagne.”

Rebecca Phillips, sommelier and owner of Buvette and Vintage Wine + Eats agrees. “It’s a secret Somm trick — whenever you have a meal with a cornucopia of vegetables, meats, herbs, flavors, textures, go for a sparkling wine. They are the most versatile and they can be incredibly complex,” she says. One of her favorites is Larmandier-Bernier Longitude Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut (1er Cru). “It’s really all about the tart lemon curd/and zippy grapefruit and it has a really clean finish.”

Spice Things Up

Add some spice to your holiday gatherings with a peppery Syrah. “Syrah is by far the red headed stepchild of American wine,” says Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy. “Ironically it is often a favored variety amongst winemakers and sommeliers. It’s extremely versatile, has great weight but not too heavy, bright acid but not particularly acidic. It’s perfect.” McCoy prefers the more elegant styles of Syrah to pair with a holiday meal including 2021 Halcon, Haynes and Bedrock. Phillips is also a fan. “Syrah is such a fun grape because it has a chemical called rotundone (the same compound found in peppercorns),” she adds. “Higher tannins also make it a great food wine.”

David Fainberg, Wine Director for San Ysidro Ranch, the industry-beloved romantic hideaway in Montecito, is “enamored” with Story of Soil Duvarita Vineyard Syrah. “Made by the talented Jessica Gasca, this wine leans lighter, featuring ripe blue and black fruit notes, olive tapenade, and hints of green peppercorn.”

Another standout is Shiraz from Mount Langi Ghiran in Western Australia’s Grampians region, which is revered for its distinct pepper characteristics. Several studies have even been conducted around their old blocks and their wines are classified as some of the most peppery in the world. The delicately spicy Spear Estate Pinot Noir from Lompoc is another crowd pleaser.

Fainberg also recommends wines from The Hilt and Jonata. “The Hilt Radian Vineyard Chardonnay is exceptional, offering ripe orchard and stone fruit flavors balanced by bracing acidity—an incredible food wine,” he says. “For Jonata, I highly recommend the El Alma Cabernet Franc blend. It boasts dark fruit, pipe tobacco, licorice, and spice.”

Pick Pinot

There’s a reason Pinot Noir remains the reigning varietal, two decades after Sideways enthroned it. “Pinot is a nice cozy blanket you can come to but it’s light, so it won’t compete too hard with the flavors of the foods,” says Phillips.

Xander Soren Wines is a newer Somm-approved Pinot pick. “The wines of Xander Soren are micro-lot bottlings, intentionally created and formed to bring elegance and grace to Japanese cuisine. There’s something vaguely meditative about the Xander Soren Wines — if you could meditate while listening to John Coltrane,” says Jared Hooper, sommelier and wine director at Mayacama Golf Club. Having spent 20 years at Apple where he helped develop iTunes and GarageBand, Soren is working alongside winemaker Shalini Sekhar and they’re making noise — their wines are poured at Michelin-starred restaurants including Sushi Saito in Japan, The Shota in San Francisco, Single Thread Farm Restaurant in Healdsburg, and n/naka in Los Angeles. “Xander’s wines offer a delicate elegance with a subtle, spicy finish — perfect for the holiday season. These wines beautifully complement the sweet richness of the potatoes while maintaining enough boldness to pair seamlessly with the savory pork roast,” adds Shar Guillermo, Beverage Director at The Shota.

In search of another head-turning Pinot? “Rhys makes some of the best and most sought-after and collectible Pinot Noir in Northern California,” says Melissa L. Smith, Founder of Enotrias Elite Sommelier Services wine cellar management. “Based in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Anderson Valley, Kevin Harvey spared no expense with his winery. If you are lucky enough to acquire, you will want to cellar and age properly.” And Kosta Browne is what Fainberg describes as “iconic.” “Michael Browne and Dan Kosta played a significant role in elevating California Pinot Noir.”

Go for Gamay

It may not be on your radar yet, but Gamay is a varietal that’s having a moment. “It’s Beaujolais, which is a historical wine region — it just feels new to a lot of people because they’re just discovering it,” says Phillips. “Gamay is a great pairing wine and it’s light bodied, versatile, and juicy,” she adds. Pleasing picks include 2022 Lucy Gamay Noir from the Pisani Family in Santa Lucia Highlands and Ernst Storm’s Presqu’ile Vineyard Gamay.

Rosé All Year

Rosé is often associated with the glory of summer, but it’s a perennial winner. “Rosé all day? More like Rosé all year!” exclaims Phillips. “Rosé is great because it offers some red fruit flavors like watermelon and strawberry that whites can’t, while still being light and refreshing.” She likes 2023 Lemonade by Brianna Day from Day Wine in Oregon. “And my old faithful is the Domaine Tempier, a classic Grenache blend from the Bandol region of France,” she adds.

Other showstoppers are No. 1 Rosé from Tabalipa Wine Co. Costume designer Paula Tabalipa and her husband, Skechers co-founder Michael Greenberg, are behind the venture in partnership with Dragonette Cellars. Their grapes are grown on their historical 20-acre estate, Living Life Vineyard in Los Olivos. And while you may be well acquainted with Whispering Angel from Chateau d’Esclans, the esteemed producer from Provence, there are other significantly more posh offerings in their portfolio such as Les Clans and Garrus. “This is a classic producer from a classic region and if you’re looking at a sweet spot for pairings during the holidays, these will go with everything,” says Phillips.

Expand your horizons by looking beyond Provencal Rosé. The Upper Galilee Mountain range of Israel is 1,000 meters above sea level, and an ideal location for cultivating grapevines. The Galil Mountain Bar Rosé is a blend of Sangiovese, Pinot Noir, Barbera, and Grenache. It’s made in the saignée method and darker in color than pale, Provence-style Rosés.  “So many people think the color correlates to the sweetness level, and it does not; it’s simply an indication of skin contact,” says Phillips.

Gusto Gifts

Delighting wine aficionados on your gift lists isn’t easy, especially if the recipient is a devoted collector. But orchestrating a Ty Warner Wine Collective sommelier-led tasting inside the 14,000-bottle cellar at San Ysidro Ranch is a singular experience any unwavering connoisseur will relish. Visitors to the ranch, home to one of the rarest collections of Chateau Y’quem, can marvel over this prized allocation of the world’s most exalted sweet wine, which includes the fabled 1811 “comet vintage,” reportedly the costliest white wine ever sold. The cellar also houses a 70-vintage vertical collection of Chateau Petrus featuring every bottle produced by the estate in Bordeaux since the venerated 1945 vintage.

Gifting elite wines can make an impression, such as the majestic Chappellet 2021 Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon or Larkmead’s Solari Cabernet Sauvignon. Baker-Briggs also points to Jacques-Frederic Mugnier in Burgundy. “These are some of the most profound and collectible wines around!” he proclaims. And Roc Breia is what he refers to as “one of the most exciting young guns in Burgundy.”

Deliver a knock-their-socks-off moment with Château Ducru-Beaucaillou’s limited-edition Celebration Collection (from $28,000) — a striking assemblage featuring the equivalent of 100 bottles of their most sought-after offerings from the storied estate in Bordeaux.

Hidden Gems

Hidden gem wines can make an impact. Clos Solène is from another husband-and-wife team – Guillaume and Solène Fabre. Guillaume, who hails from a winemaking family in France, could have been making wine in Bordeaux but was seduced by the terroir of Paso Robles. Catch the crisp 2023 Hommage Blanc (coined as “the white wine for red drinkers”) and the smooth 2021 Fleur de Solène, a California red blend, while you can. And Phillips is “obsessed” with two Santa Barbara County winemakers — James Sparks of Kings Carey and Jessica Gasca of Story of Soil and Strange Family Vineyards (which just opened the prettiest tasting room in Los Olivos). “Kings Carey is so fun and modern, and the wines do really well for us,” she says. “And I love Jessica because she creates really delicious, interesting wines that are more nuanced.”

Constant Crowd Pleasers

Pouring classic crowd pleasers like Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon and Belle Glos Pinot Noir is also essential. “While these wines may not impress your unicorn bottle chasing brother-in-law, they will absolutely check the box for traditional California wines,” says Phillips. “They are sure to invoke the warmth of the holidays.”