December is the time of year when wine sells the best.
Around Christmas, wine sales soar globally. In North America, where wine is consumed regularly, expensive wines start to sell like hotcakes from Thanksgiving, while in Europe, this trend begins in mid-December. The demand for wine to create a festive atmosphere also surges in Northeast Asia, including Korea and Japan.
In Korea, about one out of six bottles of wine sold during the year is sold in December alone. The distribution industry has established the common belief that 'in December, wine sells better than soju.' Especially as the culture of hosting light year-end parties has taken root, wine consumption during the year-end has steadily increased until last year.
It's a point that the wine industry cannot help but smile about. However, from the consumer's perspective, choosing a wine for year-end celebrations is always a dilemma. Even for consumers who think they are somewhat familiar with wine, stress builds even before purchasing as they ponder which wine suits the time, place, situation, and menu.
Foreign consumers who have drunk wine throughout their lives are not much different. Therefore, around this time of year, various wine-specialized media and journalists eagerly present lists of wines suitable for consumption before and after Christmas.
Among the dishes served at year-end dinners, meat dishes are prevalent. While it's said that all meats pair well with red wine, there are optimal combinations within that. Particularly, red wines made from Pinot Noir grapes are regulars on these lists.
Subtle yet pure and fresh wine.Not too assertive, making it easy to drink straight.When paired with food, it reveals an astonishing complexity.Jancis Robinson
Jancis Robinson, considered the most influential wine critic in the world, selected 10 wines made from the Pinot Noir variety among 44 wines suitable for year-end gatherings in 2022. That's one out of four bottles.
Since 2001, he has identified dozens of wines that pair well with Christmas each year. Not once has a Pinot Noir wine been absent from this list. Considering there are about 1,500 grape varieties used for winemaking worldwide, the standing of Pinot Noir as a year-end gathering wine is solid.
During year-end gatherings, it's common to choose special dishes rather than everyday fare. Many of these menus use various herbs and spices. Even a grilled beef steak is typically served with strong herb rosemary.
Western cuisine often accompanies year-end meat dishes with cranberry or raspberry sauce or mint sauce. Turkey dishes served with raspberry jam and Argentine beef and chicken served with chimichurri sauce are staples of Christmas dinners. Chimichurri sauce is a meat condiment made by mixing herbs such as cilantro and parsley with olive oil and salt.
Wine experts recommend opting for Pinot Noir wines, which showcase cherry or strawberry flavors and aromas, rather than Cabernet Sauvignon wines, which tend to be dry and have a bitter taste in the mouth, especially for these types of menus.
The scents of cranberry or raspberry, often used in Western sauces, are characteristic of Pinot Noir wines made from well-ripened grapes. The mint and parsley aromas also emerge as distinctive traits of Pinot Noir wines fermented with grape stems. When tasting wines with similar scents to sauces, they tend to cling to the food like a sauce in the mouth.
Pinot Noir pairs well even with popular Korean dishes like pork belly and chicken. The unique fruitiness of Pinot Noir helps cut through the grease that lingers in the mouth.
The key is the price. Consumers are reluctant to compromise on wines that match well with any dish. The price of Pinot Noir wines from the world's most famous Pinot Noir region, France's Burgundy, has been rising annually.
According to the Libex Wine Index, which quantifies wine transaction prices traded in global financial markets, the average price of 150 of the most famous wines in this region has increased by 16% over the past five years.
If the price of French Pinot Noir is burdensome, Chilean Pinot Noir is an excellent alternative for pairing with year-end meals. Chilean Pinot Noir typically has stronger cherry or strawberry flavors and aromas than its French counterpart.
Veramonte Ritual Pinot Noir exemplifies the virtues of this Chilean Pinot Noir. This wine uses Pinot Noir grapes grown at the highest elevation in the prestigious Casablanca Valley in Chile. The genius winemaker Paul Hobbs, known for crafting the famous Opus One wine, has applied many of the winemaking techniques used in France's Burgundy region.
To harvest the grapes fresh, the workers go to the trouble of handpicking the grapes in the cool dawn. They raise sheep in the vineyard. The sheep eat the weeds around the grapevines, creating natural fertilizer. All wines produced by Veramonte are certified organic.
This wine won the top prize in the new world red wine category priced between 60,000 won and 100,000 won at the 2024 liquor awards. The importer is Narasella.