As far as holidays go, National Wine Day—May 25th—doesn’t get the same sort of love as Memorial Day or Christmas. Sure, it’s entirely made-up, but there’s a strong argument to be made for taking the day off anyway.
The mock-holiday doesn’t get the same sort of retail love that National Chocolate Day or National Cheeseburger Day might, either. Some restaurants might offer discounts on their house wines. And Amazon-owned Whole Foods is cutting 20% off the price of rosé wine bottles. Otherwise, deals are few and far between.
That doesn’t mean there’s no reason to celebrate, though. Here are seven good choices to help you observe the day and celebrate the end of another work week.
2013 Long Meadow Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon
Expect big blackberry and plum notes on the nose the moment you open this Cab. It’s earthy and complex with the nice hint of charred oak. Velvety smooth, you’ll also get hints of vanilla and a slight spiciness.
2016 Tank Garage Winery Dream Police
Tank is one of the more exciting upcoming wineries around these days, specializing in small batch offerings. Dream Police is a red blend that’s superbly smooth with moderate tannins. It’s a medium-bodied offering that will bring black cherries and tobacco to mind.
2016 Saved Magic Maker Rosé
Rosés are the hottest blend around these days and Saved’s take on the style is a worthy one. Slightly acidic, it rides the line between white and red wonderfully, making it a perfect summer offering. You’ll get hints of fruit ranging from strawberries to peach, but it never strays into overly sweet territory. It’s a great choice for seafood dishes.
2015 Ravenswood Teldeschi Zinfandel
Big and bold, the opposite of a Rosé, this is an inky dark Zin that mixes blackberry, chocolate and pepper tastes together, layering them with cherry and vanilla. It’s robust and you definitely want to let it breath, but it’s a nice accompaniment to steak or a game dish.
2014 Hunt Cellars Imagination Pinot Noir Reserve
Like any Pinot Noir, you’ll taste plenty of dark cherry here, but the addition of raspberry, vanilla, and chocolate give it a really nice heft. It coats your mouth and explodes with flavors and the tannins are balanced wonderfully, preventing Imagination from overwhelming your palate.
2016 Substance ‘Cs’ Cabernet Sauvignon
From renowned Washington State winemaker Charles Smith, this value-priced Cab comes from the Columbia Valley and is wonderfully textured. It’s a smooth tasting, dark offering that has a big bold finish full of dark fruits and oak. Perfect with everything from burgers or pizza to a perfectly cooked ribeye.
Cooper & Thief Red Wine Blend
Bourbon-barrel aged wines are quickly finding an audience and if you’re curious to see what the fuss is about, Cooper & Thief is a good place to start. This is a jammy red varietal where the bourbon dominates the nose. As you’d expect, there’s plenty of vanilla, tobacco and leather in the taste, but the bourbon also adds a smoothness that goes nicely with the tannins.