Affordable BC Wines to Celebrate the Holiday Season

Sharing affordable BC wines priced $35 and under. All perfect for gifts or to add to your holiday season wine rack this Christmas.

Editor’s Note (November 24, 2020): The holiday season looks very different this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy and gift some lovely BC wines, right? These are perfect for gifting or to have on hand for your next bestie zoom catch-up. Even better, make sure everyone has a bottle so you can all enjoy the same wine like you would at dinner. Which we WILL be able to do again… soon.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and in my world, wine usually plays a big part of a) festive meals and b) gifts (both given and received). Between said meals and gifts, that can get expensive. Similar to this summer’s affordable wines post, Town Hall Brands partnered with me this holiday season to share some affordable BC wines to help you celebrate in quality #GetThrifty style.

The Brit and I tasted seven lovely BC wines over the last couple of months—Oh, the hardship, right?—and they are all spot on for the festive season. (And I’ve finally found a Riesling that I like. Success!) From turkey dinner to hostess gifts to ringing in 2020, you’re covered—and these wines are all under $35 CAD.

Town Hall’s co-owner Leeann Froese also sat down with me a few weeks ago for the City Girl Talks podcast, and she shares some more about these wines and what they pair well with. Have a listen here!

Consider versatile whites for holiday feasts

I don’t know about you, but I tend to have a smooth Merlot or versatile Cabernet Sauvignon with turkey dinner. But I shook things up a bit for Canadian Thanksgiving and took a bottle of Okanagan Crush Pad’s Narrative Riesling 2017 ($23 CAD) to dinner at our friends Meagan and Jordan’s house. This was a leap for me as I’m not usually a fan of the German varietals.

So, I was pleasantly surprised how well the Riesling went with the turkey and all the trimmings. I’m told the sweet and sour aspects of the Riesling grape are what makes it go well with savoury dishes—like turkey dinner or many vegetarian options.

Additionally, other versatile whites to consider:

• 2018 Quill Q White ($22 CAD) – Blue Grouse Estate Winery’s Quill line is a favourite of mine, and this white has only reinforced my love for the winery. This white blend (Pinot Gris, Schönburger, Gewürztraminer, Siegerrebe) goes with any meal (trust me!), and is a safe bet for a Christmas potluck or party hostess gift—when you never really know ahead of time what’s on the menu.
• Singletree Winery’s Siggy ($16 CAD) – Though the grape is a tongue-twister (Siegerrebe—pronounced see-geh-RAY-buh), Siggy is smooth as silk and one of my favourite wines that I’ve tried this year. It pairs well with everything, and I have it on my list to pair with a cheese and charcuterie board. (A suggestion from Leeann that I have no doubt will have my tastebuds doing a happy dance.)
• Singletree Winery’s Pinot Gris ($17 CAD) – This is a nice light wine with a smooth taste. The Brit and I had it with a lemon chicken couscous dish from our Hello Fresh delivery. I think it would also go well with turkey dinner. Let me know if you try it!

A red to covers all your bases

A red that I think I’ll be getting a case of early next year is the TIME Winery 2016 Meritage ($35 CAD). Not pronounced the fancy French way you would say L’Hermitage, Meritage is the North American version of a Bordeaux blend. (If that means nothing to you, it has Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc—a favourite grape of mine.) And it’s lovely. This is your go-to dinner table wine that will make everyone’s palate happy; or a fab hostess gift. Or pizza date night when your house is blessedly quiet after the chaos of Christmas.

A red that I haven’t had a chance to try yet is the un-oaked Narrative Syrah 2016 ($28 CAD). Leeann recommended it to me and—for me—Syrah’s tend to go with a hearty meal or some nice chocolate. Syrah or Shiraz also make for excellent stocking stuffer gifts. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like a solid Syrah.

Sparkling for anything and everything

While sparkling wine tends to to be associated with New Year’s Eve at this time of year, may I suggest popping open a bottle, just because, to share over some French fries or potato chips? I recently tried the Evolve Effervescence with my favourite Wavy Lays crisps and it was a life-changing experience for my tastebuds. (Thank you, Leeann!) It’s sister wine, the Pink Effervescence, has also become one of my favourite sparkling wines. And at $19.99 CAD each, this is a very tasty and #GetThrifty way to stock your holiday party bar or give as gifts to close co-workers and friends.

And before I forget, Okanagan Crush Pad’s Narrative line also has a sparkling that they call XC Method. It runs at $25 CAD, and I have my eye on it for a special occasion coming up in early 2020.

All of these sparking wines have the bonus of not having to worry about popping the cork out. Which, if you’re like me, can be a very daunting task.

Be sure to listen to this week’s City Girl Talks podcast episode where Leeann and I dig deeper into these affordable BC wines!

Happy Holidays!

A big thank you to Town Hall Brands, Evolve Cellars, TIME Winery, Blue Grouse Wines and Singletree Winery for partnering with me on this post. As always, opinions are my own.

*Photos taken by Rosemary Media