As we bid adieu to the end of 2023, we raise a glass with a few fun, festive, and delicious wines we enjoyed throughout the year. This year has been filled with wonderful adventures and crazy experiences that we are pleased to say we survived and came out better on the other side. Cheers to you, to drinking the good stuff, and to appreciating the gift that every day is.

Bubbles are always an appropriate way to toast, and Enrico Serafino showcases a beautiful option in its Alta Langa DOCG Oudeis Brut sparkling wine. The wine is crafted in the traditional method in the Piedmont region of Italy from predominantly Pinot Noir with a touch of Chardonnay fruit. The sparkler is rich and well-rounded, with balanced layers of citrus and white flowers, ripe orchard fruit, and yeasty, fresh-baked bread. It is the perfect option to enjoy with seafood, like oysters or caviar, or simply on its own to start or end an evening.

If you have felt like you were living in a bit of a conundrum this holiday season, let Conundrum White Wine clear everything up. A proprietary blend of white varieties, the fragrant wine is fresh, juicy, and lively. Aromas of honeysuckle and lemon blossom give way to citrus, melon, and orchard fruit flavors, showing fruit-forward flavors and a nice pop of acidity on the finish.

Though we always love a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay on our table, we also celebrate wines that show beautiful flavor and have an interesting pedigree. From Paso Robles, Thacher Own-Rooted Shell Creek Ranch Chenin Blanc from Paso Robles. The 50+-year-old vineyard was planted on its own roots instead of being grafted to American rootstock as most wine grapes are today. The wine is zesty and fresh, with grapefruit zest, pear, and crushed stone, perfect with seared scallops with a citrus salad.

Balanced and well-rounded, Bouchaine Napa Valley Estate Pinot Noir is fresh, balanced, and easy to enjoy. From the winery’s estate in the Carneros region of Napa, where cooling breezes blow throughout the day, ensuring grapes have vibrancy and freshness. The wine opens with fresh raspberry, cherry, and pomegranate, which meld with black tea, cola, and a touch of spice, making it a great food-pairing wine. Enjoy with grilled salmon, roasted turkey, or the rest of your holiday ham.

One of the prettiest Rosé wines we tasted all year came from Epoch Winery in Paso Robles. Where many Rhone Valley-inspired Rosé wines lead with Syrah or Grenache, this beauty shines thanks to the dominance of Mourvedre in the wine’s blend. Mourvedre is a sun-loving, bold red variety with inky color and rich tannin. When lightly pressed after minimal skin contact to create the Rosé blend, the grape lends roundness and body to the zesty, vibrant wine. Adding Syrah and Grenache brings in layers of ripe raspberries and wild strawberries with a touch of crushed stone and pomelo.

Along the same lines of pretty wines, Tolosa Primera Pinot Noir is silky, luscious, and the ideal way to showcase how a long growing season with extensive amounts of refrigerated sunshine will produce stellar fruit in Central California’s SLO Coast/Edna Valley. The wine has length and structure, with a rich texture that begins in the front palate and lingers all the way through to the back. The open brings wildflowers and ripe berries, followed by layers of cherry and blackberry on the palate with a subtle hint of woody herb and cocoa. This is the wine you stop and have a conversation over while sipping slowly.