Three Days Till Christmas: A Gift of Good Times

Be confident in giving wine as a gift or bringing wine to a holiday party. Here's a quick holiday drink guide from the previous owners of Urban Liquor.

Posted Sat, Dec 17, 2011 at 4:02 pm CT|Updated Thu, Dec 22, 2011 at 12:34 pm CT

Give the gift of good times to friends and family with a gift of wine or by serving a new Christmas cocktail.

Lynn Schoelerman, who operated for 25 years, and her daughter Nicole Schoelerman have these recommendations:

Give a white merlot this year rather than a white zinfandel. The white merlot is wine made without the grape skins and doesn't have the bitter aftertaste you may experience with zinfandels, said Lynn Schoelerman.
With turkey or seafood, try a Reisling wine from an Iowa winery such as Tassel Ridge.
With beef, she recommends Kendall Jackson Pinot Noir, a red fruity wine, or Pepperwood Pinot Noir.
For a bit of flair, get out the martini glasses and serve guests a Cosmopolitan, which is 2 ounces of vodka, half an ounce of Triple Sec, half an ounce of lime juice and a dash of cranberry juice.
Or buy the Smirnoff Cocktail pomegranate martini to serve.
Zing Zag -- a spicy Bloody Mary mix -- makes a great replacement for tomato juice in chili.
If the weather outside is frightful, serve peppermint schnapps with Bailey's Kalua, said Nichole Schoelerman.

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