VinoDuo is Lisa & Gary. Engaged in Sonoma. Honeymooned in Napa. Vacationed in
Temecula (CA), Woodinville (WA), and other off the beaten path wine regions. We’ve married our love of wine with our passion for travel, visiting lesser-known wine regions throughout the United
States. We’ve got strong opinions about the pros and cons of each wine region and this is our forum for airing and sharing them.
Beyond the Usual Suspects: Holiday Wine Choices from Small Producers
Posted by Lisa at 11/15/2007 8:03 PM 
Categories: Good 'n Cheap Good 'n Pricey,What to drink what to buy,Wines for the Holidays
Categories: Good 'n Cheap Good 'n Pricey,What to drink what to buy,Wines for the Holidays
Walk into any wine shop before Thanksgiving and the first thing you see are cheerful holiday displays with names we’re all familiar with: Mondavi, Kendall-Jackson, Yellow Tail, Woodbridge. These “usual suspect” wines are produced by giant corporate entities, with annual production in the thousands of cases. Many of the popular “smaller” wineries—like DeLoach, Hardy’s, and Hogue—have given up their independence in exchange for a more secure future.
The quality of mass-produced corporate wine ranges from lousy to good to great. And the prices can’t be beat. But if you walk a few steps beyond the large displays into the aisles of your local wine shop you’ll find hidden gems from smaller wineries—many of them family-owned—where the passion for winemaking still comes through in the look, feel, and taste.
At VinoDuo we’re evangelists for smaller wineries. And while some of the wines we recommend are in fact produced at factory wineries, our hearts belong to the independent producers. So we’ve compiled a list of best-loved wines that can beat the usual suspects on quality and come close on price. Most are family-owned businesses. Some are owned by other wineries but have kept their “small producer” approach to winemaking.
It might take a little extra work to find them, but we guarantee you that there are great wines from smaller producers to be found in your local wine shop for gifts or enjoying at home this holiday season.
Where to find VinoDuo’s suggested wines
If you can’t find these wines in your local wine shop, try ordering online. If you live in Massachusetts, you may have trouble getting the wine shipped to you, although we’ve had great success with Wine.Com. If you are stymied, find a friend in Rhode Island or New Hampshire!
General Wine Sites
Winery Web Sites
The quality of mass-produced corporate wine ranges from lousy to good to great. And the prices can’t be beat. But if you walk a few steps beyond the large displays into the aisles of your local wine shop you’ll find hidden gems from smaller wineries—many of them family-owned—where the passion for winemaking still comes through in the look, feel, and taste.
At VinoDuo we’re evangelists for smaller wineries. And while some of the wines we recommend are in fact produced at factory wineries, our hearts belong to the independent producers. So we’ve compiled a list of best-loved wines that can beat the usual suspects on quality and come close on price. Most are family-owned businesses. Some are owned by other wineries but have kept their “small producer” approach to winemaking.
It might take a little extra work to find them, but we guarantee you that there are great wines from smaller producers to be found in your local wine shop for gifts or enjoying at home this holiday season.
Where to find VinoDuo’s suggested wines
If you can’t find these wines in your local wine shop, try ordering online. If you live in Massachusetts, you may have trouble getting the wine shipped to you, although we’ve had great success with Wine.Com. If you are stymied, find a friend in Rhode Island or New Hampshire!
General Wine Sites
Winery Web Sites
- Bernardus Winery
- Burgess Cellars
- Castle Rock
- Chalone Vineyard
- Excelsior
- Four Vines
- Hall
- Hanna Winery
- In Situ
- Kaesler
- King Estate
- Liberty School
- Mauritson Wines
- Mollydooker
- Pedroncelli Winery
- Seabiscuit Ranch
- Silver Lake Winery
- St. Supery
- Torbreck
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