Every December my wine shop is poppin! And for good reason-- Holiday times are flush with gift giving, champagne celebrations and cozy moments drinking fabulous wine with people you love. I celebrate Christmas, so I wanted to talk about the history of wine during holiday times, the best varietals to please your in-laws, bottles to pair with tamales, and an updated take on an old Christmas-time classic: mulled wine. Head to the blog at Helen’s Wines for this week’s Cocktail Corner recipe: The Lighter Side of Mulled Wine. Wines that I am loving that I mentioned: Châteauneuf-du-Pape – My absolute favorite producer is Raya, but it's sold out. I love Chateau du Boursan as well, the balance of the fruit is magical. This Papi is so good and we have it at the shop right now! Chateau de la Font du Loup, Le Puy Rolland, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Grenache, 2019 White Burgundy – There are literally way too many white burgundies that are my faves, but here are my top producers at the moment:  Benjamin Leroux Domaine Roulot Athenais de Beru Alice & Olivier DeMoor Hubert Lamy Château La Fleur Garderose – Obsessed with these wines from Bordeaux, they are using minimal intervention and the wines are unfiltered magic. Also, they will definitely entice a classic Bordeaux drinker as well! Sadly, we are sold out of this wine at the shop, but you might be able to find some bottles online!  Visit Helen’s Wines for more information.   Hosted and Executive Produced by Helen Johannesen. Produced by Dear Media.