10 Popular Wines for Holiday Parties in Colorado

Christmas, and the holiday season in general, in Colorado can mean heading to a "Holiday Party." Whether it's a friend in Fort Collins, a co-worker's, or gathering with family for a few hours of entertainment, many want to show up at the door with a bottle of wine. Wine just fits the holiday season, doesn't it?

There can be a lot of pressure when it comes to bringing a bottle of wine: How much should I pay? Is one bottle enough? What kind of wine should I show up with? Those are good questions. When it comes to "What wine," you can go with what everyone else is probably bringing, or you can be daring and grab something not as well-known, to stand out.

Of course, wine at holiday parties can lead to great conversations and laughter, but also to "over sharing" and heated exchanges. Be sure to eat at your holiday parties and take it easy on the imbibing of that gift of nature. Nobody wants to take you off their invite list for the following year, so mind yourself, as they say.

The folks at GourmetBaskets.com researched Google Search date to determine what holiday wines people search for: A.K.A - The Most Popular Holiday Wines, putting together a list of the 10 most popular for holiday parties. Let's go from least popular to most popular.

#10 - Chenin Blanc (White.) Perhaps a nice Beringer
#9 - Malbec (Red.) Maybe you'd like to bring OBC's Malbec.
#8 - Shiraz/Syrah (Red.) Sweet Heart Winery has a great Syrah blend.
#7 - Riesling (White.) I have an ex who's a fan of Robert Mondavi's.
#6 - Merlot (Red.) A newer Loveland winery carries their Colorado Merlot.

Those five wines, above, you would bring if you want to stand out - "I didn't bring one of the usual suspects.." But then, you may stand out for not bringing one of the "big hitters" when it comes to holiday wines. Let's take a look at THE most popular holiday wines.

#5 - Chardonnay (White.) Kendall Jackson is always a winner.
#4 - Pinot Grigio/Gris (White.) Pick up a bottle of a Colorado Gold Winning one.
#3 - Sauvignon Blanc (White) Bring the great one from The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey.
#2 - Pinot Noir (Red.) Maybe make your first stop into a DaveCo to find one.
#1 - Cabernet Sauvignon (Red.) Everybody loves a 'Cabernet Sav.' Make a trip up to Estes Park to get Snowy Peak's.