Bællevin x Simply Grapes Tasting: Cool Wines For Cool Times

Fall has fallen, winter is knocking, and it’s time to do what we do best: gather indoors, break bread, catch up, and drink bloody good wine with our favourite people.

Sure, we all know the big bearded man’s arrival calls for the bold, heavy reds. But what about the festive warm-up? The pre-Christmas parties, the julefrokosts, the company gatherings? What do we drink before the big guns come out?

Relax. We’ve got you. From festive bubbles to seriously good dinner-party pours, we’ve rounded up the wines to see you through the season like the well-trained sommelier you never knew you were. Cool wines for decidedly cool times.

For this month’s tasting, we’ve enlisted one of our favourite purveyors of the good stuff, Maddy Kostros of Simply Grapes, to curate a lineup that hits just right. Think festive fizz, vibrant whites with a little winter weight, orange wines made for lingering (not beachside chugging), and perhaps a red with a bit more meat on its bones. Because let’s face it, it’s stew season after all.

Maddy has five adult-sized glasses ready to pour, along with stories about the lovely people behind the bottles. We’ll bring the snacks. You just bring yourself (and buy a ticket to RSVP).

Pro tip: Bring a bag. Something tells us you won’t be leaving empty-handed.