Faves of 2019, Trends for 2020

Welcome back from the holidays, dear readers. I hope yours were filled with much love and much festive imbibing. It’s that time of year that tends to fill us all with both nostalgia and optimism, when we reflect on our past year and peer into the future… and in our world that means we talk about booze! Here’s what the Hollywood staff chose for favorites of 2019 and predictions for 2020. 

Hop in your Delorean!

First let’s go back in time and see what some of the staff fell in love with in 2019.

Blake’s favorite wines of 2019 veer toward the old school, and then the very old school.

Domestic Liaison Blake Conklin has two picks for 2019. The first is the 2015 Estate Chardonnay from the good folks at Melville, who have been making Pinot and Chard in the Sta. Rita Hills since before it was even an appellation. Blake fell in love with this all-stainless-steel rendition of Chardonnay, and says it nods to the elegance and definition of wines from Chablis.

His second pick for top spot is the 2018 Meskhuri Red Blend from the Republic of Georgia, one of the oldest winemaking areas in the world. This blend of red and white grapes are grown on 200-to-400-year-old vines! The wine is aged in the ancient Qvevri vessels, which are egg shaped, made out of clay, and buried underground. Blake says this wine sings to his wine geek heart.

Moulin de la Gardette from Gigondas produced one of its best wines ever in 2017.

Rhône and French Regional Buyer Keith Mabry chose the 2017 Moulin de la Gardette “Tradition” cuvée from Gigondas as his best of 2019. He says, “This is consistently one of my favorite producers. Every year they over deliver, but 2017 is one of the best I’ve ever tasted from them.” We’ve been working with this family-run producer since the 1990s, and the wines never fail to convey sexy complexity.

Clarksburg Chenin Blanc makes Shelby’s heart go pitter pat.

Shelby Griffiths, Domestic Liaison and Sacramento native/evangelist, chose 2018 Haarmeyer “SRV” Clarksburg Chenin Blanc as her fave. She loves the small-production project from Craig Haarmeyer and the ethos that drives it: to show the potential of the terroir of Sacramento vineyards by making natural wines together with his family. “Chenin from Clarksburg has a sweet spot in my heart,” Shelby admits.

Will is a big fan of Faith Armstrong Foster’s wines.

Will Blakely, Iberian Penninsula Aficionado, loves the 2015 Farmstrong Red Blend from the Suisun Valley in California, which is in fact the oldest appellation in the state. He says it’s his favorite bottle right now: “Great for winter, with notes of plums and holiday spice. It’s balanced and versatile. I’m a huge fan of this winemaker. The grapes are grown on 120+-year-old vines, and it’s like drinking a piece of California history.”

And here’s what our crystal ball says will trend in 2020.

Will says Sherry’s coming back in a big way, and to prove it, he chose a fantastic Amontillado from Bodegas Yuste. “This is not your grandma’s Bristol Cream Sherry! It’s dry, complex, and affordable. It would be absolutely great in cocktails” Sherry cocktails sound like a future I can get behind.

Shelby predicts that the producer Maitre de Chai will blow up in 2020. Here’s one of her faves: the 2017 "Stampede Vineyard" Lodi Zinfandel. She says, “It’s one of the pepperiest, lifted, and complex Zinfandels that I’ve had, coming from an area that people think produces only jam bombs.”

Blake’s betting on Oregon, but not for Pinot. He says Oregon Chardonnay is going to all the buzz in 2020, calling it “nothing short of incredible.” Check out Roserock, Evening Land’s Chardonnay from Seven Springs Vineyard, and the Extra Good White from Double Zero Wines for some excellent examples.

And there you have Hollywood’s beginning-of-the-year roundup. We’re all looking forward to a delicious 2020 with you.

- Kate Soto