Welcome to the first installment of our 2023 Holiday Buying Guide. Each day, we’ll publish our best picks for gifts, parties, feasts, or for drinking while hanging ornaments on the tree. Key Accounts Specialist Chelsea Herholdt kicks us off today with her top three picks for gifts under $150. Chelsea scours the collectible wine market for rareties and exciting finds on the regular, so she’s a great guide to look to if you want to find a gift that’ll wow even the finickiest wine lovers.

K&L Wine Merchants Key Accounts Specialist Chelsea Herholdt with Champagne!

Best Champagne

My life's mission is to persuade people that Champagne is as much a food-pairing wine and digestif as it is an aperitif and celebratory accessory. The holiday season presents the perfect opportunity to further this mission. Over the next six weeks, my secondary mission is to guide you in selecting wines for holiday events that will impress your loved ones, even those well-versed in viticulture. With great pride, I introduce my award-winning selection for Best Champagne Under $150 that is guaranteed to impress your wine-loving friends and family: 2017 Vilmart "Grand Cellier d'Or" Brut Champagne $104.99. As expected, it will also convince you of Champagne's culinary versatility.

Champagne Vilmart has mastered the art of balancing richness and tension in a way that warms your soul while making you feel a bit more alive. The Grand Cellier d’Or, a vintage 2017 bottling, exemplifies this mastery. Its balance of weight and acidity allows it to complement rich foods like turkey, other meats, and cream dishes, while remaining refreshing. Those who appreciate fine wine will be thrilled by the quality of this stunning, attention-grabbing Champagne.

Best White Wine

While I may not have as clear of a life's mission centered around white wine, if I were to choose one, it would be to demystify Riesling. I assure you, I'm not alone among wine enthusiasts in this endeavor—trust us! The proud winner of "Best White Wine Under $150 That Will Impress Your Wine Loving Friends or Family" is the 2016 Trimbach "Cuvée Frédéric Émile" Riesling Alsace $89.99 97VN 96JS.

A Riesling? For the holidays? Brought to other people's homes? Absolutely, that's precisely what I'm advocating. Few white wines can stand their ground against fatty and salty foods as assertively as the Frédéric Émile, as it is a force to be reckoned with. Imagine citrus rind, fresh stone fruits, piercing salty acidity, and an invigorating vibrancy—just the pick-me-up a weary palate needs! This selection will undoubtedly catch the attention of your wine-loving friends. And if you subtly introduce it to those who harbor reservations about Riesling, you might just further my cause.

Best Red Wine

When it comes to bringing a red wine somewhere, most folks are a bit more at ease. So, how do you one-up everyone else without spending all your money? The primary notion I would advocate for is not to shy away from so-called “off vintages”—or even to actively seek them out, particularly when you're planning to drink now rather than cellar. For the holidays, if you're aiming to bring a show-stopping bottle that doesn't break the bank, look no further than the 2011 Montrose, St-Estèphe $119.99 94DC 94WE.

If you mention the 2011 vintage to a Bordeaux collector, they might just shed a tear. It was a challenging vintage across the board, with the highest scoring wines in Bordeaux peaking at 97, primarily among the First Growths. To me, this signifies that there must be some hidden gems within this vintage, likely reasonably priced, and capable of delivering a wow factor. The 2011 Montrose is a sleeper hit—powerful and structured, it has grown into its clothes a bit since its release. While it may not be a wine I'd rank alongside the absolute best of the vintage, its price point reflects this, and it remains a perfectly pleasing, well-crafted, and well-structured wine guaranteed to delight your guests this holiday season.

- Chelsea Herholdt, K&L Key Accounts Specialist