After dredging through a hard winter, spring and summer zipped by like a fleeting moment, and just like that, here we are standing on the porch of another New England winter with the holidays upon us once again.

With that, most of us make our largest purchase of wine around this time and positive feedback throughout the year regarding my previous "Shopping Lists" has led me to yet another. Though this list makes no claims to cover it all - especially since it is largely not vintage specific - I do hope it takes some of the guess work and stress out of shopping for your holiday wines and perhaps adds a little enjoyment as well.

I've also added a new twist to this year's list and assembled my "Top 10 Wines of the Year" as well as "Winery of the Year". This "Top Ten" does not focus on wines that cannot be found, like the suprisingly magnificant first release St. Francis Merlot from 1979 with a taped-on-hand-written label dug out of my cellar recently and enjoyed with friends, but rather wines I've tried throughout the year that represent good value regardless of price and with decent availability.

This list will hopefully cover a wide enough range of wines to make any and all guests happy, including boisterous, wine-quaffing uncles who will drink whatever you pour in their glass, to the sweet old, pink-wine loving granny, or even the wine-swirling, burgeoning connoisseur next door. But mostly, and hopefully, it will please you.

Champagne and Sparkling Wines:

There's no better time for bubbly than the holidays, though its very essence is festive no matter what time of year it is served. Here are some of my long-time favorites.

CHAMPAGNE

Pol Roger, Heidsieck Brut Monopol, Mumm and Corton Rouge.

SPARKLING:

Roederer Estate L'Ermitage, Scramsberg Rose as well as Blanc de Noir, Gruet Rose, Marques de Gelida and Zardetto Prosecco.

Whites for before dinner, first courses, or on their own:

Something light or even off-dry whets the appetite and gets the juices flowing making your guests note the wondrous, wafting aromas coming from your kitchen.

Kumeu River Sauvignon Blanc, Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc, Matua Sauvignon Blanc, Kesselstat Riesling, Schloss Sarrstien Riesling Spatlese, Hayman and Hill Interchange white, Caymus Conundrum, Redde Sancerre, Trimbach-Frederick Emile Riesling, Sanford Chardonnay, Banfi San Angelo Pinot Grigio, Alma Rosa Chardonnay, Garcia Grande Verdejo, Muga White and Taz Chardonnay.

Light to Medium-Bodied Reds

Sometimes you just want to have a glass of red wine without food. Here are some that will do nicely for that as well as accompanying lighter foods.

Dom. Les Palliers, Belle Vallee Whole Cluster Pinot Noir, Taz Santa Barbera Pinot Noir, Falesco Vitiano, Corvo red, Dom. Tempier Rose, Dom. Dupeuble Beaujolais and Perfecta Merlot.

Medium to Full-Bodied Reds

I could write a thousand favorites here as it is surely my favorite category, but I'll show some restraint and add just a small batch. Sometimes reds taste tight or tannic. Try decanting the wine to aerate it. You don't need a fancy wine decanter for this, just pour it into something large enough (made of glass and odorless) to hold all the wine with room to spare. This will soften the wine almost instantly.

2005 Bordeaux from any appelation - but St. Julien is my favorite. Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages, Venta La Ossa, Roshambo Zin, Sea Smoke Pinot Noir, Boarding Pass Shiraz, Atteca Grenacha, La Palazzola Rubino IGT, Falesco Montiano, Renieri IGT Toscano, Traphiche Broquel Cabernet or Malbec. Tignanello, D'Arenberg Footbolt Shiraz, Neyers Syrah or Cabernet, Merriam Cabernet Franc, Justin Isosceles, Four Vines Maverick Zin, Mitolo G.A.M., Tres Picos Garnacha, Cuvaison Pinot Noir, St. Clement Cabernet.

Port, Sherry and other Sweet Wines

A good bottle of 20-Year Tawny Port is always a staple at my home for the holidays. Try Tawny's Port with good quality milk chocolate and Vintage, LBV and Ruby Ports with dark chocolate.

Warre's 20 Year Old Tawny, Dow LBV, Churchill's 10 Year Tawny, Taylor Fladgate LBV, Dios Baco Anontillado Sherry, Sandeman Character Sherry, Inniskilin Riesling Icewine, Banfi Rose Regale and any of the 2005 Sauternes now available.

TOP 10

(My wines of the year in no preferred order)

2006 Einaudi Dolcetto Di Dogliani

2005 Casa Del Diablo Privada Cab/Syrah

2006 Bele Vallee Pinot Noir Whole Cluster

2007 Matua Paretai Sauvignon Blanc

2006 Dog Point Pinot Noir

2006 Sandford Chardonnay

2005 Juan Gil Jumila

2005 Razor's Edge Grenache/Shiraz

2005 Chateau Senejac Bordeaux

2005 Morgan "LL" Pinot Noir

Winery of the Year:

Clayhouse - Paso Robles, CA

Just about anything I've tried from this winery was a winner. Extremely high quality wines which typically sell for well under $20.00 a bottle.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!