Our November curator was chef Seung Hee Lee, the founder behind popular Korean Fusion pop-ups, author of Everyday Korean, and a seasoned wine expert. Seung Hee focused on wines perfect for gatherings — the ones we find ourselves at just as the air starts getting crisp and the leaves start to turn. Whether we’re huddling casually (safely) around a charcuterie platter or feasting over a Thanksgiving spread, these wines were made for enjoying with your nearest and dearest this holiday season.
The selection of wines was accessible yet varied, with something for everyone (from your pinot-loving auntie to the sophisticated guests who love high-acid whites) to love. Here are Seung Hee Lee’s notes on what we drank in November:
- Seehof Weissburgunder Trocken: “This wine is so high in acid. It reminds me of grapefruit LaCroix seltzer with extra lime juice, or like biting into an underripe pineapple after dipping it in the ocean, bright and early after sunrise. Try this wine with any finger foods or appetizers — especially something with goat cheese — and you’ll experience how the sharpness of the wine plays off the food.”
- Limited Addition Cabernet Franc Field Blend: “On the palate here, there’s Dr Pepper spice and pomegranate molasses, plus smoky notes like slightly burnt marshmallows. Do I have your attention or what? This will be great with American-style charcoal barbecue brisket. It will also satisfy those who say they want a ‘full-body’ red wine: This wine is definitely a philosophy-and-physics double-major kinda guy, who also listens to K-pop under the moonlight, just because. And you know the drill: Serve with a chill.”
- Limited Addition Sauvignon Blanc & Chardonnay: “This wine has everything I look for in a white wine: zippy acidity, medium body, a hint of oak that would satisfy ‘Cali chard’ drinkers, but also the purity that will attract natural wine drinkers. Nicely balanced, this wine is the universal ‘let's please everyone’ wine, but with a little bit of an attitude. It’s fresh like biting into a firm white strawberry with a bit of the leaf, melon sprinkled with smoked Maldon salt, or juicy gala apples surrounded by ripe Meyer lemon, mangoes, and a hint of grilled hazelnuts.”
- Cruse Wine Co. Monkey Jacket: “Easygoing, no fuss, and ever-so-charming. It’s a good alternative for your pinot noir-drinking auntie on Thanksgiving. It’s savory with notes of sage, purple fruits, raw oyster mushrooms, and even some moss.”
- Vignale di Cecilia Covolo Colli: “This is a merlot and cabernet sauvignon blend that’s light on the feet. A classic Italian red with medium body and acid, this evokes Italian plums, wet newspaper printed in ink made out of black licorice, and damp fall leaves. It’s not showy, but sometimes that’s what you need for a wide spectrum of holiday guests. It will be delicious with a hearty ragu covered in pecorino cheese with a side of crusty baguette.”
- Gaia Barbelino Monferrato Rosso: “Give it a taste and you'll see this wine is packed with plums, cooked cherries, raspberries, and blackberries mixed with aromas of sage, thyme, and perilla leaves (!!!) with balanced tannins. It’s silk stocking-like; nothing sticks out. For pairing, give me roasted chicken with glazed carrots and almond slices! Leftover turkey with sage stuffing on white toast would also taste fancy when paired with this wine. Or try it with soondae Korean boudin noir wrapped in perilla leaves and have your mind blown.”
- Masot Brut Millesimato Prosecco: “Nice and light, and completely celebratory. This is the wine I would pour as guests arrive for dinner and they start snacking on what’s already out. You get a gentle whiff of white flowers, mainly magnolias, jasmine, and plumeria; fine sea salt; poached white nectarine, and Meyer lemon oil, all encased in tingling beads.”
- Schlossmühlenhof Rheinhessen Riesling Trocken: “Give it a sip to experience racy acidity with classical tropical notes of pineapples and papaya, plus yellow flowers and underripe hard yellow peaches, ooh la la. I can drink the whole bottle, but thanks to that extra 250 milliliters, I might just be able to share. I love it nicely chilled with Korean spicy pork barbecue in a lettuce wrap.”