Wine and Champagne Sales Up During Holidays

Everybody and their dog seems to enjoy popping the bubbly on New Year’s Eve.

Champagne and bubbly wines have been a major part of New Year’s celebrations for roughly 1,500 years, and such traditions always impact the economy.

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's are the holidays that wineries have the biggest sales.

“We have a lot of people out of town visiting with relatives and they bring them out here,” said Drex Vincent, owner of the Christoval Winery outside of Christoval, Texas.

Vincent also explained that Champagne is overall the biggest selling product for the Christoval Winery.

“It’s our number one selling product annually, not just because of New Year's, but also we do a lot of weddings,” Vincent said.

The Christoval Winery is not alone, In Vino Veritas also sees the increased traffic when the holidays approach.

“We saw a big increase right before Christmas,” said Denise Castro of In Vino Veritas. “We will probably see another before New Year’s.”

All the white wines, especially any that bubble, are always a big hit.

“We stock up way in advance,” said Castro. “We have a lot of people drinking bubbly stuff right now.”

As of Friday, Dec. 27, Concho Valley Winery was completely out of their white wines, with many of the reds going as well.

“A lot of our sweeter reds are going now, people love sweet ones,” said Vicki Frazier of Concho Valley Winery.

While some wines can keep for a long time in the bottle, some are best enjoyed sooner rather than later.

“Wine is meant to be enjoyed now,” said Vincent. “We don’t make wine that should be collected and put on a shelf.”

Despite the alcoholic content, many wines contain enough sugar that they will ‘go bad’ if not enjoyed promptly.

“I would say drink it within three days, seven if you get the air out,” Frazier explained. She also explained that many wineries, including Concho Valley winery, sell stoppers that can remove the air from the bottles, ensuring freshness.

“It is a perishable product,” stated Vincent.

All the wineries will be open on New Year’s Eve, though some may have shortened hours.

“We encourage everyone to taste it before they buy it,” Frazier said. “Wines have so many different tastes that what one person likes may not be what someone else does.”

It is advisable to call each winery to see what their hours are so that you don’t miss out on the specials.

In Vino Veritas is located in the shops at Stadium Park. For more information visit www.invinoveritaswines.com or call 325-223-1045.

Concho Valley Winery is located at Concho Crossing on Concho Avenue. For more information visit www.conchovalleywinery.com or call 325-482-9463.

The Christoval Winery is located outside of Christoval. For more information visit www.christovalvineyards.com or call 325-315-8077.