During the rest of the year, I love to drink a wide variety of wine. Come the holidays, I tend to drink quite a bit of Cabernet. While great Cab can be found globally (France, Chile, and the Pacific Northwest), I am a sucker for Napa Valley Cabernet. However, a barrier exists for me, and I am sure many of you. Napa is expensive real estate – so that designation on the bottle sets the starting price well above where the rest of the global market begins. But, it is the holidays… and while the Girard Cabernet still is not an everyday price point for almost all of us, it most definitely delivers a true Napa Cab profile for a great sale price. Girard Winery has been making wine in Napa for four decades, and yet have managed to fly under the shadow of many of their more well-known neighbors. No corners are cut here. The texture is dense – think brownie versus chocolate cake, and the finish is long and satisfying. This is a special wine to celebrate the holidays. - Noelle Starr