Our Favorite [Cranberry] Wines for the Holidays
When it comes to Thanksgiving, cranberries are a love/hate relationship for most folks at the dinner table. It could be the gelatinous sticky texture, flashbacks to Aunt Mildred’s cranberry/jello/pineapple concoctions as a kid…or it could be the can rings still indented on the loaf plopped on the plate. Whatever it is, they’re a holiday staple at most Thanksgiving tables, but many folks tend to pass over them to make room in their bellies, and plates, for more favored dishes.
Why not skip the hassle of making homemade cranberries (or canned, we don't judge!) this year in favor of some delicious tart, yet sweet, cranberry WINE? Here we have a lineup of our fave local cranberry wines that won’t disappoint.
Prairie Crossing Winery, 2020 Cranberry ($13 available online or in stores) - Reminiscent of Grandma's kitchen and holidays past; this crisp, fruit-forward cranberry wine will compliment any festive gathering. Serve chilled with your traditions, old and new.
Eagles Landing Winery, Cheers ($11.95 available online or in stores) - It can be a holiday everyday with this sweet and tart cranberry wine. Cheers is best served with pheasant, quail, turkey or pork, so it compliments a variety of holiday main dishes.
Wooden Wheel Vineyards, Clara’s Cranberry ($15.00 available online or in stores) - A deliciously sweet cranberry wine with juicy cranberry aromas on the nose and a sweet, yet tart finish, definitely making it a suitable replacement for the jelly-like side dish.
Ackerman Winery, Dry OR Sweet Cranberry (both available online, $14 each or in stores) OR if you’re looking for a fun spin on things, check out their special holiday labels Bah Humbug/Christmas Wine on their Lovers Wine, which is cranberry/plum, (available at the winery for a limited time only) - We’d be remiss if we left off Ackerman Winery from our fruit wine list. Their fruit wines have consistently won Best of Show Fruit at the Iowa State Fair Commercial Wine Experience and have a presence each year at the Iowa Wine Experience. For cranberry wines, they sure don’t disappoint, offering both a sweet AND a dry option! Ackerman’s Dry Cranberry wine is a great choice for dry wine drinkers looking to try some fruit wines that aren’t overly sweet, and is versatile enough to be enjoyed on its own or mixed with club soda for a refreshing spritzer! Their Sweet Cranberry wine is perfect on its own with just a hint of sweetness, or compliments a wide range of holiday dishes.
Lots of Iowa wineries are producing some fabulous cranberry wines, perfect for your holiday table! Check out the selections available to order online or if you’re local, check out the line-up from our friends at The Wijn House in Pella.
