Movies to Binge Watch this Holiday Season and the Ideal bubbly to Sip
Tis the season to be cheery, merry, and most importantly bubbly. As we bask in the magic and coziness of the most wonderful time of the year, we’ve compiled the ultimate Christmas Movies binge-watching guide. Because frankly, what is the Holiday season without feel-good Holiday rom-coms?
But here’s the twist, this holiday season avoid the forgettable. Add some sparkle to your movie-viewing session –and we mean that literally! Ditch the traditional hot cocoa for a scrumptious glass (or two) of bubbly. No wine is more synonymous to Festive Season and Holiday Spirit than Champagne. From the prestigious Maisons de Champagne to the world-renown Grower Champagne, there is a perfect champagne for every Holiday movie.
Here are 6 Christmas Movies for a jolly & worthy binge-watch marathon complete with the ideal accompanying champagne bottle. Trust me, there’s a taste match made in heaven for all of you.
SCROOGED
Based on the 1843 novella A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Scrooged is a modern retelling that follows Bill Murray as Frank Cross, a cynical and selfish television executive, who is visited by a succession of ghosts on Christmas Eve intent on helping him regain his Christmas spirit.
The 1988 American Christmas fantasy comedy has become a staple of the holiday season.
A film as timeless in its relevancy as this one deserves a champagne of the same caliber: Bollinger Special Cuvée.
The richness of Special Cuvee is unparalleled…Triumphant complexity is a given at Bollinger, but it’s the dynamic freshness and vitality that really set it apart as one of the most approachable Champagne benchmarks.
FOUR CHRISTMASES
A couple struggles to visit all four of their divorced parents on Christmas.
To escape Christmas and their divorced parents with their dysfunctional families, happily unmarried Brad (Vince Vaughn) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon) have been successfully pulling off the same trick for three years: a little bit of charity work in a far-off place at the end of the world is always the perfect alibi. However, not this year–and as the young couple is forced to spend Christmas with all four of their estranged parents–the ultimate Yuletide disaster is at hand. Can Brad and Kate survive not one, but four Christmases?
As a film that has lots of twists and turns, and spices with sprinkles of family politics, argument, and ultimately, love, you need a champagne that in the glass will offer layers of complexity that mirror the movie’s own complex characters. Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve is the perfect match.
A high proportion of 40% Reserve Wines, equally divided between Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, to ensure the fine complexity and indulgence of Heidsieck quintessential signature style.
OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY
When the CEO (Jennifer Aniston) tries to close her hard-partying brother’s branch, he (T.J. Miller) and his Chief Technical Officer (Jason Bateman) must rally their co-workers and host an epic office Christmas party in an effort to impress a potential client and close a sale that will save their jobs.
I would pair it with a wine with a lot of panache and personality to match the high-energy tempo and wide variety of personalities in this film!
For this I would recommend Cuvée Coeur de Pinots by grower champagne Joseph Desruets.
This cuvée is not yet available in the US (for lack of distribution) but trust me it is worth the trip to Champagne. Desruets is based in Hautviller, the “birthplace” of Champagne.
Born in 2014, derived from the inspiration of Matthias Desruets, the 6th generation of the Desruets legacy, Coeur de Pinots captures the spirit of Pinot Noir.
THE HOLIDAY
The story is about two women who trade homes “only to find that a change of address can change their lives.” Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz) is a workaholic who owns a company that produces movie trailers in Los Angeles. Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet) is a society column editor for The Daily Telegraph in London.
Through a house exchange website, Amanda impulsively swaps her mansion for Iris’ cottage in Surrey for the holidays. While in Surrey, Amanda meets Iris’ brother and book editor Graham and they fall in love with each other. Meanwhile, Iris meets her new next-door neighbor the ninety-year-old screenplay writer Arthur, who helps her retrieve her self-esteem, and the film composer Miles, with whom she falls in love.
It only makes sense that you should sip on a wine as classic as this iconic rom-com: The Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label.
This Pinot Noir-centric Brut champagne is the House’s iconic flagship.
It’s timeless, much like its cinematic counterpart.
DECK THE HALLS
Starring Danny De Vito, Matthew Broderick, Kristin Davis and Kristin Chenoweth, this holiday comedy centers around two neighbors in a small New England town who go to war when one of them decides to decorate his house with so many Christmas lights that they are visible from space. The neighborhood is turned upside-down as the families try to discover the true meaning of Christmas.
To sip, go for something straightforward with a kick, and youthful like Moët and Chandon Brut Imperial. With lots of fruit-forward flavor (green apple, white flowers & citrus), the Brut Imperial is always a real crowd-pleaser. Its blend reflects the diversity and complementarity of the three main grape varieties in Champagne, reminiscent of the characters in the film who, in the end, learn to organically come together.
SERENDIPITY
Can once in a lifetime happen twice?
When Jonathan (John Cusack) and Sara (Kate Beckinsale) meet for the first time, there’s a definite attraction between the two of them, but they’re both attached. Sara is a big believer in “meant to be”, and when she gives Jonathan her phone number only to have the wind blow the number from his hand, she sees this as a sign that the two of them are not meant to be together – at least not right now. Years pass, and now Jonathan is engaged to marry someone else. He loves his fiancée, but suddenly he’s thinking a lot about Sara. Across the country, Sara has also just gotten engaged, but she’s starting to wonder about Jonathan. They’re both starting to wonder what might have been.
Watching it definitely makes you crave something a bit fancy, which is why a glass of bubbly feels fitting. To pair with a zesty film that’ll keep you on your toes, you need a wine that’s equally vibrant: Lanson Le Black Label.
As one of the holders of the Royal Warrant and official supplier to Wimbledon, Lanson is one of the UK’s longest-loved champagnes – a little piece of trivia British actress Kate Beckinsale can certainly enjoy. Its Black Label brut brings vibrant aromas of apricot, honey and blossom.
Happy holidays!
Mona and Anne
