7 wines in honor of Feast of the 7 Delicious | Phil Your Glass

The Feast of the 7 Delicious is quickly becoming my favorite holiday.

It may be a holiday I made up, and it may be a ripoff of the traditional Italian Feast of the 7 Fishes celebration on Christmas Eve. But it's a day of the year dedicated to me picking and sharing my favorite wines with others — what's not to love?

I conjured up this spectacular wine holiday in my little pea brain seven years ago to announce to the world the seven most fantastic bottles of wine I have tasted each year.

It's a day that draws more than 150 wine enthusiasts annually to the Fairlawn Hilton, 3180 W. Market St. And on Dec. 7, Chef Beau Schmidt and myself will be there once again from 6-9 p.m. to share these special wines along with perfectly paired small plates.

This year's Feast of the 7 Delicious will also have a cash bar, Great Lakes Christmas Ale samples, retail wine sales, and a raffle with a $2,500 first prize to benefit the Halle Schmidt Foundation, which provides scholarships each year to Copley High School students entering the medical profession.

Tickets for the event are $45. For reservations, call 330-867-5218 or email epinheiro@rdamanagement.com

Without further ado, I give you this year's magnificent seven.

Avanzi Lugana Brut

Every celebration, real or fictitious, should start with a glass of bubbles. Since wine drinkers are supposed to be adventurous, I thought a $19.99 bottle of Avanzi Lugana Brut would be an appropriate first selection.

The Avanzi family in Lake Garda, Italy, is one of only a dozen or so producers in the world that make sparkling Lugana wine. Turbiana, previously known as trebbiano di Lugana, is the grape from which the Lugana wine is made, and it pairs exceptionally well with fish and white meat.

The persistent, ultra-fine bubbles lead you into green apple and citrus flavors. It’s quite amazing with one of Chef Beau Schmidt’s mini porchetta sandwiches that come with arugula, diced tomatoes and garlic aioli.

I enjoyed a bottle with baked Boursin cheese bites and smoked deer bologna slices during my family Thanksgiving dinner pregame festivities. It was also a great choice to have with the main event.

Buy this wine at Krieger’s Market in Cuyahoga Falls, Beau’s Market in Copley, Mustard Seed Market in Montrose, Fisher’s on Fulton, and by the glass at Mickey’s Irish Pub in Cuyahoga Falls.

2022 Baglio Di Pianetto Insolia

It was love at first sip. The insolia grapes for this 100% organic wine are grown outside Palermo, Sicily, on the estate of Baglio Di Pianetto. Peach and Bosc pear aromas shower the senses with every swirl in your glass.

Fried artichoke bites stuffed with boursin cheese were a fantastic pairing, as were a few crackers with marinated sheep and goat cheese cubes. The winery suggests seafood, so I also had a glass with my homemade pasta with clams and shrimp.

If you're dreaming of a white wine for Christmas, this $14.99 beauty is the one for you.

Buy this wine at Cornerstone Market in Munroe Falls, Mustard Seed Market in Montrose, Krieger’s Market in Cuyahoga Falls, Beau’s Market in Copley, Crave in downtown Akron, Fisher’s on Fulton, and Buehler’s in Canton.

2020 Baby Blue red blend

Blue Rock Vineyards’ Baby Blue red blend is the first repeat selection in the seven-year history of the Feast of the 7 Delicious.

This amazing wine from California's Alexander Valley has a delicious consistency. It’s a blend, which changes slightly every year, of five different grapes — 85% cabernet, 5% merlot, and dashes of cabernet franc, syrah and malbec. Priced at $37.99, it's one of the can’t-miss wine recommendations that I love to pass along.

This blend has wonderful blueberry aromas with lots of black and blue fruit flavors, and a nibble of Mimolette cheese brings it to a whole new level.

The pairings are endless, as the winemaker suggests grilled beef, lamb, pork, duck, chicken or even a burger. To my absolute delight, I had a glass with veal parmesan. Four days later, I drank the leftover wine with my homemade meatballs and rigatoni. The wine still proved to be the star of the meal.

Buy this wine at Mustard Seed Market in Montrose; Krieger’s Market in Cuyahoga Falls; Beau’s Market in Copley; Market District in Cuyahoga Falls and Green; Heinen’s in Hudson, Twinsburg, and Aurora; Fisher’s on Fulton; Top Shelf of Ohio in Jackson Township; Giant Eagle and Galaxy Restaurant in Wadsworth; Avenue Wine Shop in Canton; Vinifera Wine & Whiskey Bar in Cuyahoga Falls; and H2 Wine Merchants and 111 Bistro in Medina.

2021 Venge Silencieux cabernet

Kirk Venge is one of the rock star winemakers of Napa Valley. His 2021 Venge Silencieux cabernet is a definite showstopper. Grapes for this wine come from eight premier vineyards in the Napa Valley, including Beckstoffer and Stagecoach.

This cabernet has 7% cabernet franc and 2% merlot added. The rich blackberry and elderberry flavors and aromas let you know that this $79.99 bottle is certain to deliver plenty of wow in your glass.

“Silencieux over-delivers year after year,” said Venge. "It’s an awesome value.”

More: 'Friendships discovered in wine': How 3 friends from Akron started a winery in Napa Valley

Venge suggests having a glass with a smoky, savory brisket or authentic Mexican carne asada. I liked how this wine paired with seared pork belly in a blueberry reduction sauce.

Mimolette cheese with it was great, but Venge suggests a ripe blue cheese to have with a glass of “the Silent One”. There is plenty of awesomeness left on day two if you should happen to have wine left in the bottle the next day. A difficult task, I might add.

Buy this wine at Beau’s Market in Copley, Krieger’s Market in Cuyahoga Falls, Top Shelf of Ohio in Jackson Township, H2 Wine Merchants in Medina, and Fisher’s on Fulton.

2021 Camins del Priorat

Alvaro Palacios has been hailed as the most important winemaker in Spain by several publications. The average price listed on Wine Searcher for his L'Ermita Velles Vinyes is $1,096 a bottle.

Palacios bought his first vineyard in Spain’s Priorat region in 1990 after working two years at the highly acclaimed Chateau Petrus, which produces one of the most celebrated and most expensive red wines in France.

Palacios does make a much more affordable wine called Camins del Priorat. At $29.99, this sexy wine is worth every cent, given the incredible pedigree from which it was created.

It’s a blend of 40% garnacha, 30% samso (carignan), 20% cabernet, and 10% syrah. The velvety red raspberry flavors of this wine beg for your next sip.

It was perfect with Mackenzie Creamery’s Sweet Fire Chèvre topped with black raspberry habanero syrup on a cracker. It's also a mighty tasty partner with a bowl of Chef Beau’s traditional seafood and chorizo paella.

Buy this wine at Beau’s Market in Copley, Krieger’s Market in Cuyahoga Falls, Jenks Building in Cuyahoga Falls, Cornerstone Market in Munroe Falls, Fisher’s on Fulton, Bender’s Tavern in Canton, and H2 Wine Merchants in Medina.

2018 Chateau Marjosse Bordeaux Rouge

Pierre Lurton stays busy as chairman of two iconic French wineries: Chateau Cheval Blanc in St. Emilion and Chateau d’Yquem in Sauternes. Impressive credentials to say the least.

Since the early 1990s, Lurton's “other” project has been making wine and restoring his historic Chateau Marjosse property.

The average Wine Searcher price for a bottle of 2022 Cheval Blanc is $742. Connect the dots to Lurton’s Chateau Marjosse Bordeaux Rouge, and $21.99 will taste mighty fine.

This Right Bank beauty has a silky smooth texture that flaunts raspberry pie and black current flavors. It’s 80% merlot, 10% cabernet and 10% cabernet franc. It's super food friendly and paired nicely with seared pork belly in a blueberry reduction sauce as well as a chicken burrito from my neighborhood Wholly Frijoles Mexican Street Foods. Pick up one of your favorite herbed goat cheese logs to have with this incredible value from Bordeaux.

Buy this wine at Mustard Seed Market in Montrose, Beau’s Market in Copley, Krieger’s Market in Cuyahoga Falls, Western Reserve Wines in Solon, Diamond Grille in Akron, and Bender’s Tavern in Canton.

2020 Montsant Can Blau

Montsant Can Blau is another fabulous wine from the Juan Gil Family Estates in Spain. I have tasted this wine every year since it has been released in 2016, and I must say that the 2020 vintage is my favorite.

The Montsant region, which is about 110 miles west of Barcelona, nearly surrounds the prestigious region of Priorat. This red blend is made from 40% carinena, 40% syrah, and 20% garnacha grapes from 30 to 50-year-old vines. The age of the vines give incredible blueberry and elderberry flavors to the wine.

It was another great pour to have with Mackenzie Creamery’s Sweet Fire Chèvre topped with black raspberry habanero syrup on a cracker. I like how the dark blue fruit notes paired with a few bacon-wrapped dates as well as my leftover chicken burrito from Wholly Frijole. Quite the velvety finish on this $18.99 bottle.

Buy this wine at Wise Guys Lounge & Grill in North Hill, Barrelhouse in Akron, Mustard Seed Market in Montrose, Krieger’s Market in Cuyahoga Falls, Beau’s Market in Copley, Crave in downtown Akron, Jenks Building in Cuyahoga Falls and Fisher’s on Fulton.

Reach Phil Masturzo at philyourglass@gmail.com and follow him on Instagram @pmasturzo_philyourglass

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: My favorite made-up holiday features these 7 wines | Phil Your Glass