To keep things cozy over a long night, try this DomaineLA suggestion, the Silvio Messana Bianco from Tuscany Italy. The holidays can be long and drawn out affairs and sometimes, you need to have a drink in hand that isn't going to get you drunk after a glass or two. It's a marathon, not a sprint, after all. Enter: an unfiltered Trebbiano from Tuscany from one of our favorite producers. This wine sees 5 days of maceration before being pressed off the skins. It is not a full on orange wine. The maceration, instead, provides a bit of texture to stand up to the zippy citrus notes. 

Holger’s Pumpkin Soup (Austrian Style)

• 1 lb butternut squash peeled or Kabocha pumpkin unpeeled cut in 1" pieces

• 1 onion chopped

• 2 garlic cloves chopped

• Slice of fresh ginger (optional)

• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

• Salt, pepper, nutmeg

• 1/4 cup white wine

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• Optional toppings:

• Roasted pumpkin seeds

• Pumpkin seed oil

• Croutons

1) Put pumpkin, onion, garlic and ginger into a pot, add the stock and wine. Season with salt/pepper/nutmeg and let simmer on low heat for 25 minutes.

2) Slowly stir in the cream.

3) Puree the soup and let simmer for another 8 minutes.

4) Add toppings if desired and serve.

Lou Flowers suggests using fruit as your flowers. Persimmon is the coziest of all the fruits. Diospyros, the genus name, literally translates to "Divine Fruit"  They are beautifully displayed in a bowl or left on their branches and arranged in a tall vase with other seasonal foliage.