It’s crunch time for holiday menu planning, and you’re undoubtedly considering sustainable options for the table from appetizer to dessert. Often overlooked, the wine you serve with your special meal is just as important as the entrée. It’s what gets your party toasty and enhances those warm, spiced flavors of the meal. Etty Lewensztain, certified wine professional and owner of Plonk Wine Merchants, spoke to us about hot sustainable wines that will complement traditional Christmas fare. Here are her top picks for sustainable wines during the holidays.

Good ideas sometimes come out of necessity. It's unfortunate that ecologically sound practices often arise from grave situations, but at the same time, we must recognize the situation we are in. With the UK set to run out of landfill space over the next seven years, companies are being forced to rethink how products are packaged. With that daunting thought in mind, Greenbottle is launching a first: the paper wine bottle.

As I'm writing this post, I'm listening to the new record by the Black Keys, El Camino. It's midday and I'm somewhat thirsty. Normally I'd just go refill my water glass. Now, thanks to a group of music hacker nerds in Boston and a complex algorithm that I'll never understand, there's Drinkify. I go to the site, type in the band's name and out comes my drink.

In a desert ecosystem, it's a miracle anything survives. From unspeakable dryness to harsh winds and even harsher sun, the conditions are, shall we say, less than ideal. So, it stands to reason that plants who thrive in deserts just might be mightier than their more sheltered counterparts. Or so is the case with chaparral. This hardy plant is making superfood headway, and it's no wonder why. 

Americans drink more wine on Thanksgiving than on any other day of the year. Maybe it's because a couple of glasses take the edge off awkward family interactions, or maybe, as Andre Simon claimed, "wine makes every table more elegant." But don't be mistaken: You won't need expensive bottles to create that elegance. In fact, Slate recently made a case for cheap vino -- a mighty convincing one at that.

Pears are a sometimes-overlooked delicacy. Sweet and refined, with a fragile skin and unique texture, their subtle flavor works with everything from chocolate to cheese. In fact, spiced pears poached in wine are a traditional holiday dessert. Whether you're throwing a holiday bash or just looking for something fun to do with in-season pears, now's your moment to try out fresh spiced cocktail recipes. Here are three to suit any taste.

The change of seasons is upon us! The air is so clear and crisp, you can practically take a bite right out of it. Sadly, eating air is generally frowned upon (except for those breatharians. No, really), so you'll have to find a more appropriate way to have fun. I recommend apples, sweet and tart and as crisp as the breeze. And much more delicious. They also make incredible fall cocktails -- not the sickly sweet appletini from your local bar, but drinks that are as refined as they are homey, original as they are heartwarming.

Fresh apple cider and pumpkin butter—two of the tastiest things to enjoy during the fall season. Combine them in this extraordinary cocktail recipe that will have your friends guessing how you got that incredible pumpkin flavor into a glass … you don’t even have to tell them you used real pumpkin butter! Keep ‘em guessing how you made this irresistible spiced cocktail for a drink that’s both a trick and a treat.

As the saying goes, when in Russia, do as the Russians (or something like that). While Toronto may not be Russia, while visiting a Russian vodka bar in the East End, I asked the bartendress to suggest a drink. She asked what my normal order was. I responded Ketel One with club soda and lime, to which she retorted, "Then you're not really tasting vodka." Fair enough. She wasn't being facetious, but factual. I nodded my head; she put a finger to her lip before replying, "Zubrówka," Polish bison grass vodka. When in Russia, do as the Poles, obviously.

People’s Wine Market does an exceptional job of bringing artisan wines to wine lovers. This awesome wine company that began operating just recently has already seen a great amount of success. We recently interviewed Ashley Sytsma, People’s Wine Market owner/wine lover, and found out how she and Ryan Sytsma, fellow Wine Market owner, met and created their small, family-owned wine shop.