You may not be thinking about the holiday season just yet, but local wine shops are ready when you are.

October-November-December is traditionally the busiest time of year for liquor retailers, who consider their inventory and stock their shelves well ahead of the holiday rush. The wine-and-spirits trends of the 2009 season are due in part to the economy and in part to the general mood of the consumer.

"Bottles under $15 are very popular this season," says Wayne Campbell of the Liquor Locker in Gloucester.

Fortunately, a bottle of cheap wine doesn't automatically mean a bottle of bad, headache-inducing wine.

Take the wines from Argentina; Campbell says the Layercake Malbec from Argentina is one of his biggest sellers but the value price has more to do with the cost of land in Argentina than a lower quality of grape.

"Land in California is very expensive," Campbell says, "and that cost is factored into the wine. Land in Argentina, though, is much less expensive and the grape quality is still very good."

A bottle of wine made from similar-quality grapes in Napa would cost about $25 whereas the same quality from Argentina costs $15 or less.

Jaime Burnham of Causeway Liquors says that his biggest sellers this time of year tend to be Pinot Noir wines, which are often chosen for their ability to pair well with Thanksgiving-style foods. For Burnham's customers, the Foris Pinot Noir from Oregon is a popular choice as are Pinot Noirs from Mark West and the Sterling Vintner's Collection, both of which come from California.

Burnham also stocks specialty liquors, such as Vincent van Gogh Dutch Caramel vodka and a gala apple-flavored vodka (from a producer like Stolichnaya). Mix those two together, Burnham says, and it tastes like candy apple.

The pairing of your drink with your food, especially at this time of year, is an important consideration. Co-owner John Lamirande and his team at the newly-opened Duckworth's Beach Gourmet on Washington Street are putting together menus of holiday items for customers to pre-order.

"We tried this before at Duckworth's Bistrot," Lamirande says, "and it worked very well. People ordered things like pies and side dishes and it was all ready for them when they came to pick it up."

Duckworth's Beach Gourmet doesn't yet have a liquor license but employees will make suggestions for which wine to drink with which items or series of items on the store's menu. The store also carries holiday gift items, such as a single-bottle tote bag made from recycled sails by Gloucester-based Again and Again Inc.

Shops like these who cater to Gloucester residents are, by necessity, in touch with local trends and customs — which makes them all the more ideal places to eat local, drink local, and shop local this holiday season.

Cathy Huyghe is a regular Times columnist. A resident of Manchester, she also coordinates a Web site, 365daysofwine.com, covering food and wine throughout Greater Boston.

Meatballs on the side

This Saturday, the Liquor Locker in Gloucester will host its annual wine tasting with more than 35 wines available to sample.

An added highlight of the tasting for many years has been the homemade meatballs provided by Maria Campbell.

"I started making them with my mother," Maria Campbell says. "She was a fabulous cook. I learned by watching my mother, as I'm sure a lot of people do."

Like many heirloom recipes, the meatball recipe doesn't involve exact measurements and may not have even been written down. Campbell knows it by heart. Here, in Campbell's words, is the recipe for her mother's meatballs.

"It's just the basic Italian recipe. The trick is in making your own seasoned breadcrumbs. I buy plain breadcrumbs and season them myself with fresh parsley, fresh basil, salt and pepper, garlic powder, and fresh grated Romano cheese.

"I buy a pound and a half of hamburger. I use a cup of seasoned breadcrumbs, and two or three eggs depending on the size of the eggs. I always add water — maybe a half cup — to the mix so it isn't so dry. You want them moist, but not wet, so they're easier to handle.

"I used to fry the meatballs, but now I bake them on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. They bake at 350¬° F for 20 minutes, then I simmer them in tomato sauce for a couple of hours. It really tenderizes and softens them.

"For the sauce, I use chopped-up onions and garlic, with maybe a little olive oil in the bottom of the pan. I use canned tomato paste and Pastene "Kitchen Ready" tomato purée, plus a lot of water, in a 10-quart pot. I always add oregano, maybe a little sugar, but no salt or pepper. It usually cooks for at least three hours."

— Cathy Huyghe