Wines to Go with Your Holiday Feasts
’Tis the season! Time to gather with friends and family to share great meals, and great wines to go with them. The difficult part of choosing wines with big meals is trying to match so many different flavors. Sometimes it’s easiest when serving a large meal to pair wines that have lots of versatility, such as Riesling or Pinot Noir.
If turkey is being served, a crisp, fruity Riesling goes well.
DR. KONSTANTIN FRANK DRY RIESLING Finger Lakes, New York – This is a dry but intensely ripe Riesling with beautiful flavors of nectar, grapefruit and orange blossom. It has long-lingering streaks of honey and fruit. It is penetrating and deliciously persistent. Always a good value!
BOUNDARY BREAKS OVID LINE NORTH RIESLING Finger Lakes, New York – This is a very approachable, medium-dry Riesling made from ripe fruit and delicious tropical flavors. It is very food-friendly and also perfect to sip by itself.
If you are looking to serve red wine with your turkey feast, Pinot Noir is an excellent choice. Like Riesling, Pinot Noir goes well with lots of food flavors.
BISHOP’S PEAK PINOT NOIR San Luis Obispo County, California – This wine is made by Talley Vineyards, produced entirely from Pinot Noir grapes. It has bright fresh flavors of strawberry, raspberry and cherry, along with some spice and acidity.
SOPHIE BERTIN PINOT NOIR Loire Valley, France – This ruby red wine is clear and bright with hints of violet and spice. It is powerful, fresh and full of pure, clean fruit. This is an outstanding value!
If a sweet and savory glazed ham is on your holiday table, again Riesling and Pinot Noir are the perfect versatile wines to serve.
CROSSBARN PINOT NOIR Sonoma Coast, California – The 2014 Crossbarn is another knockout winner. It exhibits some smoky barbecue notes and spice along with blackcurrants and black cherry fruit.
What looks better on the holiday table than a beautiful rib roast! Try pairing a big beautiful Syrah.
CHATEAU MARIS LA TOUGE Languedoc-Roussillon, France – This biodynamic wine is a blend of 70 percent Syrah and 30 percent Grenache. An inky purple color with smoky dark fruit, it has full-bodied richness, beautiful integrity, ripe tannins and no hard edges. Fresh and vibrant, yet also concentrated and rich.
If serving a pork roast, try a creamy Chardonnay with hints of fruit and oak.
PEIRSON MEYER CHARDONNAY Russian River Valley, California – This classic California Chardonnay has plenty of apricot, white peach and honeysuckle flavors, with a touch of pineapple and apple. It is a pretty sexy, full-bodied Chardonnay.
RAMEY CHARDONNAY WOOLSEY ROAD Russian River, California – Medium-bodied with plenty of finesse in the mouth, it gives a nice balance of the fruit and savory flavors, with a silken texture and finishing long and toasty. Superb!
For the perfect ending with your pumpkin pie,
VIETTI MOSCATO D’ASTI CASCINETTA Piedmont, Italy – Only the best moscato grapes are used in Cascinetta. This moscato has intense aromas of peaches and ginger. It is slightly sweet with good balance and acidity. Delicious!
Whatever foods you are pairing wine with, it is always easy to remember to pair light wine with light foods and heavier foods with heavy wines. Also, it never fails to drink what you like.
