Christmas Food and Wine Pairings

We could ramble on with a million holiday cliches about family, trees, lights and a jolly ol’ fella from up north. They all make good stories, for sure. But let’s face it, we all have a one-track mind come the holiday season. We want good food and good wine to finish off the year with a glutinous feast that’ll make us prioritizing all health-related resolutions.

Still stuck on turkey
Some of us didn’t get enough tryptophan over the Thanksgiving holiday, so we like to carry over a roasted bird for one more celebration. There’s nothing wrong with that. Try a Riesling with your bird and forgo the red wine. It’s perhaps the most food-friendly wine in the world, a delightfully aromatic wine with body and balance that loves a good turkey.

A rare roast
A medium rare, juicy roast is red meat heaven around the holidays (assuming your favorite relative who’s doing the cooking doesn’t leave it in the oven too long!). That means you should reach for a Cabernet. It’s a classic pairing. Or, you can stray from the norm. We say have a little more fun, and try a Cabernet Franc (there’s just a few cases of our 2008 left!). Its green chili and pepper notes give it a fun flavor profile that will match an herb-encrusted exterior. There’s plenty of fruit too to compliment the medium rare meat.

Going goose?
Some like to mix it up at the Christmas table with a holiday goose. It’s not a bad idea. Turns out Zin is a nice companion to this fowl on Christmas Day. Why? Well, partly because we’re partial to Zinfandel (we get some prime fruit from Lodi for this wine). But more so because it’s a big, bold wine and goose is a bold statement at the holiday dinner table. The tangy fruits will sing with the bird, and the natural fat content of a goose calls for a bolder wine.