{"id":416,"date":"2023-10-31T13:52:18","date_gmt":"2023-10-31T17:52:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.winetraveler.com\/?p=416"},"modified":"2023-11-22T12:22:47","modified_gmt":"2023-11-22T17:22:47","slug":"holiday-food-and-wine-pairing-recommendations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.winetraveler.com\/seasonal\/holiday-food-and-wine-pairing-recommendations\/","title":{"rendered":"Winetraveler’s Holiday Food and Wine Pairing Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Festive Flavors: Holiday Wine Pairing Suggestions for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah Dishes & Beyond<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The holiday season is upon us, and for many, that means indulging in our favorite foods and drinks. November and December call to mind wintry landscapes, ugly sweaters, large turkey dinners and fun with friends and family. But what wines pair best with all of this excitement? <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We went out and spoke with a number of certified sommeliers to get their opinions on the best holiday food and wine pairings. Throughout this guide, we\u2019ll look at various styles of food, styles of wine (varietals and blends) as well as brand-specific recommendations you may be able to find at your local liquor or grocery store. <\/span>Whether you’re planning meals for Thanksgiving, Christmas or Hanukkah, there’s a wine for every palate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feel free to ask us in the comments if you have any specific questions about pairings or where to find some of these wines.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t

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  1. Festive Flavors: Holiday Wine Pairing Suggestions for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah Dishes & Beyond<\/a>
  2. Appetizer Wine Pairings<\/a>
  3. Main Course Wine Pairings<\/a>
  4. Dessert<\/a><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\n\n

    RELATED: How to Pair Comfort Foods with Various Types of Wine<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Appetizer Wine Pairings<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Soft Cheese<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \"Cheese<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    For easy-eating soft cheese pairings, DipWSET Sommelier Sarah Phillips (find her on Instagram @whatsarahdrinks<\/a>) recommends a lightly oaked Chardonnay or a White Burgundy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cFor soft cheese like Brie or Camembert, a lightly oaked and creamy chardonnay would work well. For something more traditional, there is Burgundy. There are also some excellent chardonnays coming out of the New World, particularly from New Zealand. One of the producers to watch there is Kumeu River.\u201d <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    RELATED: Try Drinking These Wines During Christmas and the Holiday Season<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Blue Cheese Balls<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    For a heavier, stinkier cheese pairing here’s an interesting suggestion from Zach Jones, Assistant General Manager at Corralito Steakhouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    “Blue cheese, with its earthy flavors and abiding richness requires a wine that can match the funkiness and cleanse the palate with lazer-sharp acidity. The Els Vinyerons Xarel-lo is a naturally made white from Penedes (the home of Cava) that matches expressive orchard fruit and citrus flavors with an undercurrent of earthy Umami. Anyone who loves ciders from Basque Country<\/a> or Normandy will see a kindred spirit in this lovely white wine.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Stuffed Mushrooms<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    For this popular hot appetizer packed with umami flavors, we spoke with Karen Bonarrigo, Chief Administrative Officer at Messina Hof<\/a>, past President of The Hill Country Wineries, and Foundation Director for the Texas Wine Foundation. She suggests rustic red wines with earthy undertones that are naturally a fantastic pairing. Try wines like Cabernet Franc or Malbec.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cheese, Cured Meats and Olives<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Classic and timeless selections for holiday get-togethers, cheese plates with cured meats, olives and beyond are perfect when having house guests over. Karen recommends thinking Italian, with a focus on wines with sharp acidity and youthful exuberance such as Pinot Grigio and Sangiovese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Main Course Wine Pairings<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Before we get into pairing wines with specific dishes, let’s talk about a more general all-encompassing pairing: Champagne. But not just any Champagne – Ros\u00e9<\/em> Champagne<\/strong>! We spoke with Champagne Specialist at Moet Hennessey Alyse Mizia<\/a> for her thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    “I like to think that a powerful style of Ros\u00e9 Champagne is a perfect match for a holiday meal. It will hold up against most meats, and compliment them with their high-acid content as it cuts through some of the fattiness.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Since we use a blending process to make Ros\u00e9 in Champagne (unlike most other ros\u00e9-producing regions of the world), the wine actually has tannin & structure, lending itself beautifully to food pairings. I love it with everything from a roasted turkey, a rack of lamb, duck, or beef tenderloin (think anything you might add a fruit-based sauce or side-dish to)<\/strong>.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here are a few Ros\u00e9 Champagne pairings in particular that Alyse recommends for these styles of meals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n