The perfect holiday wine???

As Christmas Day approaches and you prepare for your dinner or party, you might be asked to bring the wine…and you might wonder…what should I bring? You stumble through the aisles searching for that perfect bottle. To add to your dilemma, there might be ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry, stuffing, green beans, salad, rolls, macaroni and cheese, desserts, etc. etc, etc right? At most holiday gatherings, there is a plethora of food. A spread as wide as the eye can see so not only do you have to find a good wine; you have to find something that pairs nicely with most things.

To assist in your “quest for the perfect holiday vino” we suggest that you search for the best table wine, something that will go with “most” items nicely or what we will call a food-friendly wine.

We’ve developed five characteristics to help...

Light to Medium Body

Light-to-medium-bodied wines are good selections because the tannin’s (a chemical compound that gives wine body and structure) won’t over-power the food. Much of the food we eat falls within this weight range so it will mostly likely complement the flavors. A heavy or full-bodied wine will be too much and will outshine your food.

Low to Moderate Alcohol (average is 12.5% – 14%)

A higher alcohol level adds heat which can again over-power the food and can cause the pairing to be unbalanced. Check your label for the appropriate alcohol levels.

Low to Moderate Oak

Heavily oaked wines will overwhelm other flavors in a dish.

Balance

Look for a balanced wine. A nice blend of acidity is a characteristic to look for when selecting your wine. You want a wine that has enough acidity to stand up to food but not too much or the wine will be too heavy.

Price Range - $12-$18

Many of these types of wines fall within the $12-$18 price category. This might help you to narrow down your selection.

Here are some specific examples

Several varietals satisfy all the above characteristics, and usually pair well with a wide variety of foods.

We suggest medium-dry Rieslings, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris which are very adaptable at the table, as are Pinot Noir and Chianti. These are what we call your “staple” table wines however, if you want to venture “out-of-box” we suggest you think of a blend.

Blends are recommended because you can find a wide range of varietals or flavors from one wine. The different varietals will pair will the many flavors or foods at the gathering. A blend basically gives you more options to work with in your pairing.

That said, most wines will pair with something and the best part about pairing is experimenting. Pairing is really about what you like so have fun, enjoy the holiday…and your wine.