Holiday Wine Pairing Guide

Holiday Wine Pairing Guide

Holiday dinners present a prime time to try new wines with favorite recipes of old. Will it be ham, turkey, goose or prime rib? If you are looking for new wine pairings to complement your holiday meal, then look no further! Check out our choice of versatile whites and diverse reds that are sure to enhance your holiday gatherings, varietals picked for both their presence and adaptability.

Wines to Serve with Turkey

Turkey on its own presents a fairly straight-forward pairing partner, but who really eats turkey solo? Herb-filled stuffing, roasted veggies, rich sauces, and an assortment of savory sides manage to make their way alongside the bird. It’s these sides and sauces that must be taken into account when working out the best wine pairings.

• A Sauvignon Blanc is hands-down one of the top white wine picks for turkey and savory sides, as it tends to bring its own herbal tones to the table
• The all time go-to red wine is a Pinot Noir, Burgundy red wine, or a Beaujolais (gamay) The high acidity and low tannins of these wines make for the perfect pairing.
• Other possibilities we recommend include Grenache based blends like a Châteauneuf du Pape from the Southern Rhone region of France and GSM blends from Australia or Central California.
• A California Zinfandel can also provide a pleasurable pairing for the myriad of flavors on the holiday table.

Wines to Serve with Ham

Baked, smoked, or honeyed hams beg for wines with a dash of sweet. A German Riesling with a touch of residual sugar, made lighter in style and a bit lower in alcohol will hop on the ham pairing wagon with plenty of food-friendly acidity and crowd-pleasing palate appeal.

Alsatian Rieslings tend to bring more body, significantly less sugar, and a richer palate profile than their German wine cousins, and are capable of handling a wide range of pork-themed options with a focus on weight and pairing presence.

Red wines that can accommodate ham happenings tend to be lighter in body and overall style.

• A Beaujolais (Gamay) from France,
• Pinot Noir (especially from Burgundy or California’s Russian River Valley)
• Spain’s Tempranillo grape often exhibit subtle tannins with an easier going pairing

Wines to Serve with Duck

When it comes to pairing wines with duck, considerations have to be made for the unique, fatty profile along with the innate gaminess of the meat. The wines of France have a long and storied pairing partnership with a variety of duck preparations. As local foods paired with local wines make a trendy comeback, there’s an underlying synergy between “historical” regional pairings and the red wines of Burgundy and Bordeaux, as well as the reds of the Rhone Valley.

we like the following pairings with Duck:

• A medium bodied Pinot Noir from Oregon or Burgundy,
• Grenache from Spain or Grenache blends from the Southern Rhone (think Chateaneuf du Pape!)
• A lighter style Zinfandel from the Sierra Foothills of California

All will handle the elements of roasted, smoked, or braised duck. If the duck is served with a fruit-based sauce then the wine pairing gears will shift towards the white wine trails:

Gewürztraminer, Riesling, and Sauternes, all will make their mark on the fruit-themed duck pairing profiles.

Wines to Serve with Steak or Prime Rib

Steak & Prime rib make a serious play for a variety of red wines:

• A big, bold Cabernet Sauvignon from California,
• A rich & savory Syrah from N. Rhone
• A playful Zinfandel,
• A rustic Tempranillo from Spain,
• A refined red from Bordeaux,
• A Barbaresco or Barolo from Italy

all of these varietals can bring out subtle nuances in the pairing depending on the regional roots.

White wines will have a tough time keeping up, but if you are hard pressed and must venture to the white grapes, try a full-throttle White Burgundy (Chardonnay) to keep pace with the rich textures and greater ratios of protein and fat.

Now that you have all of our favorite holiday wine pairings you need for any meal this holiday season, give them a try and let us know what you think!

If you want some expert advice, give us a call or send an email.

Certified Sommelier, John will answer any question and give you some direction on what is the best wine to pair with all of your favorite meals and side dishes!

Email: rustickitchenwla@gmail.com

Call/Text: 310-390-1500