Favorite Holiday Dishes Paired With Wine

For your holiday wineing and dining pleasure, I would like to share a few suggestions to try for holiday food and wine pairing! Why so many? Because I took to Facebook and asked all of my wine-loving pals for their very best ideas. This is what I asked:
What’s your favorite wine and food pairing for the holidays? I’m looking for your favorite varietal of wine with your favorite holiday dish for a round-up article I’m doing for the next issue of élite Magazine! I’ll get it started: a Sauternes or domestic late harvest dessert wine with pumpkin pie because there is creaminess in both and the spice in the pie just works well with the honey-sweet wine! Tell me what you like, and then look for your name in print (I’ll only grab first names) with your suggestion! (The photo is me with Wine of the Month Club president Paul Kalemkiarian discussing what to pair with a high desert red wine, I suggested rattlesnake!)
Some of the tasty answers include:
Scott: Pork belly, as an appetizer or main dish, and Cabernet Sauvignon!
Barbara: One of the seasonings that my Grandmother used in her turkey stuffing was ground cumin. It pairs amazingly well with Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir. The spiciness of the wine explodes on your palate. Also pairs well with allspice, cloves, or a touch of cinnamon.
Dax: Port wine and blue cheese.
Barnet: Chocolate Soufflé with Sequoia Grove Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.
Jennifer: A nice Oregon Pinot Noir from Bethel Heights or Patricia Green with turkey. Pinot and turkey go well together, especially the more delicate Oregon ones. (Eve’s note: Turkey with Pinot Noir or French Burgundy – the same grape grown in a different place – is a classic pairing for Thanksgiving. It’s typically a lighter red wine that does well with white meat and salmon.)
Dana: Amongst the wines we include for our holiday meals, we typically pair a California Central Coast Pinot Noir with our Turkey. We like the earthy, savory, cooked dark fruit notes on the nose and palate. This complements the bird, but doesn’t overwhelm the feast.
We also like to support local wineries and are blessed to be able to pour Pinot Noirs from Pagter Brothers, Hoi Polloi, and Pulchella wineries who have local tasting rooms on Main Street in Old Town Newhall. Lucky us!
Michael: Zinfandel is about as classically American as it gets to go with the Thanksgiving holiday and all of the various flavors on the table.
Laura: Thanksgiving turkey and Burgundy.
Stacie H: Several favorites. Slightly chilled Cru Beaujolais with turkey and sides. The Gamay’s fruit of red berries and the undertone of earthiness support both sweet and savory dishes, yes, even cranberries. The acidity freshens your palate and sets up for the next bite. For white wine choice: Soave. This wine gets little notice in the mainstream. However, with its aromas of peach, zesty citrus, green melon and crisp acidity will balance the variety of flavors in the meal.
Maria: Pinot Noir with Brussels sprouts, bacon and Parmesan cheese! 
Eddie: We like to offer our guests a nice Champagne or sparkling wine when they arrive. This gets everyone in the festive mood and there’s lots of clinking and “Cheers” to start! Typically we will serve it with a big board of cheese, fruit, nuts and charcuterie as we share family news and events before settling down to the main meal.
And from Susan Tipton, winemaker for Acquiesce Winery – the white wine winery in Lodi I wrote about earlier this year: For a traditional holiday pairing, try our 2021 Grenache Blanc with a Rubbed Sage Stuffing for Thanksgiving.  The delightful mid-palate and the pear, peach, melon aromas of the wine pair nicely with the aromatic sage in the stuffing.  Also, I make my own cranberries for Thanksgiving and instead of sugar and water, I use sugar and our Grenache Rosé.
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Comments