Holiday Wine Pairings

December is a busy month for dinner party planning for a lot of us. This is the time of the year a lot of us are starting to think about our Christmas dinner and the wine to pair with what we are going to celebrate the season. This piece is by no means exhaustive, but I am hoping to help you start thinking about the wine and food pairing, whether it will be a traditional pairing or are you going to venture a bit outside the ordinary.

Turkey

Turkey is probably the most common and traditional dish for Christmas dinner. The traditional pairing with red wine is Pinot Noir from anywhere but especially a red Burgundy. With white, the traditional pairing is Riesling, whether off dry German style or bone-dry Alsatian style. Canada, with our cooler weather produces some interesting Rieslings of both styles. You just need to search them out with the help of your friendly helpful wine store salespeople.

I am also going to suggest you venture a bit further afield to pair your turkey with something from Italy. I suggest either a Barolo or a Barbaresco. You see, turkey needs a lighter body wine with good acidity and fruit. A Pinot Noir or Riesling fit that bill. But a Barolo or Barbaresco also has good acidity and quite a bit of fruit up front.

Ham

The next most popular Christmas dinner after turkey is probably ham, especially glazed ham. Cured ham is quite salty and needs a dry and fruity wine to cut through that saltiness. If the ham is glazed, then you also will need a wine which is off-dry with fruit nuances to compliment the fruit in the glazing. A Riesling is the traditional pairing with ham. It can be dry or off dry. A Sauvignon Blanc or a Pinot Grigio is often suggested as an alternative. A Moscato will work very well with a glazed ham to compliment the fruit nuances in the glazing.

I also would suggest going further out and trying with a Rose. I have also tried a Grenache, a Zinfandel and good quality Beaujolais Villages or Cru Beaujolais, with some success.

Duck

Duck, even though it is a bird, the meat is very rich and calls for a fruity red wine. I would go with a Merlot-rich wine such as a Right Bank Bordeaux, especially a Pomerol or a Saint-Emilion. An alternative would be a Pinot Noir.

If the recipe calls for fruit in the cooking of the duck, some off dry whites, such as Riesling will also work.

Lamb

Lamb is a staple in a lot of European countries. It is a rich red meat with some degree of gaminess. A red wine is probably most appropriate. A Left Bank Bordeaux with a high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon coming from Medoc, Pauillac, Saint Julien or Margaux will be heavenly.

But don’t forget, Italians eat a lot of lamb as well. So, try a Barolo or Barbaresco or a Sangiovese-based wine from Tuscany such as a Chianti Classico or a Brunello or a Super Tuscan. Spanish red wines from Rioja and Ribera will also work.

If, for whatever reason you need a white wine with lamb, try a white Cote du Rhone from France, or a Vinho Verde from Portugal.

Beef Prime Rib Roast

The last few years we see a lot of people moving away from turkey, or ham for Christmas and settling on a good prime rib roast. This is a rich red meat like lamb and a Cabernet Sauvignon heavy red will be in order. In our Calgary market, we now have Cab Sauvignon from a lot of countries to choose from. But, of course, the Left Bank Bordeaux will probably first come to mind. But you can try all those wines listed under lamb pairing as well.

A white with Marsanne and Roussanne from Rhone may work if you insist on a white wine with your beef.

Shellfish (such as lobster or crab)

I am quite traditional when it comes to seafood. I really enjoy them with fresh white wines especially those with nuances of minerals. My suggestion will be any non-oaked or slightly oaked Chardonnay such as a Chablis.

If you insist on a red wine, try a good Beaujolais.

Cheers! Have fun and a good Christmas!