The holidays aren’t just about the food. Having great table wines at your holiday dinner can really make or break the experience. Here are our recommendations for different wines to pair with whichever main course you choose for your holiday dinner. Any of these wine selections will be sure to delight a crowd, a loved one, or even just yourself – giving you at least one less thing to worry about.
Wines to Fill Your Holiday Table Based on Your Main Course
If You’re Having a Turkey Main Course
In my book, this is currently the best white wine being produced in Pennsylvania — and it makes sense given that Galen Glen has the oldest Grüner Veltliner vines east of the Mississippi. Crisp, peppery, and sharp with a spicy finish, this has all the makes of a perfect pair with your turkey in your holiday dinner. As a bonus, this is one of the best wines for veggie pairings, too, so don’t be shy and load up on that green bean casserole, too.
These hand-picked Furmint grapes were harvested in a cool vintage. That gives this wine refreshing acidity and plenty of floral character to complement your roast poultry on this fine holiday. Due to some fermentation in new oak, there’s an added richness and depth that makes this wine sturdy enough for even more bold flavors at a holiday dinner, too.
Ham Main Course
Rosés from Bandol are richer and fuller than their counterparts found elsewhere in France, and their depth and structure make it a perfect match for your ham this holiday season. Enjoy the citrusy nose (think pink grapefruit) alongside floral and herbaceous aromas that are sure to delight.
An absolute bargain of a wine, this offers intense and complex aromatics that recall lemons, orange blossom, and peaches. It has a decidedly salty undertone that keeps things balanced and interesting. High acidity helps cut through the ham’s richness and helps accentuate the meat’s sweetness in a holiday dinner.
Roast Beef Main Course
Another South American steal of a wine, this hearty red boasts notes of blackberry, black plum, smoke, and toasted oak to complement your roast beef. This grape also carries a hint of green vegetal notes, so your roasted vegetables from your holiday dinner will fit just as nicely with this powerful pairing.
If this wine came from France, the price would easily be twice as high. The bargain is a reflection of the superb quality of this fine Syrah from South Africa’s warm, rugged Swartland region to the north of Cape Town. Loaded with aromas and flavors of smoked meat, black olive, and grilled peppers, it is the perfect match for your hearty roasted meats on the holiday dinner table. Even more, you’d be able to find a match with this and your favorite charcuterie.
For Any and All Main Courses
Franciacorta is, for all intents and purposes, Italy’s answer to Champagne. This sparkling stunner, composed mainly of Chardonnay, doles out aromas of citrus and tart peaches, and there’s a creamy bit of nuttiness that is the hallmark of wines made in the style of Champagne. Perfect to open your evening or with hors d’oeuvres.
To the west of Franciacorta, Italy’s Piedmont region is home to some of its most beloved wines. Its indigenous white grape, Timorasso, however, has only recently started to get the attention it deserves. This example is rich with stone fruit flavors and aromas, but a slight waxiness and nutty undertone keep it just as complex as it is delicious.
If you’re used to feather-light Pinot Grigio, this wine will come as a shock since it’s more like a light red than anything else. Mick Craven allowed the skins to soak with the juice for six6 days, which gives this wine a lovely ruby hue and adds an earthy undertone that has some grip. Think red apple skin, watermelon, cherry, and some good, old-fashioned soil all in a delicious red robe. Note: order online as a special liquor order on finewineandgoodspirits.com
A unique blend of Cinsault, Grenache, and Cabernet Sauvignon, this stellar red wine from Lebanon’s high-altitude Bekaa Valley is full of bright red fruit, warm spices, and something that almost recalls black tea on the nose. It’s light enough to enjoy with Mediterranean-inspired mezze and has enough oomph to handle heartier preparations, too. It’s vivacious and versatile.
Deep purple in hue, this wine is full of jammy blackberry and plum flavors and aromas, hints of baking spices like clove and cardamom, and a bass note of chocolaty goodness. It’s boozy, to be sure, but it’s bombastic and beautiful, too.
Story by Adam Knoerzer
Photo by Zoe
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